Be Like Brit is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the children of Haiti. Be Like Brit will continue the compassionate life and legacy of Britney Gengel by establishing a safe, nurturing and sustainable orphanage in an environment where children can grow, learn and thrive. In many ways, Britney Gengel from Rutland Massachusetts was a typical 19-year-old young woman, but her humor, passion and deep sense of caring for those less fortunate made her memorable to all who met her. It was her compassion for others that brought Britney to Haiti on January 11, 2010, just a day before a catastrophic earthquake claimed an estimated 230,000 lives and rocked the small, poverty-stricken country. Britney had spent the day visiting a Haitian orphanage where she and fellow students of Lynn University on a “Journey of Hope”, met the Haitian orphans they had traveled so far to help. Just a few hours later, Britney, three of her fellow students, and two Lynn University professors lost their lives in the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-Au-Prince. Britney was missing for 33 days before her remains were recovered. Fortunately, Britney’s dream did not die with her. Only hours before the earthquake, Britney sent a text message to her family that read: “They [Haitian orphans] love us so much and everyone is so happy. They love what they have and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself.” These forty words would sustain Britney’s family through the tragedy and, ultimately, serve as the driving force behind the establishment of the Be Like Brit Foundation and the decision to build an orphanage in Grand Goâve for the children of Haiti. Mission: To serve the children of Haiti by establishing a safe, nurturing and sustainable orphanage in an environment where they can grow, learn and thrive. Vision: To raise the next generation of leaders in Haiti.
