Chico HEART was formed by five friends from Chico in response to a call for help from Haiti. Four of the five founders had traveled to Haiti to provide aid after the devastating 2010 earthquake. In the spring of 2023, Guthrie Smith and Mica Grant received a call from a Haitian colleague who had been an indispensable member of the team during their aid work in Haiti. He explained that the situation in Haiti had drastically deteriorated since the assassination of Haiti’s president in 2021 and now he and his family live in constant fear of gang violence which prevents them from working and meeting basic needs.

Guthrie brought in Bob Trausch and Leslie Johnson, and Bob and Leslie reached out to Andrea Rolde. Together we formed Chico HEART to help this family and others in need beyond our borders. After the Humanitarian Parole program was cut by the US government, Chico HEART started a food program. Our mission is twofold: empower local Haitians through employment and provide essential food support to those most impacted by poverty and gang violence.