Page 8 - San Diego Woman Magazine our POWER WOMEN
P. 8

CHARITIES  WE   L OVE


                        Grangou                               astated the tiny island nation   Co-Founder Bios:
                                                              while the Gibsons acted--open-
                                                              ing a home for abandoned,
                                                              at-risk children.
                                                                  Today, Grangou operates
                                                              the Travay Bondye home locat-
                                                              ed in Port au Prince. Having to
                                                              move its location five differ-
                                                              ent times due to leases, the
                                                              organization is trying to raise
                                                              $290,000 to purchase a perma-
                                                              nent home. Grangou also pro-
                                                              vides three meals a day, clean    Carrie Gibson
                                                              water, medical care, education,   Carrie co-founded Gran-
                                                              and clothing to the children   gou with her husband Mike in
                                                              who call Travay Bondye home.   2008 after traveling to Haiti in
                                                              These children not only get the   2007. They live in Texas with
           While some nonprofits   international adoption, they   physical refuge they seek but   their five children including
        are so popular, they've be-  encountered many homeless   the mental refuge of hope to   two sweet twins adopted from
        come household names, some   children in the streets of Port   overcome their circumstances.   Port au Prince. Carrie travels to
        are less well-known. While   au Prince that tugged at their   In addition to Travay Bondye,   Haiti several times a year and
        it's sometimes difficult to   heartstrings.           Grangou spearheads mission   loves serving in this ministry.
        get behind a charity without   Praying for direction on a   trips, outreach programs and   She is thankful that God has
        knowing their history, here's   way they could help, the Gib-  Teens in Transition (TNT),   given her the privilege to serve
        the amazing story of Grangou.   sons returned in July of 2008   providing support to those   as “mom” to 70+ children and
        Grangou is the Haitian Creole   to establish their non-profit   aging out of Travay Bondye.   that she has a home away from
        word for hungry.           organization. For the next two   Grangou is unique among   home at Travay Bondye. In her
           Over a decade ago,      years, the couple made mul-  charities in that every penny do-  free time, she works as an event
        Michael and Carrie Gibson   tiple trips to Haiti in order to   nated goes to help the kids. Feed  manager in the specialty coffee
        embarked on a global initiative   build relationships with chil-  the hearts, minds, and bodies of   industry.
        that not only changed their   dren living on the streets and   Haitian children this year!
        lives but the lives of others, for   bring them food and supplies.   To learn more about Gran-
        the better. Upon taking their   In January 2010, the world   gou, donate or sponsor a child,
        first trip to Haiti in 2007 for   watched as an earthquake dev-  visit www.grangou.com.
                                                                  Photos courtesy of Grangou








                                                                                                Michael Gibson
                                                                                             Michael is a co-founder
                                                                                          of Grangou and currently
                                                                                          serves as its President. He has
                                                                                          been working in Haiti since
                                                                                          2007 in various capacities. He
                                                                                          co-founded Grangou with his
                                                                                          wife, Carrie, in 2008 in order
                                                                                          to provide support spiritually,
                                                                                          physically, and mentally to the
                                                                                          people and children of Haiti, fo-
                                                                                          cusing on outreach to homeless
                                                                                          children on the streets of Port-
                                                                                          au-Prince. He is a father to five
                                                                                          children, making his home in
                                                                                          Texas and working in banking.

        8
   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13