After visiting a local elementary school for a service project with her 5th-grade class Riley learned that there were many kids in her own community who weren't prepared to go to school. This was when Riley decided to create Rainbow Pack, a youth-led organization that gives backpacks full of grade-appropriate homework supplies to kids who live below the poverty level. Since the project began in 2010, when Riley was 10 years old, Rainbow Pack has given out over 20,000 Rainbow Packs to kids in need and gave out 6,200 at the start of the 2017/2018 school year. She outfits entire schools, organizing Back-to-School pep rallies to distribute the backpacks and to get kids and families excited about the year ahead. Her new backpacks full of new supplies send children in need a powerful message -- that people care about them and believe in their ability to succeed.

Who is Riley Joy Gantt? How was the Rainbow Pack started? I all started with a box of crayons. In the first year they supplied 60 Rainbow packs and after 7 years today, they have given out over 20,000 Rainbow Packs. Riley shares her magical journey that changed her life. Rob shares a little boy story from http://www.rainbowpack.org/ whom he found pure joy after having a rainbow pack. What is the operational system of rainbow pack? How rainbow pack equalizes everyone? Riley believes something is better than nothing. Be open, ask questions, and always act on behalf of those you intend to serve What’s in the rainbow Backpack? Riley’s new backpacks full of new supplies send children in need a powerful message -- that people care about them and believe in their ability to succeed. Focus on one thing and do it well. Then focus another. Everyone can do something for someone in need. Everyone has the capacity to tell people, There’s no need to be special. Rob is so touched by the enthusiasm of Riley. Riley is so much grateful to people who are supporting her. Rob mentions how Crazy good turns find out Riley. (http://crazygoodturns.org/episodes/rainbow-pack/) Supplying equal education for all.

Always err on the side of love and kindness. Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Rainbow pack.org

Rainbow pack on crazy good turns 

Just start the conversation

Love For The Elderly

Chase Marvil joined social media in 2013 and the negativity that he saw on it lead him to create The Inspiring Project while he was still in high school. He wanted his page to be a place where people boosted each other up. Eventually, Chase would receive messages from troubled teens who were being bullied in real life and online and just by talking to him, they felt better about their life and situation. This made Chase realize The Inspiring Project was needed more than ever. Even though Chase is now out of high school, he wants to expand the project throughout his school district so that teens do not feel so alone. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:45] Who is Chase and what does he like to do? 

[8:25] When Chase gets messages from young teens in a dark place, how does he handle it and help them through their problems? 

[10:45] What kind of feedback has Chase received from the people he’s helped? 

[14:00] In 10th Grade, Chase decided to start the ‘Inspiring Wall’, which showcases everything the students and teachers were inspired by. You can check out  some of the photos on the Facebook page! 

[19:30] What is Kindness Week about? 

[20:30] What kind of impact has Chase seen so far since starting The Inspiring Project? 

[25:45] Chase describes what it was like being on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. 

[27:45] What inspires Chase?

[30:20] Is Chase only speaking at other schools to talk about his project?

[38:45] What charities and projects would Chase like to team up with?  

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

The Inspiring Project

Chase Marvil on Twitter

The Inspiring Project on Facebook

Project Semicolon

Good News Shared

Upworthy.com

Crazy Good Turns

Wbur.org/kindworld

He is a 17-year-old changemaker from Cleveland, OH. He is a critically-acclaimed public speaker and founder of Love for the Elderly.  His message of advocacy for changing the way we view our elders and breaking age barriers has been broadcast throughout the world since he began his philanthropic journey in 2013. LFTE inspires others to connect with their elders through programs such as Letters of Love and sunshine box.  Through these initiatives, Love for the Elderly has brought joy to tens of thousands of seniors across the globe, motivating and inspiring people to give back to their elders in over 60 countries and 6 continents.

Who is Jacob?

Why did Jacob start Love for the Elderly?

Jacob Cramer had a special connection with his grandpa and when he died, Jacob cried for weeks. When Jacob worked in a nursing home he realized the main problems of elderly people are isolation, they don’t receive the love they need.

Jacob started writing letters when he was only 13. And he started visiting the seniors when he was 12. Amazing.

Love for the Elderly is now 50-60 countries and 6 continent. So how do Jacob manage that? How many Sunshine boxes Jacob and Love for the Elderly send out? Anyone can be the Kindness Ambassadors and that is why the love for the Elderly have so many great leaders already.

Senior Buddies is a great program that is featured on the biggest tv network is Brazil. It’s a sweet and wonderful program where young people exchange letters with seniors and eventually, they have skype or Xoom session so they talk face to face.

