Junior Lauren Ladouceur was recently honored with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award as a distinguished state finalist and was additionally recognized on Thursday, February 27 as one of “Georgia’s 20 Under 20” at the Georgia Youth Leadership Awards.

She was nominated for the Georgia Youth Leadership Award by her counselor, Ms. Tucker, and was recognized, in both awards, for her work with her non-profit organization, LOVE2Haiti, that started as her Girl Scout Gold Award Project.

Lauren said, “ I’ve always had a passion for helping people. I coach u8 soccer and lead a small group at my church, but I wanted to do something that had an  international and lasting impact. As my father is from Haiti, I got to learn about my culture and heritage while making a difference.”

Her non-profit is supported by local sponsors such as Trinity United Methodist Church, Victory Harvest Church, Creative Sisters Sewing Ministry, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Girl Scout Service Unit 617,Vassey Dental Partners and Doctor Mahaffey Orthodontics.

LOVE2Haiti stands for “Learn, Outreach, Volunteer and Empower.” Her organization teaches Haitian girls how to sew and learn a valuable skill and a marketable trade that will enable them to earn a living, develops and creates opportunities and a market for the products the girls create and donates time, energy and services to help the children of Haiti and to empower the girls to take control of their future.

The non-profit is a “hand-up” not a “hand-out” mission. The website states, “We teach them to be dependable and work for their money and therefore empower them to take charge of their future. It inspires them to work hard and create products that are worth of sale.”

            Lauren works with Willy Severe of the Foundation Severe d-Haiti, Anera Dian of the Creative Sisters from Warner Robins and the Hebron Academy which is one of only three free schools in Haiti that provides food, shelter, medical care and spiritual enrichment to 385 children in order to gather supplies and materials to make the handbags, to teach the sewing class in the native language and to develop a market in the U.S. to sell the handbags.

            Her parents, Gina and Tony Ladouceur, serve as the project advisers and the heads of finances and have supported the three trips that Lauren has taken to Haiti.

            During the week of March 30-April 6,2013, Lauren distributed over 300 pounds of textbooks, purchased tables and chairs for the school with monetary donations and installed six ceiling fans into the classrooms.

During the week of June 21-30, 2013, Lauren and a team of 14 other members and Haitian young adult workers built a roof to put over the cafeteria at the school, provided  medical treatment to 600 people and taught the girls jewelry techniques and how to repair the sewing machines.

            During November 25- 29, 2013, Lauren took her third trip to Haiti and brought over 600 pounds of donated supplies and 300 pounds of rice as well as created over 400 string bags which contained a bag of rice, a pack of ramen, a towel, shampoo and condition, lotion and body wash, pencils, pens, notebooks and gender-appropriate toys.

Lauren said, “I have lived like a true Haitian-no running water, no electricity, and small amounts of food, and  I have to come to have a better appreciation for the simplest things in life.”   

Lauren continued, “Personally, the kids of the mission inspire me. There have been so many set-backs and failures during this process, but knowing that at the end of the project, I get to play with these children and see their smiling faces makes every struggle worth it.”

More information about LOVE2Haiti and pictures from Lauren’s trips can be seen at www.love2haiti.com.