CHERAW – Like most of us, coming to work everyday is a way of life. However, for Haiti native and Cheraw resident, Steevenson Pierre, coming to work daily at the Citi Financial Office on Chesterfield Hwy. not only is his career but also the very livelihood of providing for his family back home in Haiti. Pierre clearly recalls the exact day when he moved to Society Hill, S.C. with his father, who is also from Haiti.

“I am the oldest sibling and the only grandchild on my mother’s side. My grandmother is 92-years-old. They all depend on me. I send them money each week to survive. If something ever happened to me, God forbid, I don’t know what will happen to them but I know that God will not forget them,” he continued. “My father and I are very close and we can talk about anything. He has been here in the states since 1979. He is the Pastor of Union Baptist Church in Society Hill. I came to live with him back then as a teenager and graduated from St. Johns High School (now Darlington High School) in 1992. I have been Senior Branch Account Executive with Citi Financial for five-years now. I am most thankful for what I have,” said Pierre.

In light of being very active in several organizations in Cheraw, Pierre also devotes some of his time helping students learn about other languages and cultures for the Chesterfield County School District. Aside from speaking English very well, Pierre also speaks French, Spanish, Creole and German, fluently.

“I love working with the youth and I assist teachers with some testing. I teach them about other languages and cultures, which I enjoy doing very much,” said Pierre.

At the time of the recent earthquake that hit Haiti, Pierre was awaken by a phone call from his sister, who had been trapped under a house. He had no clue if his family had survived the tragic ordeal at the time until later.

“I was sleeping and my phone rang. My sister finally was able to call me. My sister had been trapped under the house and both of her legs were broken but she is doing much better now,” said Pierre.

Pierre has four sisters, Norah, 24, Doris, 30, Farah, 27 and a ten-year-old sister whom he has never met, Altegracia, from Cuba. His brothers, 20-year-old Steve and 18-year-old Joseph, are also in Haiti. He also has a brother on his father’s side named Eric Pierre.

“I have never met my one brother, Joseph. My brother Eric Pierre, on my father’s side, works for the Darlington County Police Department. I am trying to plan my next trip in July because that is when Altegracia will be there and I hope to finally meet her,” he added.

Pierre said he talks to his mother often but has not seen her for at least 19 years. He is the oldest of seven children. “I last talked to my mom on Tuesday, January 12 when the earthquake happened. I was watching TV and saw the Haiti flag on the screen and then I called my dad in Society Hill. He told me about the earthquake in Port-au-Prince. That is where I lived and grew up and I was really worried about my family there,” stressed Pierre.

Pierre is the sole breadwinner for his whole family in Haiti.

Even through the stormy times that Haitians are now seeing, Pierre said that he is not worried because he feels God is in control.

“I am a Christian and it’s so sad but I am not worried because the Lord is in charge. I am so thankful there was no death in my family. I pray for everyone there,” he added.

With Haiti being one of the poorest and smallest countries and also considered somewhat a third-world country, Pierre said that even though the people there are poor, Haitians are a good-hearted people.

“We do not worry about the big things people do for us. We consider the small things the most meaningful,” he said.

As of Jan. 20, Pierre said that his family, along with numerous others is still sleeping in the streets. He prays for them daily and he always trusts God no matter what the situation.

“We serve a big and an awesome God. I know that things will be fine because I have faith in knowing that the same God I have here in Cheraw, is the same God that watches over Port-au-Prince,” he said.

Pierre said he will continue to provide for his family and they are always in his heart and mind.