You’ve heard the statistics about Haiti: an estimated 230,000 people killed, 300,000 injured, and at least a million left homeless after January’s devastating earthquake.
You’ve donated money, but you’re still wondering how you can help. Earlier this year, Mesh Gelman and Elizabeth Brown were wondering the same thing, so they developed Choose Haiti, an offshoot of their first business venture, Blanket America. Choose Haiti is helping the Haitian economy in the long-term by providing Haitians with jobs, and even some free blankets.
Here’s how it works. When you buy a t-shirt from Choose Haiti ($9.99), you ensure employment for Haitian textile workers who make Choose Haiti shirts in Haitian factories. In addition, with the purchase of each shirt, a blanket is donated to a Haitian in need through Choose Haiti’s partner company, Blanket America. Let’s go over that again. In addition to receiving a fabulous t-shirt, you’re stimulating the Haitian economy and donating a blanket to someone in need? Sounds too good to be true.
When the earthquake struck, Brown and Gelman were determined to aid in rebuilding the country. Brown first visited Haiti during an alternative Spring Break program from Columbia University in the mid-90s, and felt passionate about being involved in the recovery efforts. Well aware of Haiti’s booming textile business in the 1980s, and having seen the country lose the vast majority of that textile work to Asia, Gelman saw a perfect opportunity to help. The pair responsible for Blanket America started by shipping 80,000 sheets to the country. But that wasn’t enough. So they thought, what’s next?
Even before the 2010 earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Both Brown and Gelman realized the potential of the bygone Haitian textile trade, and they decided to put their own knowledge of that industry to work. It made sense to help Haiti rebuild through commerce, marketing, and of course, fabric manufacturing. But, a short-term fix wasn’t what they had in mind: they were in search of long-term improvement. As the Blanket America website says, “Fighting poverty is about more than making donations, it is about creating opportunity.”
When Brown and Gelman headed to Haiti to assess the situation, they were met with plenty of opportunities to rebuild. Although many buildings in Haiti were destroyed by the earthquake, most of the factories were not severely damaged, and by February 10, Brown and Gelman had announced their plans begin production in Haiti. The statement went on to explain, “Haiti’s role will allow MORE American textiles and other materials to be purchased than through an entirely domestic enterprise; compounding higher returns for American industry.”
Due to political and civil unrest, Haiti has been largely ignored in the past twenty years as a place to produce textiles. According to Gelman, “The business model was out of date. It wasn’t up to speed with the rest of the world. [Haiti] needed marketing and consumers.” Since the factories were there, and because they were close to the largest consumer base in the world, all Haiti needed was for the consumers to once again get involved. With embargoes lifted and tax benefits in place, Haiti was in a terrific position for Gelman and Brown to do what they do best: create and market well-made items while also giving back.
Since 2006, Haitian factories have aligned themselves with the Better Work program. This joint venture between the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Finance Corporation is designed to improve labor standards to meet standards of the ILO, thereby helping countries compete in the global marketplace.
With the success of this program, in 2008, the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act, or Hope II Act, opened up the US market to Haiti. This act permitted tariff-exempt access to the US market. Reducing taxes was already excellent news for US companies looking to save money; after January’s earthquake, the lighter tax burden gave companies even more incentive to help stimulate the economy of our recently devastated neighbors. As a result, more and more factories are now up and running to meet continual the demand for product output. Legislation passed on May 5 further expanded duty-free restrictions, nearly tripling the allowed production for Haitian textile exports until 2020.
Choose Haiti and Blanket America’s participation not only helps Haitians, it also helps the US and the environment. Shipping from Haiti as opposed to shipping from China greatly reduces cost for American companies. Ultimately, as Gelman explains, “The more the company buys in Haiti, the more they’re saving.” Perhaps best of all, shipping products from Haiti instead of from Asia will significantly decrease the producer’s carbon footprint.
In Haiti, Brown and Gelman (at left) saw a chance to continue the type of embedded giving they had already begun in a previous business, Blanket America. In particular, Brown’s background in branding and social media provided the perfect balance with Gelman’s training in home fashion. The company is built around the buy one give one approach — for each item purchased through Blanket America, a blanket is donated to a person in need. To Gelman, part of the appeal of this system is transparency. “Often, especially during holiday seasons, you’ll see signs at registers stating, ‘a portion of the proceeds will be donated to this charity,’ but that’s too ambiguous. What’s really being donated? At Blanket America, it’s clear that you’re not only taking care of yourself, but also someone else.” Blanket America’s goal for this year? Providing one million blankets to Americans in need.
With over 130,000 fans (including some celeb friends like actress Malin Akerman below) on Blanket America’s Facebook page, Gelman and Brown have also provided options for those who want to help through the social networking site. Most recently, a post asked that fans try sleeping without a pillow and then post about the experience on the site, promising that a pillow would be donated to match each post. In addition to all of this, Gelman and Brown travel extensively throughout the United States delivering blankets to adults and children in need. In the last year they’ve gone from Texas to Maine handing out quilts to charities with unique stories, all the while promoting the charities they visit on their website through the Blanket America Blog.
Currently for sale on the Blanket America website are sheets, comforters and the appropriately patriotic Patchwork Heritage quilt which, according to the website’s description, is “designed with a medley of 13 stripes, plaids, florals and calico prints to symbolize the 13 original colonies. The back [has] a Statue of Liberty illustration with an inspirational Presidential inaugural address.” Since its inception, Blanket America has had success selling products through QVC, Amazon, and JC Penny, and even participated in promotional events during the Sundance Film Festival.
Since production on Choose Haiti started, Gelman has already seen a positive change in Haiti, which he refers to as a “very resilient country.” And recently, companies like Beverly Hills Polo and Royal Caribbean have signed on to manufacture shirts with “Made in Haiti” tags. With this kind of success on record, the future of Choose Haiti looks particularly bright.
Click here to purchase your Choose Haiti t-shirt. Or, click here to purchase your Blanket America Quilt. Either way, you’ll be supporting the disenfranchised whether at home or abroad.
You can also watch Gelman and Brown on The Today Show below.
Photos courtesy of Blanket America.