John Martillo, who grew up in poverty in South America, donates significant time and money to Can-Do.org, a grass roots organization that brings hands-on help to people and places in trouble. This September, John traveled to Haiti with Can-Do. He shares his experiences here in the hopes that you, too, will support these children who desperately need our help. To donate, visit www.can-do.org.

 Can-Do’s focus on this trip was an orphanage in Port au Prince, home to 25 children who slept on cement floors, ate one serving of rice and beans per day, and had no electricity for lighting, refrigeration, or simply interacting after dark.

 Can-Do Founder Eric Klein is on the front left, and that’s SignaPay CEO John Martillo on the right. On the ground, and ready to do the work that needs to be done.

The real difference between Can-Do and other charitable organizations is that we go there with our contributions, in cash, and use it to hire local people to do the work needed. Here, 3 of our 15-man crew work on building a new kitchen. While we offered to purchase and install a refrigerator and stove, the orphanage had no money for electric bills or for food. Instead, they will cook with wood and charcoal, happy to finally have pots, pans and utensils.

 With no electricity and no candles, these children don’t have much to do when the sun goes down. Nevertheless they were delighted with their new “toy:” the orphanage’s first piece of comfortable furniture.

 The children have been sleeping on hard cement floors or, in a few lucky cases, on raw wood slabs.

New beds and bright pink walls made a huge difference to these orphans.

 Even toddlers are excited by their new bunk beds.

 Do we worry about them falling off? No, for the most part they don’t have the muscle tone to turn too often or move too far.

 They have lost their families. They live in darkness. They have no creature comforts and minimal reason to smile. But they do smile. Please support the orphans of Haiti by donating your time or financial assistance to www.can-do-org. You CAN change a life.

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