Do You Give A Fish?

Ever heard the English proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?" Well, that works out great if the man lives near a stream with a good supply of fish. But, what if the man lives smack in the middle of dry land? Or, what if he is too sick to fish?
I teach people how to fish for the man who cannot fish for himself.

Imagine a perpetual feeding machine that generates the right amount of nourishment needed on a daily basis and provides it. Now,  picture yourself sending off life-saving meals today, without ever leaving your home to go to the post office, and receiving a check in the maill next week for doing nothing more than getting a few people together to do the very same thing? What if that happened month after month?

 A cause worth joining is a cause worth telling people about. 

Did you know that 18,000 people die every day because of starvation? There is a solution. We have it. This is my cause and I am proud to say that out-loud. I am a Social Entrepreneur. What are you?



"Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry."                                                                  Bill Drayton, CEO, chair and founder of Ashoka

Financial Long-term Change



A social entrepreneur identifies and solves social problems on a large scale. Social entrepreneurs are interested in sustainable solutions that create social value. A traditional business entrepreneur must always look at their bottom-line. (Not that that is a bad thing, I was a traditional entrepreneur for more than 25 years.) A social entrepreneur looks at how a solution to a social problem provides long-term, immediate help and, at the same time, creates in income for those who take part in the solution.

Unlike traditional business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs primarily seek to generate "social value" rather than profits. Unfortunately, the majority of non-profit organizations work is targeted only towards immediate, small-scale effects.  A social entrepreneur is focused on long-term change.

I'm sure it all sounds superficial to those who have not gotten all the facts. A more in depth look is needed by anyone who thinks this sounds too good to be true. Otherwise, you have done a grave disservice to others, and yourself.

Comments?

Get It Unstuck

A social entrepreneur recognizes a part of society that is stuck and  provides a new way to get it unstuck. He or she looks at a problem that is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, and then spreading the solution and persuading the masses to take action.

I am not here to tell you that you and you alone must go out and gather hoards of people together. Rather, this project works best when you introduce this plan to a few people who, like you, choose to make a difference, and then they introduce this plan to a few more who, in turn, do the very same thing, and so on and so forth. It's a system that works.

This is not a new idea. We've only taken the steps to create a solution to one of societies problems and have created the platform for which others can take part. Get it unstuck!

"Social entrepreneurs identify resources where people only see problems. They view the villagers as the solution, not the passive beneficiary. They begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources in the communities they're serving."
David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

A system that works is, indeed, a great system. We have that system. Our project is saving lives both at home and far, far away. Isn't it interesting that most of you reading this won't even think twice about it after you've clicked on to the next site? (How sad.)  But for those who, like me, believe there is a better way. I urge you to spend a few more minutes on this blog site and see what we are doing.

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated.

Modern-day Robin Hood

Tales of Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor are known to pretty much every American. Countless movies and television shows have been produced depicting various images of what may have happened. But... wouldn't it have been great if Robin Hood didn't have to steal to achieve his goals to help

those less fortunate?

Today there are no Robin Hoods going around shaking things up. (That's probably a good thing.) There is, however, a modern day television series that gives the Robin Hood stories a new and updated spin. I'm talking about Leverage. Now in it's fourth season, this TV series shows elaborate and masterfully designed ways of "stealing back" from the bad guys what has been taken and giving it back to the good guys. No men in tights on this show, at least not yet, but if you've ever seen an episode you get why it reminds me of a modern day Robin Hood.

Today's real-life Robin Hoods are a much better version. I'm talking about the people who choose to do social good by becoming a social entrepreneur. Instead of stealing we choose to work. We took the great idea of feeding starving children and made it even better by providing an income opportunity where you can also feed your own family at the very same time.

If you ever loved the idea of being a hero to others, but thought you just did not have enough money to make a difference, then maybe this project is for you. Maybe you will become a modern-day Robin Hood and join us in the good fight to save lives the social entrepreneurial way.