I'm back from Haiti, and my life has been changed. Thanks to absolutely amazing friends, family, and clients, we made it. Over $5,000 for Haiti, a week seeing this money get put to work, and a lifetime of memories.

Some of my pictures are posted now, and stories are coming soon.

A million Haitians live in dirty shanty towns and “temporary” villages, more than a year after the earthquake.

Half of Haitians get water from streams and ponds. Very few have indoor plumbing and electricity.

60% live on $1 a day or less, 80% on $2 a day or below. Most don't have a job and some survive with very crude farming on over-tilled, barren land.

The average Haitian eats one meal a day, if they're lucky -- rice and beans. Some of the children I saw waiting for their one meal at Bonite's centre had walked for an hour each way to get that meal.

Only 20% of kids get past the sixth grade, despite the fact that it costs $150 to $300 for a whole school year.

Healthcare is rare and costs a lot, with one doctor for ten thousand people. The USA has a doctor for every three hundred people.

...

Random Acts is helping in a big way. We're funding a community centre. This will be a school and refuge for children, and it will also serve as a micro-lending institution. Better yet, they're also building a fish pond to provide protein for the children.

With Haitian children educated and fed properly, who knows what the next generation can achieve? Maybe someday there won't be rubble in the streets, and more than ten percent of people will have indoor plumbing. Maybe they'll earn more than a couple hundred dollars a year. Maybe our conditions will improve.

But we need your help.

These are the statistics about Haitian standards of living, and the reality of life for them. Though I am not Haitian and cannot conceive of the difficulties of everyday life there, it IS reality.

In June 2011, I travelled with Misha Collins, and 21 amazing women, along with four Random Acts staff who helped keep us safe. We went to Jacmel, Haiti to help see this refuge for some of Haiti’s hungry and homeless children built. We did some construction work and watched the men who will raise the roof work.

We successfully travelled, brightened kids' days, documented, and made new friends, but we're still short funds. The Random Acts goal to get the community centre built is $200,000, and as of July 1st, we're 86% of the way there. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could help me get to $6,000 or $7,000 by the time the month is over?

Will you help me help Haiti? Click the donate button now to give hope to people who desperately need it... to help the future generation.

For more details, FAQs and more, you can visit the Hope to Haiti page at therandomact.org/wordpress/news/hopetohaiti.