About

About Nexus
For Good

Nexus For Good is a child-focused nonprofit organization created to promote the wellbeing of marginalized children in developing countries through education and  supportive programs.

Mission

To bring hope to underserved children by breaking the cycle and power of poverty through elementary education and ancillary children’s programs.

Vision

A future where all children have access to essential, life-sustaining resources, and where every child is secure, valued, inspired, and given the tools and opportunities to thrive and become everything he or she aspires to be.

Our Philosophy

Hopelessness, despair, humiliation, and a lack of opportunity are all hallmarks of poverty that cause feelings of inadequacy, shame, and diminished self-worth to accumulate in the hearts of marginalized children.

Our goal through Nexus For Good is to break through the destructive stigma of deprivation and social exclusion by empowering children through programs that nurture, educate, and introduce students to a God who has not forgotten them and has a wonderful plan for their lives.

 

Our Principles

Nexus For Good adheres to core commitments and values that reflect the biblical foundation from which we operate.  The following principles frame our approach to everything we do:

Develop collaboration and a spirit of unity

Model and facilitate servant leadership

Cultivate community involvement

Encourage self-growth, empowerment, and confidence

Maintain boundaries: refraining from doing for others what they can do for themselves

Foster excellence and integrity in our programs, facilities, personnel, and conduct

Promote ideologies that maximize dignity, hope, and justice

Utilize local talent and invest in the local economy by purchasing goods and services in-country

Strictly adhere to careful stewardship and accountability of all funds donated

Who We Are

Our name, Nexus For Good, reflects who we are, what we do, and how we do it. Our purpose is to bring hope, in the form of holistic education, to children in neglected areas where opportunities for schooling are non-existent or where assistance is needed to allow it to continue.

The word Nexus is defined as: “a connection or series of connections linking two or more things, persons, or events especially that is or is part of a chain of causation.” Nexus for Good does this in two ways:

  1. We connect with generous, compassionate donors who believe that education can disrupt the cycle of poverty and despair among impoverished children.
  2. We, in turn, link with indigenous leaders to start educational projects or, in some cases, advance existing ones, utilizing donor gifts.

Executive Team

jeanette
Jeanette Felix, RN
Co-Founder
and President
Read Bio
sharon
Sharon Cushing
Co-Founder and
Executive Director
Read Bio
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Tina Jacobson
Lead Advisor on
South Asia projects
Read Bio
annette
Rev. Annette Cutino
Pastoral Advisor and Leadership Development Coach
Read Bio

Our History

Nexus For Good’s history actually began in 2004 in Haiti. Jeanette Felix, our president, was a founding partner of Children In Need Haitian Project (CINHP), which was created to assist a few struggling schools in the Port-au-Prince area of Haiti, one in Ti Marche, another in Covilette, and a third in the rural community of Lespinasse. The Ti Marche and Covilette schools subsequently resumed independent operations, allowing CINHP to focus solely on the development of the school at Lespinasse.

The Lespinasse school began with preschool and kindergarten (ages 3-5) and added one class annually as students moved up to the next grade. Over the ensuing years, the student population swelled to more than 200 students (preschool through 9th grade) and employed a staff of 26. A larger school building, including a small office, storage depot, bathrooms, and library, was constructed to accommodate the growth. Over time, better-educated teachers replaced less-skilled ones until all the teaching staff had certifications and degrees. CINHP also invested in leadership training for its staff, further improving their performance. The school was so successful that the standardized test scores and graduation rates were almost double the national average. This is a phenomenal outcome for any rural school in Haiti. The Department of Education cited the school as the best in the region several years in a row. 

We firmly believe a core component of that success was that teachers were not hired based solely on their qualifications but also on their commitment to coming alongside students and getting involved in their lives. We found that retaining teachers who were committed to the well-being of the students, applying holistic education, and providing continuous training of school personnel led to greater outcomes for both students and staff. Strong evidence of this is that the Lespinasse School continues today under the capable leadership of our Haitian School Directors. They had worked under CINHP’s supervision and training for more than 14 years before taking over independent management of the school.

Motivated by what was achieved in Lespinasse, Jeanette and Sharon wanted to replicate the Lespinasse model to help more children who could profit from a similar experience. In 2022, they both resigned from CINHP and formed Nexus For Good, Inc. to continue benefitting the children of Lespinasse and expand and apply that same methodology to other regions where children are in desperate need. This is accomplished by creating Learning Centers where education is unavailable or inaccessible or by working with partners to implement or enhance their educational outeach. Our goal is to help provide a foundation for as many children as possible so they might have an avenue to a sustainable future.

Currently, Nexus For Good has assisted two schools in Haiti (in addition to our main school in Lespinasse) and started a new project for children living in a leper colony in South Asia. We hope to multiply this model as we become aware of other specific educational needs and as resources allow.

