Vassar Haiti Project

As previously mentioned, VHP kicked off October with its Haiti Chérie Sale — a successful three-day event that featured a meet-and-greet with Haitian Artist George Desarmes, performances by both Edwidge Danticat and the Vassar Devils, and a speech by our very own Andrew Meade. Reflecting below on the event is Lanbo Yang ’15, director of VHP’s Education Initiative and one of the many volunteers who made the beautiful weekend possible.

All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 10.4.13

“The shade of the lights reflected on the wooden pillars. The pews sat behind each other in a pristine progression of oak, waiting. The paintings in the room hung everywhere, with crowded color, and Virgin Mary looked down with a gentle embrace, her finger lingered. The heat of the lights vibrated with hopeful effulgence. The doors were shut, the noise of the taxis shunned and the lopsided frames adjusted: the sale had started.

Set in the Midtown Manhattan (60th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave), the Haiti Chérie Sale began the year with invigorating energy. As the Vassar Haiti Project’s first sale in Manhattan, the event introduced our project to the residents of the All Saint’s Episcopal Church and the Haitian-American community of New York City. With the help of the Haitian Consulate, the event was a success: handshakes abound, laughter bursted in the air and the paintings were sold.

Jenna Amlani ’16, Laura Wood ’17, Lorraine Kwok ’15

The most exciting aspect were the new members of VHP. The volunteers, some of whom had never been to a VHP event before, decided to courageously take the Metro North train to New York City to offer helping hands. They stepped up and showed that this project had meant something to them. Vassar alumnae attended the event as well, sharing not only their post-graduate experiences but also their personal experiences in Haiti. Overall, not only did they learn about VHP, but we gleaned from our participants as well.”

— Lanbo