If you want to help change the world, you don’t have to look much further than Made to Love in downtown Hamilton. Opened in 2015, Made to Love has been working hard to improve the lives of those affected by devastating earthquakes in Haiti nearly a decade ago.
In 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, followed by two severe aftershocks both measuring above a 5.0 magnitude. In the following days, Haiti suffered more aftershocks that contributed to the already catastrophic damage. Tony Harris was among those who stepped up to help Haitians in their time of great need.
Tony, a local Hamilton firefighter, spent a week in Haiti helping with recovery and rebuilding. While there, he met Dr. Kelly Crowdis, an American veterinarian who holds a permanent missionary post in Haiti. Tony discovered that Kelly purchased handmade goods from the artisans in the Haitian villages and sold them to the missionaries that would come through. She would then take the money she earned and use it to send Haitian children to school who otherwise could not afford to go.
Moved by Crowdis’ efforts, Tony shared with his wife, Christin, his desire to fund a Haitian child’s education. The Harrises and family friend Shari Miller began selling handmade t-shirts. From October 2010 to the end of that year, the trio was able to come up with enough money to send a child to school.
“We sent the money to Kelly, and then we thought, now what?” Tony said. The desire was still there to send more children to school and provide them with the tools they need to succeed.
“We thought ‘where do we help so that it helps change Haiti?’” Shari said. “The most important thing for us is to make sure these kids have a fair chance at a different life, if they want it.”
Over time, the idea developed to open a storefront, through which they would continue the project that Kelly started in Haiti. They began purchasing artisan products from Haitians, starting with rolled paper beads made from cereal boxes. Each set of beads has a tag with a picture and description of the Haitian who made it.
“People loved our mission, but they didn’t care what we made,” Shari said. “They do care about a story and a person in Haiti.”
According to Tony, it costs approximately $300 to send a child to school in Haiti each year. Not only do they get the children into school, but Shari and the Harrises also use the proceeds from the store to maintain the education of the children every year until they graduate at 6th grade. This year, Made to Love was able to send 400 children to school, and this summer, Tony, Christin, and Shari will travel to Haiti to watch their first graduating class.
The children attend Garden of Eden School in the village of Charye. Made to Love is very adamant about providing the best Haitian, not American, education they can get.
“A big thing for us is social justice,” Shari said. “Is ‘justice’ making them into Americans? We don’t believe so. Justice for them is making them the best Haitians they can be.”
The Garden of Eden School teaches these children the skills they can use to thrive and succeed in their own environment, rather than in an American environment.
“When we buy things for the kids, say notebooks, we buy them from Haitians who make notebooks because it’s set up how a Haitian would know how to use it,” said Tony.
Their strategy benefits Haiti by helping to stimulate the local economy and invests even more support into Haiti as a whole.
In addition to the academic education, Garden of Eden also teaches the children to grow peanuts and turn them into peanut butter, among other agricultural skills, making the school more self-sustainable. By not requiring the children to wear a uniform, as is common in Haiti, the school can put those funds to better use in providing an education for more children.
Tony, Christin and Shari give the credit for their success to God blessing them with exactly what they needed at the time.
“A big part of what we do is our faith,” said Tony. “We feel like God is in everything we do, but we don’t push that.” At Made to Love, everyone does a part to achieve the greater goal.
Although the trio works hard here in the states, they are adamant that they could not have done it without Kelly Crowdis. Kelly, who lives permanently in Haiti, stays in touch with Haitian culture and the needs of Haiti, acting as the boots on the ground for the entire operation.
“We let Kelly tell us what they need and when they need it, and we try to find ways to meet those needs,” said Tony. The time and effort are considered well spent by the proud owners.
“When you’re willing to give of yourself, it makes a way,” said Christin. “When you’re willing to say yes to something, another opportunity will come along and give you the chance to say yes again.”
Locals can say “yes” to this cause by visiting Made to Love on High Street downtown. The store is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm, and Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm.