“The power is in us, all of us. Big or small, smart or slow, rich or poor, sick or well. The power is in all of us. It’s in our hearts. It’s called love.”
– Father Rick Frechette
We’re thrilled and proud to announce that Father Rick Frechette, founder of the St. Luke Foundation, will be joining us September 7th , 2014 as the keynote speaker of the Bovet 1822 and Artists for Peace and Justice 2014 Festival Gala presented at beautiful Casa Loma, Toronto.
“We started this organization because we fell in love with the country- this local organization run by Father Rick Frechette, so it became a big part of all of our lives. I am proud of what we have accomplished. We run the only free secondary school in Haiti.”
– APJ Board Member and actress Olivia Wilde
Father Rick is a doctor, priest and community organizer who has been living and working in Haiti for over 25 years. He is the founder of the St. Luke Foundation, an entirely Haitian run organization with over 2,000 full time employees. This dedicated team of Haitian professionals provide hundreds of thousands of people every year with free education, food, water, medical care, professional training, and dignified humanitarian outreach. Father Rick and his team have been successful where so many aid organizations haven’t because of St. Luke’s complete commitment to direct partnership with the Haitian people, saving lives and empowering local communities. Father Rick and his team at St. Luke do impossible work…and the impact of their programs keeps getting bigger.
“I’ve watched the number of people the organization serves grow at a breathtaking rate: 900,000 Haitians a year now directly benefit from St. Luke’s impressive infrastructure. It’s near impossible to do justice describing their impassioned efforts. And when I try, I’m not sure if anyone who hasn’t seen their work believes me. ”
– APJ board member and actress Madeleine Stowe
This coming school year, we will serve 2,600 talented, vibrant students at the Academy for Peace and Justice, and it all began because of one man: Father Rick Frechette. Community organizer, Passionist priest, doctor, founder of the St Luke Foundation, founding inspiration for APJ, and a living legend in Haiti. Artists for Peace and Justice is humbled by Father Rick’s impossible work and his inextinguishable passion for a brighter future in Haiti.
“Father Rick Frechette, a hero among men.”
– founder of JP/HRO and actor Sean Penn.
Please join us in Toronto this September as we honor Father Rick Frechette as keynote speaker for our fifth annual film festival gala event!
