On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck and devastated the island nation of Haïti. In 35 seconds, over 300,000 people lost their lives and more than 1.5 million lost their homes. Just over eight months later, The New York Times reported that 1.3 million people were displaced in 1300 camps. With the recent cholera outbreak, clean, potable water has become the priority, but there are many more things that need to be done to help this nation get back on its feet. We created Community2Community (C2C), a non-profit service organization, to give these individuals a place to come together and share their expertise in a variety of areas – from education to medicine and from carpentry to communications – toward C2C’s goal of establishing lasting change in Haïti, and ultimately, other communities ravaged by chaos. There are also communities of resilient, hard-working people within Haïti. They are humble people who are not looking for handouts, but rather for the tools to create change and provide an opportunity to experience the basic life essentials of good health, a roof over their heads, and meals for their families. These fundamental necessities should not be met solely at special occasions, but rather incorporated as a normal routine of life. They hold onto the hope of an education for their children and a future of fulfillment for their sacrifices. So says the proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he will eat for a life time.” This is the essence of C2C building self-sufficient communities by working with the community –– so that hopes become realities and the cycle reaffirms itself. We believe our unique model provides a way to reach beyond the pleas and the headlines, as well as the occasional miracle, to result in rebuilding neighborhoods, restoring identity and rejuvenating the spirit. It only starts with Haïti. Get engaged!