More About What We Do

Testimonial

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They are engaged communicators and dedicated problem-solvers regardless of time constraints.z
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“Every great movement in the world starts with a tiny group of people who simply refuse to accept a situation”

Sir Richard Branson

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© 2023 – Nexus For Good. All rights reserved.

Reverend Annette H. Cutino

Pastoral Advisor and Leadership Development Coach

Annette Cutino is passionate about encouraging individuals to develop to their fullest potential. A dynamic leadership coach she loves developing leaders one-on-one and facilitating workshops with leadership teams. She is certified in multiple emotional intelligence instruments and assessments. Prior to her work training and coaching leaders, Annette was a leader herself, heading up a twenty-seven person IT management team for New York University.

Annette currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Avail NYC, a safe place to make confident decisions when facing unexpected pregnancy. Before joining Avail NYC, Annette was the Director of Advance and Senior Director of Team Development at Movement.Org. Her work with Advance Leadership Intensive (ALI) – an organizational leadership development program for ministry and nonprofit leaders – has impacted the lives and leadership of over 500 program alumni.

A gifted communicator, Annette speaks at women’s conferences, local churches, and events such as Movement Day NYC. She received her Bachelor of Biblical Studies from AMES Christian University, is a certified Christian counselor, and currently resides in the Bronx, NY. She is the proud mother of two daughters and one son, loves New York City and is a die-hard Yankees fan.

Tina Jacobson

Lead Advisor on SE Asia projects

Tina Jacobson has never backed away from a challenge, no matter the setting. A native of Louisiana, Tina earned degrees in geology and business marketing from Centenary University and a Master’s in Communications from Dallas Baptist University. She then spent four years working as a geologist, drilling oil wells in Texas and Oklahoma.

In 1986, she left the oil business to serve as media coordinator for Probe Ministries. In 1987, Tina married Terry, an attorney in Corsicana, Texas, and began focusing on public relations, working with authors, speakers, publishers, and non-profit organizations. She formed The B & B Media Group, Inc., now known as The Barnabas Agency.

In 2013, Tina and Terry began traveling regularly to SE Asia and established a ministry that trains the next generation of leaders and provides support to people living in a leper colony. Because children of lepers are not permitted to attend “regular” school, Tina joined forces with Nexus For Good, Inc. to provide Christian education for them. In 2022, construction of a learning center began. The Center will initially provide primary education and meals for children in the colony.

The Jacobsons are the parents of three adult children and five grandchildren.

Sharon Cushing

Co-Founder and Executive Director

Sharon describes herself as an “accidental missionary”. She began volunteering with Children In Need Haitian Project in late 2006. Her 30+ years experience as an administrative assistant had well-prepared her to help CINHP with the organizational functions of a growing ministry, but it was never her intent or desire to be deeply involved or do onsite work in Haiti. Even so, to better understand the scope of the work and the complexities of running a mission for a developing nation, she decided to visit Haiti in 2008.

During that visit, an encounter with a young Haitian girl on a dusty mountaintop changed Sharon forever. Though no words were spoken, the longing and desperation in that young girl’s eyes found its mark. Sharon’s heart was broken and she was no longer content to “sit on the sidelines”. That was the first of many trips to Haiti and a deepening involvement in the mission.

Sharon currently works full-time as Special Projects Coordinator for Movement.org and is Executive Director of Nexus for Good, helping shape the direction and programs of the learning centers, manage finances, and perform myriad administrative duties from her home in Lancaster, PA. Sharon loves learning, is an avid reader, and enjoys international foods and watching old TV series’ in her spare time.

Jeanette Felix, RN

Co-Founder and President

Jeanette’s missionary experience began in 1978 with a “short-term mission trip” to Haiti where she supervised medical services for two orphanages in the Port-au-Prince area. She also managed a Haitian medical team that formed a clinic in the mountain community of Lespinasse to provide healthcare and meals. During this time, she fell deeply in love with Haiti and the Haitian people and chose to extend her stay for 3.5 years.

In 1981, Jeanette returned to the states to continue her medical career. Years later, in 2004, Jeanette and her husband founded Children in Need Haitian Project and established the Lespinasse School. In 2006, they moved to Haiti residing there until 2010. These years in Haiti enabled Jeanette to fully immerse herself in the culture, develop relationships, and give direct leadership to the mission. In 2022, as the mission expanded to include children in other areas, CINHP became Nexus For Good where Jeanette currently serves as its President.

Jeanette recently retired from a 48-year Pediatric Nursing career. Her heart is drawn to children everywhere and she works closely with mission leaders to positively impact children and their families through education. Jeanette is the mother of an adult son and speaks fluent Haitian Kreyol.