The Girls of Melissa's Place having fun together in the courtyard.
Father Garry along with the Girls of Melissa's Place and some of their friends from nearby Beaumont Haiti
Melissa, Dylan, and Zeke (along with parakeet in background) having a "fam jam session" at their home around 2003.
The Girls of Melissa's Place having fun together in the courtyard.
CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Our Inspiration
The Melissa's Place Young Girls Orphanage is dedicated to transforming tragedy into empowerment. Inspired by the loss of our beloved daughter Melissa, her husband Dylan, and their desire to help others through their music, we partner & collaborate with Father Garry, healthcare professional Lynn Anton, and the local Beaumont, Haiti community to foster self-sufficiency through education, skill-building, and a nurturing home to creating a safe haven of empowerment and opportunity.
Our Mission
Our mission is to ignite hope and kindle a radiant future for orphaned children, with a special focus on empowering girls in the remote serene expanse of Beaumont, near Haiti’s southwestern coffee-growing region. Through nurturing their talents, fostering self-reliance, and igniting boundless empowerment, we aspire to shape positive lives with enduring impact.
Our Orphanage Director:
Father Garry
Our orphanage director, Father Garry, is a full-time priest and has dedicated his life to improving the lives of orphaned children in Haiti. In addition to being a full-time priest, Father Garry has established 4 other orphanages across Haiti, and now cares for some 100 boys and girls.
His approach is to empower & enable the children by teaching them how to fend for themselves rather than just providing for them. As part of this, the children bake their own bread for sustenance and to generate income by selling to local villagers, thereby helping support some expenses, and saving for their future.
Our Journey
Our enduring journey to establish this new home began in 2014. Despite formidable challenges, including the destructive Hurricane Matthew in 2016, we persevered, celebrating the completion of the orphanage in 2017.
This thoughtfully crafted sanctuary is designed to shelter up to 20 girls, offering them an embracing home and nurturing support.
Central to our design is a self-sustaining structure. The girls cultivate their own nourishment, utilizing surplus yields to bolster their self-sufficiency. This surplus is then sold to local families, creating a virtuous cycle of empowerment and self-reliance blossoms among these remarkable young souls. In the wake of a tragic loss that forever altered my life, I found solace and inspiration in channeling my energy towards providing a better future for orphans in Haiti. The story of Melissa and Dylan became a catalyst for positive change, prompting a shared effort to build not just an orphanage, but a haven of opportunity, empowerment, and self-sufficiency for the young souls of Beaumont. - Jerry Shelly - Co-Founder & Melissa’s Father
“He is a rarity by any standards, not just in Haiti but among
all the people I know. He always has a smile on his face
and deep compassion in his heart.”