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Maverick World Impact-Haiti

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Maverick Impact Trip to Haiti

“Mavericks are more than a club, more than a network, and more than a bunch of wealthy business people.  They are a group of caring creative and philanthropic minded people that will no doubt leave a footprint in history….” -Maverick Member #16 Jim Spano

 Frank McKinney & Yanik Silver’s…
Haiti Impact Experience
May 8-11, 2013
WANT TO JOIN US?

Please click here to learn more about 2013’s Maverick Impact Trip to Haiti.  For more information and answers to questions, please contact Maverick Member #35 Doug Doebler at doug@dougdoebler.com

A note from the editor. Rose Ayers:

I remember clear as day, a conversation I had last year with one of my best friends, Aydika James.  She had just returned from a 4 day Maverick Impact trip to Haiti.  I have known Aydika for six years now and feel that I have a pretty good grasp on her; her character and drive and her huge heart for people.  So, I was not one bit surprised when she called to give me “the news.” She was in love…with Haiti: the people, culture, and volunteers who were giving of their time.  She told me about the simple joy of the people, their bright eyes and genuine smiles that filled her heart with warmth.  She had gone to Haiti with the intention of helping those who needed aid.  What happened caught her off guard: While she was giving of herself to the Haiti people, they were “helping” her, by reminding her of the beauty that is found within the human spirit when it grows, flourishes and eventually overcomes in the face of adversity. She told me of a comment made by one of the trip facilitators that has stuck with me ever since.  As they discussed the living conditions of the Haitian people, this facilitator brought up the natural tendency for visitors to feel  a sense of “guilt,” when comparing their “small” problems to the “catastrophic” issues in Haiti.  His response to this feeling of guilt is what surprised everyone: “Why do you feel guilty?  You are in a powerful place. You have the ability to ignite change that will actually fix world problems.  Go home, enjoy your lives and be open to the ways that you can make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate.”

“You have the ability to ignite change that will actually fix world problems.”

In February of 2011, Maverick member #16 Jim Spano  along with his son Ken Spano and thirteen Maverick members and friends, stepped off of a plane into what was later described by Yanik as “an ultra chaotic scene” at Port-au-Prince in Haiti.  This was the Maverick’s first Impact Trip to Haiti, and no one knew what to expect.  Check out this photo of the group as they are being transported from the airport down crowded streets to their hotel in a “tap-tap” bus. A little intense…is it not?

It was on this trip that Jim Spano’s heart was captured by the devastation that the Haitian people had been forced to endure. He  realized the need for an energy source and the wheels in his head began to turn.  Through Maverick member #35 Doug Doebler, Jim met “Daredevil Real Estate Artist, Best Selling Author”  and founder of The Caring House Project FoundationFrank McKinney.  Along with Frank and the rest of the Maverick team Jim teamed up with  the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF) and Scott Bonnel from Hope to Haiti and helped turn slums into livable homes, schools and community centers. He spent time with local micro-entrepreneurs and discussed the economic situation in Port-au-Prince. Upon His return home, Jim  immediately reached out to HHF about the solar panels he had connections to, and discussed how they would improve the efficiency of operations there. This conversation led to Jim donating an entire container of solar panels worth $200,000.00 Because of his expertise in putting together teams to build power plants, he began to collaborate and problem solve with the technical staff at HHF.   This is how he met Dr. Stephan Lally, a retired MIT Research Doctor turned “Distinguished Member of the HHF  Technical Staff.”  Now great friends, Jim and Stephan have devised a plan that will literally solve the power needs of The 3rd World.

And this is where YOU come in!

Before we get into how we are going to accomplish such a feat, please read this excerpt from a heart-felt email I (Rose) received from Jim Spano last week:

“It was Yanik that made this possible.  While my focus in Mavericks has been more on the philanthropic side, his creation of the Maverick group and his insistence on an element of responsible stewardship has inspired me and I am sure many other Mavericks.  He talked about changing the world.  I can’t imagine a more impactful way to change the world than to create the economic engine to all human growth and advancement, ENERGY that can be harnessed, as that is the core of all infrastructure and is the keystone to any economic prosperity.  His introducing me to Frank McKinney along with the encouragment of Doug Doebler all equally contributed to my inspiration.  I only wish I knew how to properly thank them for giving me the opportunity to be here and provide this microcosmic laboratory in which Father Lally, myself, and an incredible combination of CEO’s from Xtreme Power, TenK Systems, SMA, etc. are able to come together to create this microgrid that can act as a showcase to the world how collectively, private businessmen can do so much more than our governments to improve the lives of the poor and underprivileged. 
 
Mavericks are more than a club, more than a network, and more than a bunch of wealthy business people.  They are a group of caring, creative and philanthropic minded people that will no doubt leave a footprint in history that will act as an example of what can happen when great minds, good souls, and collective resources are applied unselfishly to the betterment of the human existence! Lets figure out how the Mavericks can create a legacy that will outlast all of us, and solving such an important issue as energy surety in the most remote poorest regions in the world is now truly possible.  We are on the cutting edge technologically, and with God’s grace we are about to do something the world has only dreamed of since Edison first invented the light bulb!  The Mavericks will be part of that story and for that I am truly thankful to Yanik and to Frank, as they have likely unknowingly been a true inspiration to me!”
Wow.  VERY well said Jim Spano, especially the part where you wrote “…how collectively, private businessmen can do so much more than our governments to improve the lives of the poor and underprivileged.” 
Here is the Best Part! Please keep reading Jim’s email:

I’d like to offer a matching program where each Mavericks donation will be matched 100% through the Spano Family Foundation (fully tax deductible) to really leverage the impact.  The donations would be dedicated solely to this solar generation plant as solving the energy .  I have further leveraged those donations by getting equipment at cost, volunteer labor, and my personal return to Haiti to assist in the construction of the project.  The Mavericks introduced me to this incredibly important mission in Haiti and I thought reaching out with that story, along with the group that originally joined me in Haiti, would enable us to really make a difference.”

  If you are interested in being a part of the solution to the “tumultuous economy and lack of technological resources” in third world countries, now is your chance.  This is an opportunity for Maverick Members to make a one time donation, which will receive a match of 100% from the Spano Family Foundation.  If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Jim Spano directly at jimspano@spanopartners.com.

 Frank McKinney (Caring House Project) captured Jim’s efforts perfectly in an email he wrote:

“Thank you for your kind words, but more important, thank you for taking action on them, and following through with the compassion you felt when we visited Jeremie two years ago. At Caring House Project Foundation we have a saying; “compassion without action is a waste of emotion.” In your case, you not only took action, but you are one of the fortunate few who are blessed with awareness, that leads to discernment, with the thread tying them together being love. You did what most people dream of; the dovetailing of your spiritual highest calling with your professional highest calling. Well done Jim Spano.“

Pure Awesomeness! To learn more about what Jim Spano and Dr. Stephan Lally are doing with HHF (Haitian Health Foundation), please click here.