MaineLine Haiti: A coalition of concerned Maine businesses for catastrophic relief & rebuilding
To join the coalition and make a pledge of financial support,
gifts in kind, services or expertise,
please contact us at:
CD&M Communications
207.774.7528 or maineline@cdmc.com
LEADERSHIP
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
SUPPORTED BY:
COALITION
ORGANIZERS:
About MaineLine
About the Coalition Representative to Haiti
Darcy Pierce is a senior partner with Envoy, a Maine-based firm focused on connecting the business world with the developing world. Through the establishment of mutually beneficial relationships with companies in North America and Europe, Envoy works to improve the socioeconomic standards and overall quality of life of impoverished and underserved communities in the developing world.
Pierce’s extensive international aid and relief experience spans five continents and includes previous projects with Food For The Hungry, USAID/OFDA, Medical Teams International, World Vision, Faulu (microfiance), Episcopal Relief and Development, and Missionary Aviation Fellowship, to name a few. He has been a first/early responder and provided on the ground assessment for multiple international disasters, including the 2004 tsunami in Thailand and the 2009 earthquake in Indonesia.
GIK (gifts in kind) operation, development and management is a specialty area for Pierce. He has redeveloped GIK operations for multiple international NGOs during times of natural catastrophes including earthquakes in Peru, Pakistan, China, and Dominican Republic, as well as drought response in Ethiopia. He was an instrumental part of the AERDO GIK panel comprised of five of the largest international aid organizations to overhaul and adopt new standards that, today, the majority of NGOs have adopted.
Outside of urgent relief work, Pierce has also been extensively involved in long-range planning and strategic development of many international NGOs. He has served on boards of aid organizations in all over the world including Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America, and has managed both start-up and reorganization projects. He is an expert in the financial structure and operational management of NGOs and is often sought after for both internal consulting, as well as international negotiation with highest level of government officials.
MaineLine is a coalition of concerned businesses for catastrophe relief and rebuilding assistance. MaineLine was organized to fill a void for a Maine-specific business solution to this problem by delivering direct, documented relief aid to where it is needed most. By joining together in a coordinated effort and pooling the state’s business resources, Maine companies can make a dramatic and personal impact in relief efforts across the globe. The coalition’s first project is MaineLine: Haiti.
The two primary goals of MaineLine: Haiti are simple and straightforward:
- Help the people and businesses of Haiti rebuild their lives through strategically-targeted contributions that match the unique expertise and resources of Maine businesses
- Raise and keep awareness levels high among businesses and the general public so that aid continues to flow until the rebuilding phase has stabilized
Over the next several months, MaineLine: Haiti will be assessing the needs of multiple aid sectors on the ground in Haiti through direct, in-country involvement and official oversight of an international aid expert. These sectors are likely to include water and sanitation, food and nutrition, shelter and non-food items.
Once the needs analysis is developed and the most appropriate relief organizations are identified and matched to the coalition members’ directive, arrangements will be made for each company to send the contributions directly to the major aid organization that will distribute the funds with direct oversight and documentation from the coalition representative. The overall distribution and application of monetary, gifts-in-kind (GIK), and expert service contributions from the coalition will be documented by the coalition representative on the ground in Haiti through photography, videos and reporting.