Mother’s Day Has a Different Meaning for These Haitian Teens

May 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Mother’s Day Has a Different Meaning for These Haitian Teens

Stories of Courage fundraiser on May 12 in Venice Beach to benefit orphaned Haitian teens.

Venice Beach, CA, May 01, 2012 --- Being a teenager is hard enough, but when you add poverty and the loss of parents to the mix, it can be overwhelming. For many survivors of the 2012 Haiti earthquake, and Dr. Nancy Sobel, Mother’s Day takes on an entirely different meaning.

Dr. Sobel, a local psychologist and Venice surfer, responded to news of the devastating earthquake by making several trips to Haiti to work with trauma survivors. As she got to know the stories of Joselyne and Josianne, orphaned in the aftermath of the earthquake and terrified each night as they heard sounds of gender violence just outside their tent, she knew that she could not just return to Los Angeles without taking further action.

Creating the Global Adolescent Project

Instead, she helped create the Global Adolescent Project (GAP), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate, encourage, and empower disenfranchised youth globally.  

Dr. Sobel found that there was a dire lack of services available to adolescents, who were literally lost in the gap between help for small children and organizations for adults.  Many of these youth were left to fend for themselves, or expected to care and provide for their younger siblings with no adult support.

Two years later, the Global Adolescent Project has grown, and there are more than two dozen youth being assisted with tuition, shelter, mental health support, and small business training. Dr. Sobel says that she has several hundred more applicants in Haiti, and has received inquiries for help from several locations around the globe.

Stories of Courage: A Benefit for Haiti Teens

The Stories of Courage fundraiser on Saturday, May 12, will help provide even more support to more teens. The benefit will honor the stories of teens who were orphaned by the earthquake in Haiti, and their challenges and triumphs.  

The fundraiser will be hosted by Danny Nucci, who has been featured in Titanic, Eraser, and The Rock. Also performing will be the Hawaiian band Local Blend and comedienne Zara Mizrahi. Caribbean food will be served, and a silent auction will be held featuring Haitian art, as well as locally donated items.  

The Stories of Courage fundraiser is being hosted by Michael Roy, LCSW, founder and executive director of Clearview Treatment Programs, and will be held at Clearview Center in Venice Beach from 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased for $100.00 online at www.couragefundraiser.eventbrite.com.  

If you cannot attend, but wish to send a tax-deductible contribution, visit www.globaladolescentproject.org and become a monthly donor. You can also send a check payable to Global Adolescent Project, 11340 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 155, Los Angeles, CA, 90064.

Mother’s Day weekend is a great time to support these inspiring young people, who have lost their own mothers and are trying to create new lives for themselves.

For more information about Global Adolescent Project and the Stories of Courage fundraiser, contact Dr. Nancy Sobel at drnancy@globalteens.org or 310-503-6439.