In 2004, Eric was in a car accident that changed his life in an unexpected way. Rather than having surgery, he took his settlement money to Sri Lanka where politics and red tape hampered the tsunami relief efforts of large organizations. Eric spent four months living in Galle, Sri Lanka, where he led efforts to clear rubble, rebuild villages, restore wells and put small businesses back in business.

Klein's fresh approach to disaster relief was commended by the people and local government of Galle, Sri Lanka, who worked hand-in-hand with Eric to rebuild their community. There, he met Former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, from whom he received a written commendation. They continue to correspond about global relief.

Within weeks of returning home from Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. There, Eric immediately provided grassroots relief backed by his own savings, staying true to his word of "putting his money where his mouth is." Klein lived on the Gulf Coast for nearly a year providing aid to hurricane victims where he set up over 25 relief distribution centers, covering 8,000+ miles throughout Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Eric Klein's work on the Gulf Coast caught the attention of North Face CEO, who supplied Eric with clothing and equipment valued at more than $130K, which Eric distributed directly to hurricane victims while connecting those efforts back to NorthFace through his thorough documentation. Klein also arranged animal transports out of the region to reunite hundreds of misplaced pets with their companions. Klein and his team have remained in Louisiana and Mississippi to this day, rebuilding homes in LA and MS, his projects can be viewed on the www.can-do.org web site.

Klein took his grassroots approach to Rwanda, Africa, where he continues to work with the local government to help refugees and rebuild schools. In 2008, He took a second trip to Rwanda where he helped to rebuild the Kagugu School, Library and Art Wing for the children of Kigali. His team also provided critical aid to nearly 2000 people displaced by heavy flooding in the village of Bigogwe.

Klein took his grassroots approach to Rwanda, Africa, where he continues to work with the local government to help refugees and rebuild schools. In 2008, He took a second trip to Rwanda where he helped to rebuild the Kagugu School, Library and Art Wing for the children of Kigali. His team also provided critical aid to nearly 2000 people displaced by heavy flooding in the village of Bigogwe.   

Currently, Klein is working closely with the Crow Creek residents to address egregious human rights abuses and the cultural destruction that has continued on the reservation for centuries. Klein has worked tirelessly with Crow Creek community members to develop and implement the Five Point Revitalization Plan after he first visited the reservation in 2008. While mobilizing relief teams and coordinating the distribution of critical relief supplies to residents of the 08 Iowa Floods, Klein and his team continued on to the Crow Creek Reservation in SD, the poorest county in the nation.

In late October the Tribal Chairman, Brandon Sazue, asked Crow Creek Enrolled Member and US Marine Peter Lengkeek and Klein to represent Crow Creek at the White House Tribal Council hosted by President Barak Obama to present CAN-DO's Five Point Revitalization Plan. There they presented the Crow Creek Revitalization Plan to more than 37 government leaders including members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and many others.

In 2008, Eric co-founded VirtualVolunteer.tv, the first interactive web site that enables individuals, donors, corporations, and organizations to participate virtually in live humanitarian projects and critical disaster zones. Participants can view videos, communicate directly with the frontlines, and even see live streaming footage of how their donations are directly impacting the communities and individuals whose lives they have touched.

Based in Klein's commitment to complete transparency and efficiency, CAN-DO has remained a small, dedicated team of volunteers whose impact has continued to expand. Instead of incurring a fattened budget, Klein directly engages the survivors of catastrophe to become their own saviors, rebuilding their communities together. This model has proven incredibly effective and has garnered the attention of renowned philanthropists like former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Mississippi Governor, Haley Barbour and First Lady Marsha Barbour, Bollix Mayor, AJ Holloway, Rwandan Minister of Education, Jeanne D'Arc Mujawamariya, as well as government officials, and recently was awarded with the Global Compassion Award at the UN.

Eric has written proposals on (CRC), Community Revitalization Centers and Pet Evacuation and Transport. Both proposals have received the support of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and been passed through the offices of President Clinton, FEMA, MEMA and heads of federal, state and local agencies throughout the Gulf Coast and Washington DC. His proposal for CRC's have been followed as a blueprint in Mississippi. His concepts have been emulated in both political arenas, as well as in the relief world as a solution to disaster worldwide.

Eric was chosen out of thousands of applicants nationwide to participate in Oprah Winfrey's new prime time TV series, the BIG GIVE, a reality show where he competes to change the lives of strangers. The series is produced by Harpo Productions, and Bertram van Munster, Executive Producer/Co-Creator, and his partner, Elise Doganieri, Senior Producer/Co-Creator.
Klein has continued to build CAN-DO as an example that we can cut through the red tape, document our efforts, and create lasting change, ultimately changing the face of philanthropy and setting new standards for effective relief efforts.