Alumni rally around former student whose daughter was killed while on a mission trip in Haiti
There is no devastation for a parent worse than losing a child. Yet when Cherylann Gengel learned that her daughter passed away while on a mission trip in Haiti, she called on the power of determination to keep her going.
A student of Westfield State in the late ’80s, Cherylann and her family were determined to fulfill the last wish of her late daughter Britney Gengel and, with the help of many family members, friends and University alumni, began the work of developing the Be Like Brit Orphanage in Britney’s honor.
Britney was a sophomore at Lynn University when she set out for Haiti on a mission trip.
On Jan. 12, 2010, just three hours before an earthquake that would claim her life struck, Britney sent her mother a text message about her work with Haitian orphans. It was this text message that spoke to Cherylann and became the seed for the idea to build an orphanage in tribute to her daughter:
“They love us so much, and everyone is so happy,” Britney wrote. “They love what they have, and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself.”
The orphanage, which also holds medical and dental clinics, is a true testament to Britney, and each aspect of it has a direct connection to her work there. The building is in the shape of a letter “B,” for instance, and it is 19,000 square feet because Britney was 19 when she died. It houses 33 boys and 33 girls, and that number represents the number of days that Britney was missing, in the rubble at The Hotel Montana; five others from Lynn University also died.
The Gengel family has raised over $1.2 million dollars, which Cherylann says has come mostly in small donations. Westfield State alumni helped immensely in raising the dollars and building the orphanage.
Reaching out for a friend
Linda Hallamore ’88 donated to the Be Like Brit foundation and provided emotional support to Cherylann through the toughest days of searching, shortly after the disaster struck. Hallamore is amazed at the strength Cherylann and her family have shown throughout the building process.
“She was always looking out for all of us, and, even now in all of this tragedy, she and her family have turned the most devastating loss into something positive,” Hallamore says. “She is the strongest person I know.”
Virginia Easton ’88 attended various fundraisers for the orphanage, during which Easton’s family raised the second highest donation amount.
“It is life-changing to see what people in other countries do not have, especially children” Easton says.
“It is so important to think globally, and I think that is something the Gengels have imparted to all three of their children,”
Easton says. “The Gengels have always been so charitable, and it is no wonder Britney reacted to what she saw by wanting to make a difference with the rest of her life by building an orphanage.”
Kim Pressey ’88 has had a personal connection to Haiti since she was 13 and participated in the Canal Walk along the Cape Cod Canal annually, raising money for Haiti
Besides attending fundraisers, Pressey purchased cement blocks for the orphanage and helped bring awareness to the Be Like Brit initiative by promoting it through Facebook and personal emails.
The building process
Construction on the orphanage began in December 2010. Len Gengel, Cherylann’s husband and Britney’s father, was in Haiti two weeks out of every month, assisting with the building process. They hired all Haitian workers and built their own factory for producing cement blocks.
The Gengels’ sons have been instrumental in the Be Like Brit development, as well.
A tech-savvy adolescent, 20-year-old Bernie Gengel created BeLikeBrit.org, the orphanage’s official website and has visited Haiti many times. Richie Gengel, 17, held a fundraiser at his high school for the past two years and has also visited Haiti several times to help out.
The orphanage was completed in January, when the children moved into the facility.
Cherylann says she wants the children who are served there to feel Britney’s spirit.
“They will be loved, they will go to school, and they will be given opportunities. We want to give the children hope.”
