NAAHP Blog

Kareen Kircher

Director of Strategic Planning

I flirted with NAAHP for a while.

I attended a few events; talked to some of the members; asked people for their opinions about members of NAAHP and about their opinions of NAAHP itself. I even lurked on the LinkedIn group to stay aware of what they were doing.

For its part, NAAHP always made me feel good about our interactions. Event staff members welcomed regular people like me, not just VIPs, warmly. They made eye contact; they shook my hand; they were accommodating and attentive. And by God, was I impressed by the caliber of people that I met: not simply by their accomplishments, but by their desire to show up and be available to other professionals of Haitian descent.

As with any budding relationship, there comes a point where you decide whether you’ll continue to flirt, or if you will go down the path of something more serious. At first, I only wanted to be a regular member. Then I thought about how many Haitian organizations have potential, but don’t have what it takes to evolve and become a true institution.

One thing that appealed to me a great deal was that anyone could simply go to the NAAHP website, and download financial statements. I didn’t need to sign up. I didn’t to call anyone. I didn’t need to disclose my email address. I could compare their numbers from year to year, all anonymously. Sounds a little like Facebook stalking…but I digress. But seriously, how many organizations are willing to submit to that kind of scrutiny?

Now it was time to “meet the family.” NAAHP willingly made different members available to talk to me about why they joined, and why they were so committed to the marathon hours that they put into making this organization a success. More butterflies! I felt inspired to do my part in making sure that NAAHP has a fighting chance. I decided join as a lifetime member, and eventually as Director of Strategic Planning, so that other Haitian organizations could both contribute to and benefit from partnering with NAAHP.

People in lifetime commitments tend to want to build up a secure future together. For that reason, I established the car donation program for NAAHP. It’s an easy, but meaningful way to give back to NAAHP, the premier professional organization that caters to the ambitions and aspirations of people like you and me. Trading in your car can sometimes be like going on a blind date: it’s not quite terrible, but it doesn’t make you feel great either. Wouldn’t it be nicer to donate it to NAAHP?

NAAHP’s first donated car! Will you be our next Valentine?

Starting this February, you too, can be NAAHP’s Valentine! Simply call our toll-free number from anywhere in the United States; someone will take the information about your car, and arrange for pickup any day of the week. You will get a receipt immediately. Running or not, your vehicle will provide a boost to NAAHP’s future, and possibly a nice tax deduction for you, if it meets Uncle Sam’s IRS criteria.

Before you donate your car to us, be sure to take a picture of it. Then send it to us with your NAAHP love story. We will be happy to feature both in our next newsletter.