The St. Luke Ambassador Program is our way of spreading the word about the work going on in Haiti. Our ambassadors are trusted friends who have a real knowledge of the programs, our on-the-ground leadership and our mission. These ambassadors have been given the blessing of the St. Luke Administration to talk to other potential supporters, friends and donors. To this point, St. Luke has managed to do an enormous amount of work with no paid foreign or development staff. We want your donation to go directly to the Haitian people and to our Haitian Programs, not to overhead, office space or development staff. For this reason, we rely on word of mouth, goodwill and friendship. The St. Luke Ambassadors Program is our effort to embrace what has always been a grassroots approach.
OUR AMBASSADORS
TONY ALESSI
Tony Alessi is a neurologist and long time devoted friend of St. Luke’s. He says the following on his relationship with the foundation: “During difficult financial times it is important to develop a personal relationship with the charities you support. My family and I have found the St. Luke Foundation to be an outstanding partner that utilizes all of the donated funds for the intended purpose of helping the poor of Haiti.”
ALYSSA BALIAD CHAPITAL
Alyssa Baliad Chapital is a general surgeon and critical care physician who currently serves as the Section Head of Acute Care Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Through the Mayo Clinic’s Program in Underserved Global Health she was introduced to Haiti and Father Rick and has been committed to developing strategies to advance the health care training in-site at St. Luke’s. She has traveled to Haiti many times and is passionate about providing avenues for developing St. Luke’s into a premier education center for Port Au Prince!
JIM CORCORAN
Jim Corcoran visited us for the first time in November of 2010, right as the cholera epidemic reached Port au Prince. Jim was an enormous help as we began to organize our CTC in Tabarre, and he has stayed an invaluable and trusted friend ever since. Jim comes to Haiti roughly every two months and is involved in a multitude of practical and life changing initiatives.
TERRI FRECHETTE-BRAINERD
Terri Frechette-Brainerd is Fr. Rick’s sister. She works behind the scenes collecting clothing, donations, and working with hospitals to send much needed supplies. Her husband Bob’s employer, The Safety-Zone, sends pallets to Miami on a regular basis for shipment to Rick and his colleagues. She has made several trips to Haiti with her husband, children, relatives, and friends to provide help and support, but also to continue to educate and communicate the needs of Haiti in the US.
STACEY HELMING
Stacey Helming has been involved with the work of the St. Luke Foundation since she was a small child, stuffing envelopes for informational mailings with her mother Terri to support her uncle, Father Rick Frechette. She now helps maintain this website and the social media sites, and is looking forward to spending more time in Haiti supporting the St. Luke programs when she graduates school.
DICK McGLAUGHLIN
Dick McGlaughlin has been flying a small plane to Haiti one week each month since the earthquake in January, 2010. He arrived at St. Luke’s during the cholera epidemic where he was a great support to our relief efforts. “Mac” as he is know, has helped us open a Gastroenterology lab with St Luke Hospital Assistant Medical Director, Dr Colas. He also spends time with the Sisters of Charity and at St. Mary’s Cite Soleil. Mac comments that “Great friends and great projects clear your head and open your heart. Most of the flights went well, too.”
BHAVESH PATEL
Bhavesh Patel is a critical care educator who has been serving at St. Luke’s since 2011. Inspired by the spirit of the Haitians and St. Luke’s selfless service he keeps coming back for more.
PATTY ROWLAND
Patty Rowland has been a friend of the St. Luke Programs since 2002 when her family started collecting medical supplies for Fr. Rick’s work in Haiti. Over the years, she has hosted several Haitians for medical testing, surgeries, English classes, college studies and also the EMT program attended by directors Nebez and Raphael. Currently, she is the secretary of the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti and helps with fundraising, donation collections and frequent trips to Haiti. She lives in Clarks Summit, PA and works as a RCIS in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
DAVID “MUDCAT” SAUNDERS
David “Mudcat” Saunders has been to Haiti on several occasions and is a great and loyal friend to the St. Luke Programs. He is a political strategist and writer.
JIM SIMCOKE
Florida native Jim Simcoke has been an enormous support to our St. Luke Programs, working on various fundraising initiatives as well as helping to manage media requests.