Profit for Good Works

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world 

and loses or forfeits himself?

(Luke 9:25)

I have a hard time believing that an organization can operate as profit motivated AND be genuinely committed to helping people and changing lives. As the saying goes, you cannot serve two masters. Devotion to one will take priority over the other because of human nature. If you disagree, I challenge you to educate me on an organization that has managed to do both, effectively helping the intended benefactors.

My experiences in workforce readiness have exposed me to a lot of generational poverty phenomena that I never knew existed. I thought that since I grew up poor, I had a baseline understanding of “the struggle,” that would allow my current middle class situation to be a bridge to inspire others of what they too could achieve. Wrong! My first mistake was not having a real understanding of the differences between poor and poverty. I thought we were poor because although my parents worked, there was never enough to cover our wants, so we always heard our parents praying for us to do/have better (education, jobs, homes, etc). The difference is that people living in poverty do not have the luxury to hope for tomorrow because they are trying to overcome basic needs (food, clothes, shelter, etc.) today. For a better explanation, visit http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-poor-and-vs-poverty-and-vs-scarcity/.

Living in the mid-south, I have become mindful of the economy driven by the poverty industry. I started paying attention after I was sarcastically informed that while agriculture and transportation/distribution are both leading industries, a close third is the poverty industry. While many people are quick to point out the profit margins from payday lenders, pawn shops, casinos, and lotteries, has any one questioned the motivation of many of the so-called not-for-profit organizations? In my opinion, I have seen a lot of government funded programs, written on the back of poor people, where the resources are not directly disseminated to the intended benefactors.

As I go about my purposed work, I find myself getting frustrated in trying to do the right things in workforce preparedness, but constantly battling bureaucracy that does nothing to help overcome generational poverty dynamics. This work is not as simple as merely providing training and helping people to find good works, or better jobs. There is a societal disruption out there waiting to be examined and executed. Can you help me to discover it? So I ask the same question that I posed earlier. Are there any examples of profit motivated companies genuinely affecting change to pull whole communities out of poverty? Feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Serving Others in Good Works

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another,

in good works of God's varied grace

(1 Peter 4:10)

Today, women all over the world are commemorating the 106^th Founders’ Day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. When I became an undergraduate member, almost twenty-five years ago, I became a part of that legacy of sisterhood and service. The tradition continues - Global Leadership Through Timeless Service – with program activities centered on significant issues affecting communities and families.

Although my undergraduate participation at the University of Arkansas occurred a lifetime ago, service to all mankind remains a major facet of giving back to the communities in which I live and work. Last week, we had our first 2014 session for Leadership Beaumont, whose mission is “to identify, cultivate and develop leaders who will serve and positively impact their community.” Current members and alumni participated in a group activity to bring awareness to poverty in our community. Entergy hosted the Poverty Simulation that included role playing on day-to-day realities in the life of low-to-moderate income families.  (To learn more about using this simulation, contact your local Entergy Community Relations Representative, or visit the following Missouri Association for Community Action site:

 

http://www.communityaction.org/Poverty%20Simulation.aspx

 

Years ago, I adopted the use of on-line banking, automatic bill pay, and other things that I consider as personal time-savers. My big take away from the simulation was the plight of people who operate with cash. In balancing the allotted time, it was difficult for me to remember to go to the bank to cash my paycheck (I played the role of twenty-five year old working full-time in a cafeteria) to have cash available to take public transportation, to pay for utilities, to buy groceries, etc. This was a challenge for a twenty-five year old. Imagine the number of elderly people in our communities, or even other individuals who are trying to be self-sufficient, but who do not have access to other technology conveniences that many of us take for granted. My other takeaway was the reality of generational poverty and the difficulty in breaking this cycle. For all of us who have been graced to rise above and to overcome obstacles to do better than our family legacy, we have to remember that we are the exception.

After the simulation, each of us was challenged to take the learning from the day back to our respective businesses and organizations and to develop action plans for how we would increase awareness about the realities faced by people who live in low-to-moderate income communities. My first step is the blog post. Going forward, we shall add an element on this subject in our community outreach in advancing awareness about job and career opportunities in manufacturing.

Each of us has a gift that should be used to serve the needs of others in our communities and families. What are you doing to show concern for others by acts of service to all mankind? Let us know by commenting or sending me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.