The RELIEF Foundation -

What I learned from starting a non-profit and sending 126 individuals, 1 million in medical supplies, $120,000 in funds, and 40,000 lbs of cargo to Haiti.

(one of 6 baby incubators we brought on our trip - saving lives)

Personal Overview

It is almost unbelievable how far RELIEF has come in the past several months. The amount of press, exposure, and support that the group received has been extremely humbling - I am so fortunate and lucky to be able to have played such a large part in starting this organization.

This experience has changed me. Growing up, my mother once a year, would raid my toy and clothing closet. I was always upset – but she would always state – “It’s going to the poor, they have nothing and some little boy will smile.” After visiting Haiti, I now understand what she meant.

This experience has taught me. Somewhere along my life, I remember hearing the quote “with great leadership comes great responsibility.” In hindsight, this quote defined my personal experience leading the Haiti trip. First up in the morning and last to sleep at night - from the moment the first person arrived at the airport until the last person exited customs, I was vigilant.

Sleep was pretty limited in Haiti. My priority was making sure everyone was accounted for and everyone was happy. With over 100 individuals raging between the ages of 18 and 67, there was a lot of organization that was needed. Of course, sending trips of groups off the compound was the scariest.

Men and women + piled in the back of pick-up trucks + en route to a foreign city + driving along dirt roads (where driving licenses seem to be optional) + no security + returning late after the sun has set = one nerve-racketed Pete Groverman. Having a group insurance policy was absolutely not enough.

One interesting dynamic about the trip, was the assumed responsibility that I was given and the critical nature that came with it. This trip was not done for money; this trip was not done for the exposure, and this trip was not done for any self-righteous glorification. Countless hours were sacrificed to organize this event, the Haitian people needed help.

For some reason, these facts seemed to not be remembered by several members in the group. Though we were literally a group of young individuals with only basic humanitarian aid experience, RELIEF was treated as a formal organization. As group organizer, I was constantly expected to know all the answers and information about everything – all the time. Of course, this was impossible and when the first conception of heading to Haiti was established, I could never have envisioned the amount of responsibility that was going to be needed.

Even though I did the best I could to make sure the trip ran smoothly, post trip survey remarks show that no matter how hard one may work, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get everyone to like and appreciate you. Even still – the majority of individuals had a remarkable experience and EVERYONE came back better and changed.

For a full time legal student, who doubles as a CEO of an Internet company, having sent 126 individuals to what has been described as a ‘post apocalyptic war zone,’ RELIEF was an incredible-amazing-unforgettable-life-changing-experience.




Little Fun Tidbits For Next Time:

When I was a first year in Law School, one of my professors mentioned that Lawyers must constantly remind themselves that they are lawyers – so act like it. While in Haiti, I kept track of several leadership responsibilities that I will absolutely remind myself for the future:

1) Gather people together as few times as possible, but utilize this time the best you can - always have an agenda.
2) Listen to people! Even when a million things are happening, try and listen to the individual - they can have information that you might not.
3) After 48 hours – strangers true personas come alive - once people are comfortable, watch for egos and emotions.
4) Group leaders are critical in situations with large masses – identify the leaders early on and/or beforehand and delegate them responsibilities.
5) Always have a backup plan - it is always better to spend more in order to guarantee your word (especially regarding transportation).
6) If you see something out of line, correct it - take the initiative yourself.
7) Creativity is critical and NOT everyone knows how to be creative.
8) As hard as you prepare, there will always be surprises – prepare the best you can to be prepared.
9) When something is a success, everyone (even the original doubters) will want to be a part of the spectacle - be careful.
10) A cost benefit analysis is the best decision maker.

For More Information:

http://therelieffoundation.com/