Changemakers Playground podcast - Episode #14 - CherylAnn Gengel, Be Like Brit

The organization Be Like Brit was born out of pain and tragedy. Britney Gengel was a college student who went on a missionary trip to Haiti in 2010. While she was there, Haiti suffered a catastrophic earthquake of 7.0 magnitude. For the next 33 days, Britney’s family didn’t know if she was alive, or whether she was one of the 300,000 who died. Sadly, on Valentine’s Day, they received the call that their beloved daughter was gone.

Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, Britney’s family rallied and decided to fulfill what ended up being Britney’s last wish, conveyed to them in the last text she ever sent, in which she said she wanted to come back and help the children of Haiti. Several years later, Brit’s Home in Grand-Goâve, Haiti was opened. The orphanage serves as home to 33 girls and 33 boys (representing the 33 days that Brit’s family waited to hear news of their daughter), ages 5‒18. The mission of Be Like Brit is to "continue the compassion of Britney Gengel by serving the children of Haiti through sustaining a safe, nurturing home rooted in the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love while developing a sense of social responsibility, community involvement and unconditional love.” Listen to the podcast to learn more about the important work they're doing!