MOVING MOUNTAINS IN HAITI
When Rick Barger first traveled to Haiti in 1997 to visit his son, then serving in the Peace Corps, he found something he hadn't expected. "It felt like going home to a place I'd never been before." That trip began a lasting love for the Haitian people and a commitment to building sustainable change in a country the world had largely forgotten.
In the years since, Rick and Harriet have led more than 1,000 people to Haiti, introducing them to the resilience, courage, and tenacity of the Haitian people. Many returned with a love for Haiti of their own, and the Bargers remain deeply connected to the Haitians they have come to know. "The children and people of Haiti have proven to be my best teachers," Rick says. His writing and teaching carry those stories, along with the story of a growing movement working toward Haitian independence and flourishing.
In 2001, while serving as the Lead Pastor of Abiding Hope Church in Littleton, Colorado, Rick and a group of faithful partners founded the Haitian Timoun Foundation (HTF), built on partnership, compassion, and hope.
More than two decades later, Rick continues that work as a board member of both the Haitian Timoun Foundation and the Haitian Education and Leadership Program.
The Haitian Timoun Foundation
The Haitian Timoun Foundation is a passionate grassroots movement creating generational change in Haiti. They are helping children access education, empowering women to overcome ultra-poverty, and developing leaders who will shape Haiti's future. Working with trusted local partners, HTF helps fund and support programs that encourage and empower Haitian people to create lasting, generational change.
HTF is called to nourish the human spirit in Haiti, and help pave a pathway so ALL Haitians are valued and thrive
The Haitian Education and Leadership Program
The Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP) exists to create through merit and needs-based scholarships, a community of young professionals and leaders who will promote a more just society in Haiti. They envision a Haiti where every Haitian has access to quality education, the opportunity to live up to his or her potential, and the ability to contribute to a just and prosperous society.
HELP is committed to empowering Haiti’s youth with education, leadership development, and resources to be the next generation of leaders and changemakers.