Everyman Foundation is honored to be able to serve
the children of Panama

The Origins of Everyman Panama

In 1998, our founder, Gerald Henry met Omar Brunette at the Fort Dix Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey where Omar was coming to the end of a period of incarceration for a controlled substance offense.

In an interview, Gerald said this about Omar:

“On the first day I met Omar, I was amazed at the strength of his presence. On the prison compound, he commanded complete respect from the prison staff and from inmates of all races—not because of the strength of his body, but because of the strength of his being. It was no surprise to watch Omar leave prison to become a leader in his own community—he is a natural leader.”

Omar and Gerald became the strongest of friends and built a strong mental, spiritual and physical regime together—their daily practices of meditation, chanting, yoga and body building—sculpting and cleansing both body and mind.

As Omar was soon to return to Colon—his home town in Panama, the country of his birth—attention fell on what he would do upon his return.

The answer to this question soon became apparent.

While in prison together, Omar and Gerald had discussed Omar taking Everyman Foundation into the brutal prisons of Panama to serve dispossessed prisoners.

But upon his return to Colon, he encountered a category of “dispossessed” human beings that quickly overtook his life.

The extent of the physical and mental disabilities amongst so many of the children of his home town, coupled with the extreme poverty many were living in—deeply shocked his sensibilities.

Omar quickly understood that the worst of his own experiences were infinitely preferable to those being lived daily by these children and it was these children that he must serve.

Dispossessed

These children suffering, not only from extreme poverty, but also from many forms of severe physical and mental handicaps, are truly “dispossessed” of any form of normal life.

Through Omar, Everyman Foundation became aware of the extreme circumstances that exists for these children and he inspired Everyman to add caring for these children to its mission.

Everyman Has Served These Children For Nine Years

Over the last nine years, with Omar’s leadership, Everyman Foundation has built a wonderful team of volunteers and a series of programs—doing what we can to bring some joy and to ease the suffering of these dispossessed children.

We invite you to read about our mission and our activities in Colon Panama where Everyman Foundation feels honored to be able to help serve these children.