"I just wish we didn't constantly have to worry about having a house and how we're going to feed the babies," Ali McMutrie said.
We were having dinner last week, regrouping after I asked y'all for some help getting some formula for Haitian Families First. Ali squeezed the words in between some light conversation. The words stood out. They screamed.
The good news is that you guys came through. Big time. Formula has been showing up at the Haitian Families First office thanks to you all. So, thank you.
The bad news is that Jamie and Ali have 30 babies who depend on them for formula. 30 mouths to feed, several times per day. If you do the math, it comes out to 352 cans of formula each month. Together we made a dent, but it's exactly that ... a dent.
I don't know how you manage things when you're making "a dent." Do you have to pick who to feed? I don't know. The babies who need formula have names. They are real people who just need a little help now so that they can have a future. Felix, Dephica, Seth, Sara-me, Orons ... each and every baby needs to depend on the kindness of strangers for formula.
So, if you haven't helped yet, but are so inclined, there are several ways you can do it. You can send formula and/or formula coupons to the Haitian Families First office. The address is:
Haitian Families First
6906 Merton Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15202
If you'd rather drop the formula off, there's a chance coming up to do exactly that. Ginny wrote about it over here, but this Saturday there is an event at Shadow Lounge that benefits Haitian Families First. You can go to watch as Ginny hides in the corner NOT singing (I'm willing to help with that effort, but only because I am NOT singing either), or you can just drop off formula and leave. It's all good. More details about the time and place are here.
So, send in your formula. Go karaoke. Take some formula with you.
Oh, and there's one more thing you can do. This weekend Las Velas is hosting a "Dine Out for Haitian Families First" event. Go to Las Velas and stuff your face full of queso and quesadillas (Trust me on the food choice there. I am a trained expert, after all.). Tell your server that you're there to support Haitian Families First and they'll donate 15% of your bill to the nonprofit. You can throw in a couple of extra bucks if you want, just make sure you get there somewhere between October 19th and 21st.
Look at me demanding you go eat delicious Mexican food. Hey, do it for the kids! And because I said so!