St. Paul, Minnesota (CNN) -- When Max Adrien first heard that a massive earthquake had leveled Port-au-Prince, Haiti, it hit close to home. 

His brother lives in Haiti, and thankfully survived the January 12 disaster unharmed. 

Adrien's first instinct was to help his home country. 

"I said to myself, 'I need to go to Haiti.'" 

After speaking to his brother, he realized that he would need a skill that was in immediate demand. Otherwise he would just be in the way of other relief efforts. 

So he came up with a unique idea. 

"I decided to give Haiti what I have, which is teaching," said Adrien, who is a French professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. "I don't think I can give Haiti a better gift." 

And that's how his Haitian Creole class was born. 

"I'm just giving something that has been given to me," Adrien said, referring to his native language. 

His class isn't made up of the typical credit-craving college co-ed. That's mainly because the vast majority of students have long since finished college. The class is free of charge and open to everyone. 

The roster of students includes local doctors, nurses, physical therapists, social workers, lawyers and ministers. 

All of them have either been to Haiti or are planning volunteer trips soon. 

"They appreciate when you try," said Donna Richtsmeier, a retired nurse who travels to Haiti to volunteer. "I just want to learn a few phrases so I can greet them and ask how they are." 
Is the class he teaches in Haiti expensive?
The class is free of charge