Ep. 19: The Hidden Problem of Child Homelessness (and How You Can Help) | with Marc Bell
Oct 08, 2017Today our expert guest is Marc Bell, whose fascinating entrepreneurial journey has led to an incredibly powerful mission: bringing attention to the issue of child homelessness that exists in our own backyard.
Although Marc’s dad said there was no future in computers, Marc’s first entrepreneurial venture, in 1989, was Chairman and CEO of of the Globix Corporation, an early internet infrastructure company with over 28,000 miles of fiber and 1 million square feet of Data Center Space. They were at the forefront of technology; they were one of the first companies to do live video on the internet.
Marc later moved into venture capital work, investing in everything from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys to pizza restaurants to FriendFinder Networks.
Fostering 70 Kids After Hurricane Irma
Although Marc has been busy as a venture capitalist, you may be more familiar with him from making headlines earlier in 2017:
- “’An abundance of love’: Millionaire opens home to 70 foster kids after Irma”
- “Florida Couple Who Opened Their Mansion to 70 Foster Kids During Irma Continues to Help: ‘We’re Not Stopping’”
- “Real-life Daddy Warbucks? Millionaire hosts 70 foster kids in mansion after Irma”
Marc always tried to give back, but now he’s investing most of his time into the SOS Children’s Village.
The individuals participating in Children’s Village take care of kids whose parents are deceased, incarcerated, or incapable of being with their children. They house them, feed them, clothe them, and help them pursue education – they even have a 100% high school graduation rate and a 100% acceptance rate into college or vocational school.
After Hurricane Irma, Marc put out a call to action and encouraged others to come help. Over 150 people came to help, and he has been able to raise about $150,000 so far.
How You Can Help Make a Difference:
- Volunteer at SOS Children’s Village or any other foster care organization around the country.
- Talk to your elected officials and keep reminding them that child homelessness is an issue that needs to be addressed, because these kids don’t have a voice in politics.
- Donate at SOSFlorida.com or gofundme.com/SOSIrma.
The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway
“If everyone were to just be nice and help one person a day, the world would just be a much more phenomenal place.”
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Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.
Resources:
- Help make a difference by donating:
- Connect with Marc: MarcBell.com | Twitter | LinkedIn
There is incredible potential that lies within each and every one of us to create positive change in our lives (and the lives of others) while achieving our dreams.
This is the Power of You!
