gb BROKER ' S NOTE
Fall is my favorite time of year . I love the changing colors , the smell of the moldering leaves , the cooler temperatures . I was born and raised in Miami , Florida and know just how lucky we are to enjoy not only the beautiful colors of autumn but also the mild temperatures of Chesapeake Indian summers .
But I know that not everyone is so fortunate . For the past several weeks , my mind and heart have been occupied by the many people impacted by Hurricane Matthew . From the Caribbean to the Mid- Atlantic seaboard , the storm blew in at over 100 miles per hour . Staggering amounts of rain , storm surge and violent wind left a path of devastation in its wake .
While Matthew claimed lives and resulted in costly damages in the United States , the costs to Haiti were catastrophic . The island endured a direct hit by the Category 4 storm . News reports indicate that hundreds of people died . High winds and the deluge of rain destroyed entire towns and villages . Thousands of acres of crops were wiped out .
When we hear about Haiti , we often think of the horrific earthquake that hit the island in January of 2010 . Relief organizations flew to the country ’ s aid , while individual citizens and international governments donated millions of dollars . Five years later , more than 55,000 people still live in transitional tent housing . Cholera is an urgent public health concern . Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere . In 2016 , 60 % of Haitians still live in poverty ; half do not know how to read or write or have access to health care . Only one in four Haitians has access to a toilet .
I visited Haiti multiple times as a young gunner ' s mate in the Navy . I was shocked at the living conditions of the people there . A woman approached our group of sailors , offering her twelve-year-old daughter to the 4-5 men for just $ 20 . People clustered around the gangplank whenever the galley crew emptied the garbage . I knew then , and I know now , that it is the responsibility and privilege of those who have more to help those who have less .
In the coming weeks , J . Melvin Premier Properties will announce the formation of a nonprofit foundation whose sole mission will be to provide direct aid to individuals and groups in the United States and abroad . We are very aware of the diversion of billions of donation dollars from true relief to administrative costs , bureaucracy and corruption . We are prepared to bypass these pitfalls by making smart , well-informed , meaningful and purposeful relief . Already , we have donated $ 1000 to a mission program that will utilize the money specifically to buy seeds that farmers in the south of Haiti will use in the next crop season .
We look forward to helping even more , and we look to our partners , sponsors , clients , agents and friends to join our philanthropic efforts as we continue to grow into a community-oriented business that puts our hands — and our dollars — to work on behalf of our local and global neighbors .
PUBLISHER & BROKER Carlos M . Garcia Sr .
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER Diana Love
ART DIRECTOR Christina Williams
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Diana Love 410-703-3062 If you would like to become a distribution partner , or would like to receive a copy of our magazine , email your request to Sales @ YFMarketing . net
GreenBook is a production of Yellowfin Marketing . Yellowfin specializes in graphic design , print and digital content , multi-media presentations , affordable banners , flyers , brochures and postcards .
Greenbook is published bi-monthly by Yellowfin Marketing . Opinions expressed by contributing writers and editors are not necessarily those of the publisher , editor or Greenbook . Reproduction of the whole or any part of content herein is prohibited without prior written consent from the publisher . The publisher will not accept responsibility for submitted materials that are lost or stolen . Copyright 2014 by : Greenbook Magazine 24 Annapolis St . Annapolis , MD 21401 240.286.3611 | sales @ yfmarketing . com
CARLOS M . GARCIA SR . Broker / U . S . Navy Veteran Professional . Experienced . Knowledgeable . Local .
THIS MAGAZINE AND THE PLASTIC BAG IT IS MAILED IN ARE RECYCLABLE .
GREENBOOK | FALL / WINTER 2016 7