Volunteer Spotlight: Richard Lemiuex

Richard, a retired oral surgeon from Maine, has been an active volunteer in Konbit Sante’s warehouse for several years. He first became involved with Konbit Sante during one of his French classes in the early 2000s. Richard became good friends with some people who were working and volunteering in Haiti. This is what sparked his initial interest in the country of Haiti to help those in need.

Richard stated, “Haiti, during that time, was experiencing a lot of political and social turmoil and I knew some people who were involved in Haiti’s reconstruction by building hospitals and providing clean water to communities. I wanted to also be a part of that change.” He was introduced to Konbit Sante through one of our founders, Dr. Michael Taylor.

Richard grew up in Maine and attended Colby College in Waterville. He then completed his medical studies in Boston, Massachusetts and specialty training in oral surgery in New York. Now that he is retired, he is working on a weekly basis in the warehouse with Ben Doller, Operations & Logistics Manager of Konbit Sante. According to Ben, Richard is particularly helpful in the warehouse because of his familiarity with medical supplies and surgical equipment.

Haiti’s history has touched Richard and especially the earthquake in 2010. His neighbor is from Haiti and survived the earthquake while he was living there. Richard stated, “The earthquake revealed to the world, a strong statement of need in Haiti. Everyone realized how devastating that disaster was for the small country. I knew I had to help in any way I could.”

Richard is hopeful Haiti will achieve a better future with the help of organizations like Konbit Sante. He stated, “The people of Haiti work extremely hard to improve their situation and communicate with those who want to help. It is exciting to see people working together without imposing their own values. The communication between the two countries is remarkable.”

We are very fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers on our team. Richard’s commitment and passion for helping the people of Haiti achieve a brighter future is infectious.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, visit our website and fill out our volunteer application form.