Margaret Trost

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    The Power of Small Steps

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    The Power of Small Steps
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    The Power of Small Steps

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Piti piti na rive
“little by little we will arrive”

Margaret Trost's favorite Creole saying is “Piti piti na rive,” which means “little by little we will arrive.” These words of wisdom, taught by her Haitian colleagues, guide Margaret in her work with the What If? Foundation, a nonprofit she founded after visiting Haiti for the first time in 2000.

Margaret went to Port-au-Prince on a two-week volunteer trip, hoping the experience would help her move out of the grief she struggled with after her husband's unexpected death at the age of 36. The faith, courage and love of the Haitians she met helped her heal, opened her eyes to the reality of widespread hunger and suffering so close to the U.S., and led to the discovery of her life's calling. Margaret shares this remarkable journey in her recently published book On That Day, Everybody Ate: One Woman's Story of Hope and Possibility in Haiti www.onthatdayeverybodyate.org.

Today, the What If? Foundation funds daily meals for up to 1,500 children, school scholarships, an after-school program, and a summer camp. Working in collaboration with a Haitian community on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, these programs touch the lives of thousands of impoverished children, creating hope and opportunity in the midst of extraordinary challenges. For more information, please visit www.whatiffoundation.org.

In addition to volunteering as the What If? Foundation's executive director, Margaret is a home-based business entrepreneur, writer, inspirational speaker, and former public television producer. She lives in northern California with her husband and 17 year-old son.

New in the Margaret Trost Column

Haiti Earthquake Response

Like all of you, ever since I heard the news of the massive earthquake on Tuesday, January 12th, my heart has been breaking for the people of Haiti.  The devastation of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas is catastrophic, as you all know.  I’ve been told by my contacts on the ground that it’s much worse [...]

My Letting Go Experiment

So many people I’ve talked to in the helping professions experience burnout.  I’ve been close to burnout a number of times and as much as I don’t want to admit it, I’m on the edge of that cliff again.
Here it is, New Year’s Eve, the end of another 365 days, and I swore that THIS [...]

A Great Sharing

It’s over 100 degrees on most days in the St. Clare’s kitchen.  A group of devoted cooks, all members of this Port-au-Prince church, prepare meals for up to 1500 hungry children every Monday through Friday. They cook the food slowly.  Carefully.  They tell stories, laugh, and sing.  They stop to pray. They work as a [...]

The Language of the Heart

Fr. Gerry jumped out of the car, walked down a steep path of rocks and exclaimed, “Here it is!” I looked where he pointed, but didn’t see anything but a concrete shell – a floor, one wall, and a ceiling held up by exposed metal poles. The construction site was surrounded by small cinderblock [...]

Piti Piti Na Rive –
The Power of Small Steps

Sometimes a new path begins with a sudden, devastating ending. On a warm September evening, just minutes after my husband, Rich, and I pledged that we would slow down and make more time for each other, he died.