‘Heads Together For Haiti’ on Friday, March 19, at 7pm

Baltimore—The local Holistic Living and Learning Center will be co-sponsoring, “Heads Together for Haiti”, a benefit on Friday, March 19 at The Metro Gallery to raise money for the recently earthquake-struck country.  The event, organized by Holistic Living member Rachael Tanner, will feature live, local music from Caleb Stine & The Brakemen, The Fearsome Creatures, The Matrimonials, and Bobby E. Lee and the Sympathizers, a silent auction, and a 50/50 raffle.

All proceeds will benefit Heads Together, an organization based in Port-Au-Prince, and will be used to rebuild the Jean Jacques Dessaline school, which was founded in part by Heads Together facilitator Gerard Lumarque.

Baltimore native Rachael Tanner lived and worked in Haiti from 2002-2003 with Heads Together. Heads Together is a democratically, consensus run grassroots organization that works in areas of need for the people of their community. Their work includes adult literacy centers, various environmental projects, and the elementary school, Jean Jacques Dessaline for those children in the community who would be unable to attend school otherwise because of high costs.

The facilitator of Heads Together, Gerard Lumarque, and a team of Haitian teachers founded the school, Jean Jacques Dessaline, in 2006. The dynamic pedagogical philosophy, educational approach, and curriculum design make the school unique to the region. This is due to the dedication of the teaching staff. For example, after the first school year, when they lost their building contract and the budget was too low on funds, the team of teachers worked all summer under the hot Caribbean sun to build a new building, without pay.

Sadly, like so many other buildings in the recent earthquake, the school collapsed. Even though many of them are dealing with lost family members and homes, the teachers are still making the daily trek to the school site and holding classes in the schoolyard under tarps.

Tanner hopes that the benefit will help to rebuild the school and is excited about her local Baltimore community helping her cherished Haitian community! If we put our Heads Together all things can be accomplished!

Heads Together for Haiti

Friday, March 19, 2010

7 pm.

The Metro Gallery is located at 1700 North Charles Street

(on the corner of Lanvale and Charles Streets.)

For press inquiries, contact Rachael Tanner.

rachaeltanner02@yahoo.com

443-418-6165

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 6:23 am and is filed under Posts.