Lend a Helping Hand to our beloved friend, Henrie
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Henrietta White-Holder, a native Liberian, is the founder and executive director of Higher Ground International (HGI), a nonprofit serving the West African communities of South Providence. But her job title doesn’t even come close to capturing the multiple, significant roles she plays in so many people’s lives. Henrietta is a humanitarian, social entrepreneur, community builder, and passionate advocate for the disadvantaged and the underserved. Since starting HGI with only $1000 in 2008, Henrie has championed accomplishing A LOT, with very little.
She helped lobby to end the civil war in Liberia and works tirelessly to help integrate and empower young and elder refugees in Rhode Island. She guides the immigrant families who struggle to navigate the unfamiliar bureaucracy of their children’s schools and accessing life changing resources. She brings together elders who are isolated and alone, some without any family to care for them or any peers to socialize with. In 2015, Henrie opened the Rukiya (the Swahili word for “rising up/progress) Center in South Providence. It was the first venue of its kind in Providence to offer intergenerational programs, women and youth empowerment programs, the Sweetie Care program for African immigrant and refugee elders, and workforce and literacy programs.
Henrie doesn’t do these things because it’s her job, in fact, she’s more like a full-time volunteer, as she’s never collected stable income from her nonprofit work. Henrie does what she does, because she simply can’t ignore suffering. She lives wondering, if she doesn’t help, then who will? Henrie has spent the last year helping those suffering physically and financially through the pandemic, and wound up a Covid-19 survivor herself. Already a stage 2 Breast Cancer survivor, Henrie has proved she is a survivor time and time again, showing those around her that anything is possible. Henrietta has dedicated her whole life to helping those in need, and in doing so, she has sacrificed her health and her own financial stability. As the recipient of several humanitarian awards, praise for Henrietta’s work has always been abundant, but funding on the other hand, has been scarce. Still on her Cancer journey, Henrietta will head to RI Hospital this June for additional major surgery, resulting in mounting medical bills and no form of income for months, as she recovers. NOW is the time for us to take care of Henrie, the Angel who has dedicated her life to taking care of everyone else. Just as Henrie refuses to just sit idly by and see the same struggles continue over and over again, we cannot sit idly by, leaving Henrie to struggle financially after her surgery. We simply cannot ignore the potential for stress and suffering, at a time when her main focus needs to be her health and making a full-recovery.
Change doesn't always happen on it's own; It takes people who are dedicated and committed to making the world a better place. Now is our chance to be the change we wish to see and show Henrietta that she has our support, and her sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. Please consider donating what you can and sharing this GoFundMe with others. A little bit, from a lot of people, can go a long way! Henrietta White-Holder deserves the opportunity to recover from surgery without the financial burden that comes with not having any income. It is our responsibility to UPLIFT Henrietta through this challenging time. Let’s raise enough money to ensure Henrie does more than survive in her recovery, let’s see to it that she THRIVES!!!
* In lieu of an in person event due to Covid restrictions, we’re solely utilizing GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds, but we will be considering an in person event at a later date.
If you would still like to send a donation to her directly in lieu of GoFundMe, please send it to:
Henrietta White-Holder
P.O. Box 41166
Providence, RI 02940
Learn more about Henrietta’s philanthropy here: http://www.highergroundintl.org/
She helped lobby to end the civil war in Liberia and works tirelessly to help integrate and empower young and elder refugees in Rhode Island. She guides the immigrant families who struggle to navigate the unfamiliar bureaucracy of their children’s schools and accessing life changing resources. She brings together elders who are isolated and alone, some without any family to care for them or any peers to socialize with. In 2015, Henrie opened the Rukiya (the Swahili word for “rising up/progress) Center in South Providence. It was the first venue of its kind in Providence to offer intergenerational programs, women and youth empowerment programs, the Sweetie Care program for African immigrant and refugee elders, and workforce and literacy programs.
Henrie doesn’t do these things because it’s her job, in fact, she’s more like a full-time volunteer, as she’s never collected stable income from her nonprofit work. Henrie does what she does, because she simply can’t ignore suffering. She lives wondering, if she doesn’t help, then who will? Henrie has spent the last year helping those suffering physically and financially through the pandemic, and wound up a Covid-19 survivor herself. Already a stage 2 Breast Cancer survivor, Henrie has proved she is a survivor time and time again, showing those around her that anything is possible. Henrietta has dedicated her whole life to helping those in need, and in doing so, she has sacrificed her health and her own financial stability. As the recipient of several humanitarian awards, praise for Henrietta’s work has always been abundant, but funding on the other hand, has been scarce. Still on her Cancer journey, Henrietta will head to RI Hospital this June for additional major surgery, resulting in mounting medical bills and no form of income for months, as she recovers. NOW is the time for us to take care of Henrie, the Angel who has dedicated her life to taking care of everyone else. Just as Henrie refuses to just sit idly by and see the same struggles continue over and over again, we cannot sit idly by, leaving Henrie to struggle financially after her surgery. We simply cannot ignore the potential for stress and suffering, at a time when her main focus needs to be her health and making a full-recovery.
Change doesn't always happen on it's own; It takes people who are dedicated and committed to making the world a better place. Now is our chance to be the change we wish to see and show Henrietta that she has our support, and her sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. Please consider donating what you can and sharing this GoFundMe with others. A little bit, from a lot of people, can go a long way! Henrietta White-Holder deserves the opportunity to recover from surgery without the financial burden that comes with not having any income. It is our responsibility to UPLIFT Henrietta through this challenging time. Let’s raise enough money to ensure Henrie does more than survive in her recovery, let’s see to it that she THRIVES!!!
* In lieu of an in person event due to Covid restrictions, we’re solely utilizing GoFundMe to raise the necessary funds, but we will be considering an in person event at a later date.
If you would still like to send a donation to her directly in lieu of GoFundMe, please send it to:
Henrietta White-Holder
P.O. Box 41166
Providence, RI 02940
Learn more about Henrietta’s philanthropy here: http://www.highergroundintl.org/
Organizer and beneficiary
Mary Gwann
Organizer
Cranston, RI
Henrietta White-Holder
Beneficiary