What can you learn from my daughter and the TV show The Philanthropist?
I think about philanthropy every day. I am in the business of philanthropy, helping nonprofits raise money and fulfill their missions. I serve on nonprofits boards, I give to my religious institution, my children’e2’80’99s school, my alma mater, United Way, community organizations and national charitable organizations. However, despite the fact that I live and breathe philanthropy, somehow I missed it. I missed what my daughter was doing at the beginning of the summer.
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Now don’e2’80’99t get me wrong, I have known that over the past year my 16 year old daughter has been working, babysitting and squirreling away every bit of her grandparent’e2’80’99s birthday gifts and left over lunch money to head to Peru for two weeks. She went on a great program (that she paid for ‘e2’80’93 I know I’e2’80’99m bragging but why not?) that included eight days of community service from 7 am to late afternoon each day. I knew every detail of the trip but I really missed it. I missed the real nature of the work she would be doing and the potential impact on the community, until last night.
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Last night was the debut of the Philanthropist, the NBC drama about a billionaire wheeler dealer turned adventure activist, a kind of Indiana Jones meets Bill Gates. Not a bad show really, but that’e2’80’99s for another blog. What it did, is remind me of the power of doing. The impact of action.
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For eight days, my daughter and eight other teenagers crafted mud bricks, built walls and covered them with clay shingles. No, they weren’e2’80’99t building houses they were building huts’e2’80′a6..for guinea pigs. Why you ask? Guinea pigs are served by families and restaurants throughout Peru, (yes, I am sure it tastes like chicken) and there is a need for more to be raised and sold in the cities. By providing for each family in this remote village an hour from Cuzco, their own hut fully stocked with a starter family of eight guinea pigs (7 female and 1 male), they essentially started a small business venture for each village family.
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I know this model of micro lending/ micro economics is not new, but it was to her and forgotten by me. Now in Socma, Peru the efforts of my daughter and the other participants will have a long lasting positive impact on so many.
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I know, I know ‘e2’80’93 it’e2’80’99s the basics’e2’80′a6teach them how to fish. It’e2’80’99s just so amazing when it’e2’80’99s your own daughter doing the teaching.
Jeff, So very true how easily we forget and how much every bit helps……Thanks for the refreshing reminder and you deserve to be very proud of your daughter.\n\nVince
Thanks Jeff … sounds like an amazing experince and pretty special that she was so determined to have that summer expereince rather than lounging by the pool. I diddn’t see the show but I’ll tune in next week. Now we need a show called “The Consultant” so Bloom Consulting can have its first TV commercial.
Jeff – WOW. You and Cindi have obviously provided Elana with an incredible foundation. I’d also like to think that the school you chose for Elana early on, our Jewish Day School, Albert Einstein Academy, also nudged her in the right direction towards Tikun Olam and doing things that will make a difference in this world. Elana is another wonderful example of a young person who took to heart everything she learned at AEA and from you, as a community leader, about giving back and doing what is just, what is right – not just what is comfortable.