“You will not only experience the pure joy of helping others but you will come away from it with a greater sense of appreciation for your own life and, without a doubt, you will learn something in the process” – Roseann Lord
Meet Roseann Lord, a retired nurse from New York. Throughout her life, Roseann has worked in labor and delivery, taught Mother and Childcare for the Red Cross, ran a daycare service in her home and even operated a transcription service. However, organic gardening has been her “avocation” for the last twenty years. Volunteering gives her the opportunity to “pay forward” all the blessings that she’s received in life.
She has volunteered with HavServe for many years, working the community garden program at the Annual Summer camp in Haiti. Previously, she had been teaching indigenous women in Guatemala the Square Foot Gardening method. At the camp, Roseann works on upgrading the community garden and collaborating with local teachers to implement the children’s gardening program.
“Nothing brings more joy to my heart than seeing the young people embrace with enthusiasm the experience of growing their own food”.
What keeps her motivated and encourages her to participate in the summer camp every year is the progress that she sees with every trip. From improved facilities to a better level of overall education, what moves her most is the progress that she sees in the people – “the spirit of the hope that is evident in the faces of the people of all ages, the local teachers and volunteers, the young people who are involved in leadership training and the children, especially the children. That spirit of hope is more evident with each visit”.
