Recreating The Well

Delivering value to the world by all means necessary.

Tonight, I set out on an adventure, something I have done every week for the past four months. These adventures force me to escape my comfort zone, challenge my creativity and provide me with opportunities to discover new ways of helping others. These adventures have come to be known as the episodes of #MaxicanFood, and you can find each one chronicled on my Instagram page.

Although I continued my four-month trend tonight, my approach was significantly different than any experience prior. #MaxicanFood is predicated upon finding one person during the week to whom I can give a meal, whether they be homeless, down on their luck, or simply someone behind me in the drive-thru line at In-N-Out. Though, as described in one of my previous articles, my intent with this initiative goes beyond simply giving someone enough to survive one more day; and that couldn’t be any truer than it was tonight. Because tonight, I didn’t merely aim to give someone the gift of a free meal; I set out to give someone else the gift of giving.

This idea was sparked by the incredible organization known as charity: water; more specifically by the portion of their network known as The Well. What makes The Well so special is their selflessness in giving. Members of The Well do not donate to be recognized by others, nor do they do so to have a direct impact on providing those in need with clean water. These people contribute funds to cover all of charity: water’s overhead expenses, from employee salaries to office supplies. This is absolutely vital to the success of charity: water because the organization functions behind “The 100% Model” that ensures every penny donated to help bring clean water to people around the world is put directly towards that purpose. Scott Harrison, CEO of charity: water, understood that the biggest problem people have with non-profits is their lack of transparency, and the uncertainty that donations are genuinely being used to positively impact the cause at hand. In an attempt to create full transparency with donors and flip the philanthropic world on its head, Scott Harrison decided to create two bank accounts for charity: water; one encompassing all clean-water-initiative donations, and the other solely focused on covering overhead expenses. In other words, the incredible work that charity: water performs (they have provided clean water to 8.4 million people around the world) would be impossible without this group of people that comprise The Well.

Back to how this all relates to tonight’s adventure. Instead of finding someone to whom I could give food, I decided to give someone else the opportunity to do so. In my experience, there is immense joy in giving to others, and I often feel that I enjoy giving more than my counterpart enjoys the act of receiving said gift. Perhaps this can be attributed to their sense of pride causing them to accept a gift unwillingly, or to reject it altogether. Therefore, I wanted to find a way to get around this, and it seemed that allowing a third party to pass along this gift to the recipient may just work. Doing my best to impersonate a member of The Well, I walked into the Emergency Room at San Antonio Hospital and proceeded to describe my idea to the front desk clerk. He gladly agreed to participate, taking a handwritten letter and a Chipotle gift card from my hand, ready to dish it out to the next patient to enter the room. Minutes later, a woman entered the Emergency Room with a noticeable limp and proceeded to the front desk. The smile on the front desk clerk’s face was infectious as he handed this lady an envelope with the word “Friend” displayed front and center. Because the clerk could confidently tell this woman that the gift wasn’t originally from him, this kind lady accepted the card without hesitation. It was all coming together. She slowly began tearing up as she digested the words I had written, while the desk clerk and his colleagues beamed with joy. For a brief moment I felt as if I were a member of The Well, witnessing two individuals experiencing immense joy from two opposite ends of the exchange. It greatly surpassed the feeling I get when I have the chance to give directly to someone else; this time I had the pleasure of witnessing one person’s fulfillment through the act of giving, in addition to another person’s gratitude for the gift they were handed. I can confidently say that I accomplished something tonight, something that had seemed to be an issue I couldn’t shake for quite some time; the issue of helping others in a way that does not strip them of their pride. This time #MaxicanFood doubled its impact and ensured the giver and the receiver were equally grateful for this moment.

Entrepreneurs, business leaders and normal people everywhere all share one common goal: finding a solution to the issue in front of them. Fortunately (or not), there is an ever-existing abundance of problems waiting to be solved all around us. Individuals and organizations alike have their fair share of issues to be resolved, each one unique and each one requiring a specifically-tailored solution. Tonight, I found my solution. And I have The Well to thank for that.