One of my friends whose value is beyond my ability to put words to his worth is Alex Hajime Birnbaum. Alex has thrown his lot in with Blake Mycoskie and a bunch of other good people who have joined in a one for one movement committed to the idea that the lives of children can be improved by individuals making wise everyday choices. Go to TOMS web site and learn about what they are doing and how they are doing it... and how responsible people everywhere can become involved (http://www.toms.com/). Basically, the program is this: The company matches every pair of its shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. The program has expanded the scope of its mission by adding a line of prescription eyewear with the same commitment to help one sight-impaired person in need for every pair of glasses the company sells. The needy recipients of shoes and glasses are all over the world.

I believe the company is on the right track. It is a model that demonstrates the good that can be done by a for-profit company that operates with a commitment to match it’s “getting” with “giving back.” Alex guides the international operation of the company. As he told me again today about the work of the company, I remembered the words attributed to King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 11:1: “Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days” (King James Bible). Another translation of the Hebrew text (New Living Translation): “Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow to you.”