Now he’s personally going to make sure people are being helped and to witness it for himself.
Dumervil is accompanying New Story Charity this weekend to survey the progress of his rebuilding project and see the first few families move from the slums into their newly built houses in Bercy, Haiti.
Dumervil has pledged to fund the building of 58 homes, corresponding with his jersey number.
He won't be picking up a hammer to build the houses himself, but he's the financial backing behind the development of the large-scale community, and is hoping to turn it into something even bigger as more NFL players join in.
On Jan. 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. It killed 320,000 and left two million people homeless.
Dumervil’s grandmother was luckily in Miami at the time of the earthquake, but people from her church who had been staying in her crumbling home died. Within hours of the quake, Dumervil was on national television urging people to send donations to the American Red Cross (ARC).
Even though the quake was more than six years ago, help is very much still needed. With more than $13 billion of aid from around the world pouring in, a 2015 report showed that 85,000 Haitians still remained homeless and 200,000 lived in slums.
However, just last week, the Senate released a 300-page report after an investigation into the ARC, slamming the organization for its efforts in helping those in need in Haiti. The report charged that 25 percent of the $487.6 million in donations was spent on ARC’s overhead.
Dumervil wanted to make sure his money was going directly to those who needed it most.
Both of Dumervil’s parents were born in Haiti, meaning he is a first-generation American. His mother, Maria Noel (Dumervil), came to America when she was 21 years old and his father, Frank Gachelin, migrated at 25.
Dumervil was raised in a tiny triplex in a transplant neighborhood called Little Haiti in Miami. There, he could still enjoy a taste of his family's culture (especially his favorite plantains). He learned to play football in the streets.
With more than 50 current Haitian NFL players, Dumervil plans to build an entire community in Haiti with the help of his fellow stars. The list of players includes Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril, Bengals running back Giovani Bernard, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon and Ravens teammate
