I recently returned from Haiti. One of the cities I visited was Montrouis, a Beachtown that is near Saint Marc and two hours from the Capital of Port Au Prince. Montrouis is a coastal town in western Haiti. Montrouis is also one of the best beach towns in Haiti, with several well renowned hotels and resorts, including le Moulin-sur-Mer. The town is located on the Cotes des Arcadins, one of Haiti’s longest stretches of pure white sand beaches.   It is also an exceptional place for sailing and fishing.

Haiti is on the West side of an Island in the Caribbean.  The East side of the Island is the Dominican Republic.

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This is my 4th visit to Haiti. (My 1st since the horrific hurricane in January).   Check out my video of Montrouis. Check out my Haiti blog: http://ADayinHaiti.com

Thanksgiving is soon upon us and I’m reflecting about where I was last year…  Almost one year ago I took part in a wonderful experience in Palm Beach.  For many months prior to the event, I helped to organize this event.  We had weekly phone meetings and made some great plans!

Do you recognize Don Shula with me?

We asked that each attendee donate a minimum of $5,000 to the Caring House Project Foundation. Why $5,000 you ask? With $5,000 you will provide shelter for one desperately homeless family. That’s right, the Caring House Project Foundation can build a 500 square foot concrete home with metal roof, kitchen, two rooms, front porch and bathroom, all for $10 a square foot!

Should you build two homes by donating $10,000 or more you will be invited to a special lunch the day the event concludes inside a $30 million home.

Should you want to stay as a guest at Frank McKinney’s personal oceanfront home for the two nights ( there was room for 5 guests), we offered this opportunity by donating to build three homes, or a minimum of $15,000.

Rich DeVos and Douglas Doebler.
Rich DeVos is the founder of Amway and a fellow Rotarian.

Many of the hosts for this event have donated significant sums of money to CHPF and have seen the silver lining as they drove through the misery of extreme poverty in Cap Haitien, Haiti to reach the self sustaining village built by the Caring House Project Foundation that was inaugurated just a few months ago. A village that has touched over 1000 homeless men, women and children.

This is the famous painter, Michael Isreal, on the left and me, Douglas Doebler on the left.  When I was on Haiti, I took a picture of this young boy.  Michael painted this portrait of him & we auctioned off the painting at the event.  Did you see the T-shirt that I designed as a birthday gift to Frank when I visited Haiti in February?

Michael Isreal does big charity auctions – paintings often sell for $50,000. Watch these videos to see some of his work… make sure to turn up the sound!  This New York City video has had almost 8 million hits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZFkZiwMLZ4

This video of his Big Brother/Big Sister painting in Tampa has had thousands of hits. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1bCKtX4uEc

This is Frank McKinney with me, Douglas Doebler.  Frank was the creator of this event with the Haiti boy painting – this painting raised $45,000.

The event was a huge success and we raised close to $700,000.  Yes – almost 3/4 of a million dollars!  This money raised will help build next two villages in Haiti.

We did an interesting exercise to “leave your fears behind”…

With 300 people watching, I stepped into a coffin.  It was a little chilling & eerie at the least, but made me think about my “fears” and how to overcome them!

Here is our group touring Frank’s Spec Homes

This photo of Mike Litman (Conversations with Millionaires) and some of the group, including Frank McKinney.  Photos taken by me, Douglas Doebler.

Mike Litman talking to Kendra Todd‘s Mother

My good friend Mark Evans also helped us organize this event.

Click here to read the email I received from Frank after the big event last year.

See for yourself what Frank McKinney and I witnessed that very 1st day I spent in Cap Haitian, Haiti.

The local people in Haiti have become a Passion for me.

I have visited Haiti 2 times.  I have seen the poverty & the filth.

I have seen good things happen as more & more people are helping this starving country.

The have been hit hard by Hurricane Fay.

I have yet to hear the assessment of the damage & hope the people in Cap Haitain are safe.

If you read my post about Cap Haiten, Haiti, this post is about my 2nd trip to Haiti.   I was there in June.  Frank McKinney and our group toured food distribution centers and the housing projects that some of my associates and I helped build. Just click on the link to see my photo essay.  There are many photos. As a result, the web page may load slowly
My Haiti Trip 2008/

Would you believe one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere is only 3 hours by plane from Fort Lauderdale, Florida?

I couldn’t believe it either until I saw it on February 22, 2007. We hadn’t flown to Africa or India or Pakistan. We were in the Caribbean. You know – lifestyles of the Rich and Famous playground.

I spent the day with my good friends Frank McKinney and Mark Evans in Cap Haitian, Haiti. Frank and Mark are both best selling authors in the Real Estate Field. Frank builds some of the worlds most expensive spec homes (mansions) in Palm Beach Florida. Frank chartered a plane and flew a delegation of his charity donors to Cap Haitian, Haiti. We witnessed the contrast between despair and great hope that this poor country holds. We took part in the dedication of the second village that Franks Caring House Project Foundation has built in Haiti.

Words cannot describe what we saw, smelled and experienced that day!

I have been involved in the construction of these self sustaining villages that take orphaned children and families out of the dumps (a real garbage dump in a big swamp) and move them into safe and sanitary housing where they are educated, are fed while watching over them in regards to  their health and welfare. Additional information on Frank McKinney’s website  www.frank-mckinney.com with a recorded message from him (turn up your sound). Also check out his Multi-Million $$ homes that he builds. Frank often considers himself a modern day Robin Hood. Selling these incredible Mansions to the Rich so that he can build homes for the homeless in the poorest locations in the world. His current project is a $135 Million Dollar Spec Home on the beach just south of Palm Beach.

See for yourself what we witnessed that day in Cap Haitian, Haiti and to view a photo essay from our trip, just click on this link
My Haiti Trip 2007