I stand inspired! (Robinhooding for Homeless)

"Then again, what seems like nothing in the eyes of the world, when properly 
valued and put to use, can be among the greatest riches."

-Chris Gardner

Like a lot of people in my generation, I am not easily impressed, but yesterday I was floored by the amazing work that a thirteen year old girl is doing for people in need right here in our community.   Ms. Rachel Buller is the co-founder of Robinhooding for Homeless, a charitable organization based in Fair Oaks, California, that is incredibly clever in where they get their donations from.   On your next family vacation or trip for work, stuff your bag with all the unused toiletries from your hotel and turn it in to one of their drop boxes which are popping up across the area.   From there, Rachel and Michelle (the adult overseeing the chairty and co-founder) take the items and then distribute them to homeless shelters across the Sacramento region.  Instead of my family always having extra travel shampoo for the next thousand years, from now on, every time we travel, we will bring a special bag with us to bring home as many mini-toiletries as our hotel has to offer!   What a simple yet amazingly effective way to help people in need so please click here for the video of this impressive young woman explaining how they work: www.robinhoodingforhomeless.org/Media.

Several amazing things are accomplished by this with the first being that the homeless throughout our community are given the means necessary to care for one of their most basic human needs: to be clean.  Today, I took it for granted when I jumped in a hot shower after I woke up, much less that I had a bar of soap, a razor, or a simple toothbrush to use to make myself presentable.  In Chris Gardner's book, "The Pursuit of Happyness", he is incredibly forthcoming about what life was like to live on the streets of San Francisco caring for his young son while moving from homeless shelter to homeless shelter.  Many of you have heard his story, but from these humble beginnings where he had to rely on the charity of others to eat much less be clean, Chris rose to the top of the investment world at the now defunct Bear Stearns, moved on to found his own asset management firm, and now runs an extremely large charitable organization of his own.   What a difference human kindness can make, and in the same way that people helped Chris, Rachel and Michelle Buller are doing the little things that will change the lives of people across our community. 

Almost as important, the financial strain on homeless shelters is lessened as they can now take valuable resources that would have been spent on toiletries, and use them in other more effective ways.  So much of what homeless shelters provide, above and beyond a hot meal or safe place to sleep for the night, comes in the form of toiletries.  If this expense were even just cut in half for the average shelter because of what Robinhooding for Homeless is doing, imagine what good those resources could do in the lives of the disadvantaged.

Last what strikes me most, is what an incredible teaching tool this will be in the lives of my children.  When we travel next, I can be sure that my overly curious, big-mouth 11 year old son will ask what I'm doing when I'm cleaning out all of the "free" hotel items and bagging them up to bring home.  From there, I not only get to show him a simple way to get involved, but more that if another child around his age could make a difference, then so can he.  Please check out www.robinhoodingforhomeless.org for more information on the incredible impact that Rachel and Michelle are having in our community.  I stand today, very impressed and even more inspired.  Again, take a look at their website, start gathering toiletries on your travels, make a donation, or like me, see if you can get a Robinhooding' drop-box placed in your office too! 

Thanks to Rachel and Michelle for all that you've done so far and keep up the good work!

Best,

Mike

Michael M. Knittel

Director/Portfolio Manager

Lagunitas Asset Management
1024 Iron Point Road, Suite 100
Folsom, CA 95630
916.357.6656

www.lagunitasmoneyIQ.com

                                               

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