This is a guest post from Neil Koppel. A Nation in Crisis… or Gifts Come In Many Forms On January 12, 2013, Haiti was struck by the worst earthquake in its history and suffered dreadful human and economic losses. Initial reports estimated that the 7.0 magnitude earthquake left over 200,000 people dead and some 895,000 Haitians homeless. Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, suffered widespread devastation. Hospitals, churches and schools collapsed, residences and commercial buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, and the few usable roads were blocked with debris. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 80 percent of its citizens existing in poverty. Hunger, unemployment, disease, malnutrition and limited access to education were an acceptable standard for many in Haiti.