The Selie Foundation was formed just a couple of years ago as a very small, grass roots, assistance organization. The original vision was that the founders,  Ti Maille and Mark Moore, would find mechanisms to make it easy for family members and church friends to make meaningful donations of second hand clothing to Haiti. Some of those closest to us made rather large contributions of clothing of every size, type and style (including underwear and matching socks), shoes without holes, belts, handbags, backpacks, and suitcases. Most of these donations consisted of items that the families contributing would normally sell at yard sales or give away to local or national organizations that accept donated items for the purpose of re-selling them.

A small storage space was procured and the donations of clothing gathered & then shipped in an admittedly haphazard way by whatever was the least expensive pathway available at the moment. That pathway might consist of the founders driving to Miami and shipping items from there, one of the founders being able to take donated clothing in suitcases when traveling to Haiti on other business, or boxes being shipped via snail mail to contacts operating shipping and receiving businesses between Miami and Haiti. The purpose of the effort was always to assist needy Haitian families without spending too much of our hard earned and frequently meager funds. Processes and systems were never formalized because it was very much a part-time effort and we were spending our own money.

No matter how infrequently clothing arrived in Haiti, it was always very well received by grateful and happy families. For the first time in their lives, children wore their own clothes rather than hand-me-downs. A few mothers were able to put gender appropriate clothes on their very young children for the first time ever. Students confidently wore suits or dresses to interviews for jobs that they might not have attempted to obtain previously. And a few families felt that they could go to church and not be embarrassed by the appearance of their attire. No matter how small or grass roots the organization that sent them, those clothes made an immediate and measurable difference in the lives of Haitian families.

Now fast forward with us to the horrifying, heart breaking events of the devastating earthquake on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. Since that moment, the Selie Foundation has unexpectedly and somewhat overwhelmingly been asked to do things it was not originally designed to do. We absolutely want to respond. We NEED to respond. We have sent money for medicines, transportation to medical facilities, transportation to search for family members who are unaccounted for, and to buy water & food. We have run up unprecedented phone bills attempting to provide communication, liaison, and networking with much larger charitable and other service organizations. This has allowed us to facilitate all of the above services as well as helping direct assistance assets to where they have been needed immediately. Our services, support, and finances are repeatedly and continually being asked for now in ways we never anticipated. We need help in order to be able to help Haitian families in dire need.

To make it easier for folks to help, and to spread the word about the Selie Foundation, we have organized a web site. Call us shortsighted, but until the earthquake and the requests we have had since, we didn’t think we needed one. Our good friends at protocol 80, Inc. have been INCREDIBLY gracious by donating all of their effort and expertise to create and get it online in record time.

The Selie Foundation is legally organized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and all donations are tax deductible. Our financial dealings will be reported publicly, via this website, every year. We are happy to accept assistance from anyone who is willing to help the families of Haiti. Although the founders of the foundation are individual members of a wonderful congregation that has already done much to help, the organization itself is not affiliated with or influenced by any religious, political, national, non-governmental, or governmental entity.

We are so very grateful for your assistance. Thank you!!!