“Give a man a fish, and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
We’ve all heard this adage before in one form or another, and its origin is somewhat fuzzy. But the principle comes through loud and clear. The best way to help our fellow man is to give them the tools to be successful. For our team at Fountainhead Commercial, that principle guides how we support our clients as well as our community.
We don’t take credit for our clients’ business success, and we can’t make them successful. Our role is to place them in the right physical environment with the best terms so they can put all their focus into successfully operating and growing their businesses. We literally place them in a position to succeed.
But what we want to focus on in this blog is how we try to support non-profit organizations that take a similar approach in their important work – they offer a hand up, not a handout. We’ve contributed 10% of our company’s annual net proceeds to organizations that lift up and empower people who really need it and deserve it.
Here are three groups that empower our community: Tunnels to Towers Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Habitat for Humanity. We’d like to tell you a little about those organizations and we encourage you to also financially support these organizations.
Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T) was founded in the memory of Stephen Stiller, who as an off-duty New York City firefighter on September 11, 2001, grabbed his gear and proceeded on foot through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center where he gave up his life assisting others. T2T’s programs pay off mortgages and provide mortgage-free homes for the families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families with young children. They also provide customized, smart homes for disabled veterans injured in the line of duty as well as accommodations for homeless veterans. These people and their families have paid a horrible price serving us, and T2T empowers them to move forward as best as possible.
Similarly, Habitat for Humanity and its local affiliated chapters deliver a stable home environment for people who need help breaking out of the poverty cycle. Habitat’s programs provide more than affordable mortgages and financial guidance, they offer an empowering environment of stability and independence. We financially support the Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity, and we occasionally volunteer our ever-expanding carpentry skills to work side-by-side with the eventual homeowners to build their homes. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of a team of eager volunteers and experience that kind of positivity!
“Too many families in our community are struggling to find an affordable place to live. Fortunately, Habitat for Humanity is part of the solution and we’re grateful to our partners like Fountainhead Commercial for helping to provide the financial resources needed to build Habitat for Humanity homes.”
-Jeanne Fischetti, Director of Sponsorships, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is another important group for us. As you learned last month, both of us are passionate about outdoor sports and activities. We also believe in Christ as our Savior, and we’re committed to living a life that honors Him. What better way to help others begin down that path than supporting an organization that links the two – nurturing young people in their physical and spiritual journeys? FCA’s programs provide an opportunity and environment for Christian athletes and coaches to support and learn from each other in order to become stronger in their faith and athletic skills. With that kind of foundation, these young people are empowered, enriched, and well-prepared for the next phase of their lives.
We chose Fountainhead Commercial as the name of our firm because we were both influenced by the principles of individualism and self-reliance described in Ayn Rand’s best-selling novel, The Fountainhead. Our approach to corporate giving is guided by those principles – an approach that also takes into account that there are those who through no fault of their own may need help taking that first step toward self-reliance.
Thank you for considering supporting these groups. If you’re involved with other non-profits that take a similar tack in preparing people for a better future, we’d love to learn about those opportunities. Give us a call or let’s schedule a coffee meeting soon!
