When I sat down with Reverend Dr. Rick Barger and his wonderful partner in life, Harriet, I expected to talk about legacy, impact, and education. After all, the Haitian Education & Leadership Program has just launched its Planned Giving Program, and Rick and Harriet have made the remarkable commitment to include HELP in their estate plans. 

Instead, we spent our time talking about love, eulogy virtues, and the late, great Jimmy V. 

As I reflect on our conversation, I can't help but wonder what our world would look like if more lived like Rick and Harriet, two people whose lives have been defined more by what they have given away than by what they have accumulated.    

I began our conversation by asking them to reflect on legacy giving. They shared that before making one of the most significant philanthropic commitments of their lives, they wrestled with a question I think most of us are asking these days: What can I do? 

It was a question so important that they devoted an entire retreat to exploring it. The breakthrough came when they realized they had been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, What can I do? they began asking themselves, What can God do through us? 

From that moment, philanthropy transformed from an act of paying it forward into a deep, soul-level commitment to lead a life worthy of the calling to which they had been called. 

Their decision to leave a legacy gift to HELP follows that same conviction. They told me they want their work on earth to continue long after their lives have ended. For them, a planned gift is not an ending; it is a continuation of a lifetime of learning and of service. 

Rick and Harriet described this beautiful, complex country and its people as some of their greatest teachers. They spoke of Maya, the Haitian Timoun Foundation's Country Director, whose leadership and steadfast commitment inspire them daily. They remembered Esther, a young girl living with profound physical and intellectual disabilities, whose capacity to trust and love left an indelible mark on their hearts. They spoke of Garry Delice, HELP's co-founder, whose commitment and unwavering support of our students and his love of country are unmatched. 

As the names and stories flowed, they returned again and again to the lessons learned and what they’d like to be remembered for embodying: 

Courage. 

Gratitude.

Resilience. 

Trust. 

Joy. 

And, of course, hope. 

When I asked why they chose to include HELP in their legacy plans, Rick smiled and immediately quoted Coach Jimmy Valvano. 

"Don't give up. Don't ever give up." 

Those seven words have defined HELP's story for more than thirty years. 

When the world has looked away, Haitians have continued, we have continued

When the odds seemed impossible, our students have persisted. 

When others saw hopelessness, you, our community, continued to invest in the endless possibility of the Haitian spirit. 

That is the legacy Rick and Harriet are choosing to sustain.

At HELP, our Planned Giving Program invites friends like Rick and Harriet to ensure that future generations of Haitian students have the opportunity to learn, lead, and transform their communities. It is a promise that while our lives are finite, our impact does not have to be. 

In the end, Rick and Harriet’s life shows that the greatest legacy we leave is not measured by what we own. It is measured by where our love continues to grow, long after we are gone.