September 2009 Newsletter

An Interview With This Newsletter's Star Volunteer, Peter Jacques

Interviewed and written by Bianca Bidiuc

“I am just one spoke on the wheel”, says Peter Jacques, a volunteer and supporter of Roots of Development. “We need all the spokes on the wheel to do their part.” His words are a reflection of his involvement with Roots and also of his philosophy for “healing the world one person at a time.”

Peter, a lifelong resident of Connecticut, owns Hop River Concrete, a construction company in Columbia, CT. He has quite a deep connection to Roots, having known founder Chad Bissonnette’s family for 35 years. He feels he can continue to fulfill his life’s mission by “helping Chad to live his life in mission.” By combining the resources
of his business with a commitment to “making an impact in the world by paying it forward,” Peter has not only supported Roots through monetary donations, but also allowed Roots to store the tools collected during the recent tool drives on his company's property. He has also provided a truck for transporting the tools to the port from which they will be shipped to Haiti.

When Peter first heard about the lack of fundamental resources in Haiti, like clean drinking water, it had an immediate impact on him. Since then, his commitment to the people of La Gonave, Haiti, has only gotten stronger. He passionately believes in doing things for “the greater good, instead of for the greater almighty dollar;” stating, “If people do what they can, and it doesn’t have to be a lot, it will help create a better world for others.”