Who are paying for the Love For The Elderly project?

What were the main obstacles for Jacob?

What is the impact when you give back using a platform?

Jacob and Love For The Elderly created a great model for leadership, delegation, and understanding where people strength lies. Jacob is always happy to help who want to give back and he has very good advice for the millennial.

Go out there and make a difference.

Rob is really amazed by these initiatives Letters of Love, Senior Buddies, Sunshine Box and Kindness Ambassadors.

Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

Love For The Elderly

Annie Blumenfeld is the second youngest guest to appear on the Giving Back Podcast. She started her charity at a young age when her dog Teddy was nearly enthused by a kill shelter due to a heartworm infection. Fortunately, Annie’s dog survived and this began her Wags 4 Hope charity, where she teaches her community responsible pet ownership, sells her artwork for funding, and brings awareness about how to treat heartworm. 

Key Takeaways:

[4:45] What is Wags 4 Hope about? 

[8:20] Annie is a huge advocate for responsible pet ownership in her community and that includes helping children care for their pets. 

[10:35] Annie has been a part of the local art show each year, and she donates the proceeds from her paintings to this cause. 

[12:20] How has Annie brought heartworm awareness to her community? When she was in 10th grade, Annie went to her state legislature.

[17:25] How many paintings has Annie done for charity? 

[19:15] Wags 4 Hope is a full-time job, and Annie is also student full time as well. It’s a lot of work but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[20:20] What does it mean to be classified as a high-kill shelter? 

[23:30] How has Annie grown as a person since being involved with Wags for Hope? 

[26:40] What are some of the ways people can get involved?

[30:50] Even though Rob doesn’t have a dog, that doesn’t mean he’s not concerned about the well-being of animals. 

[33:55] What’s next for Annie? Does she plan to expand Wags 4 Hope?

[35:50] What’s in the ‘responsible pet ownership’ kits? 

[43:15] Annie talks about how she got involved with Operation Hope Connecticut. 

[45:15] What kind of feedback has Annie received since opening her charity? 

[47:30] What are three words Annie would use to describe her commitment to giving back?

[50:00] How can you help Annie?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Wags 4 Hope

Annie Blumenfeld on LinkedIn

Operation Hope Connecticut

Puppy Rescue Mission

Our guest today is just your average 17-year-old girl, who loves to read, travel, and explore the great outdoors with her Golden Retriever, Lilly. Maria Keller is with "Read Indeed". It is a 501c3 nonprofit literacy organization and the vision of our guest, a book-loving 17-year-old who wants to make the world a better place—one book at a time. Read Indeed’s mission is to promote literacy by collecting and gifting books to at-risk children. This amazing young lady is a Jefferson Award recipient and has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

 Key Takeaways:

Maria Keller lives in Plymouth, She began Read Indeed when she was 8 years old and her original goal was to collect and distribute 1 million books to kids in need of her 18th birthday. She accomplished this goal before the age of 13! She has currently surpassed 2.2 million books and is working toward 3 million books.

Maria Keller has a privilege. She always has access to books. Maria gets great support from local people and gets good press coverage. How people do things for others is really amazing.

Where do Maria and read indeed distribute their books? How do books for treats give away books in the Halloween instead of candy? What is the impact when children get free books?

Maria shares how they get sponsored and how their system works for both old and new books. How do volunteer take part in different levels of read indeed. And why do they do it?

The hardest part of giving away books worldwide is shipping cost manage. Maria shares how they cope with it. What is Maria’s advice to the young generation who want to make an impact on giving back?

The act is to start and to take action and see where it goes.

Maria shares how she was recognized by Jefferson Awards. Rob shares some valuable insights about how the system of giving away books changed millions of families and have an impact on the lives of kids.

Rob is really impressed by this young lady.

Always err on the side of love and kindness. Love & Gratitude, Rob

Giving Back Podcast

www.ReadIndeed.org

http://booksfortreats.org

www.jeffersonawards.org

Jason Kveton is a franchise owner of three Culver’s restaurants in Arizona. Jason has been in the restaurant business for over ten years and admits he wasn’t a very good leader before he joined Culver’s, a fast food restaurant that is famous for their burgers and frozen custard. On today’s show, Jason discusses how the company culture at Culver’s is different from similar competitors, how he has such a low turnover, and why his customers feel so strongly that they’re a part of a family. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:35] Culver’s has a strong sense of community in each of their franchise stores.

[5:10] Who is Jason and what has his entrepreneurial journey been like? 

[8:15] If you were a new team member, Jason would wait two weeks before he even learned your name because of the high turnover in his restaurant. 

[9:25] When Jason reached out to Culver’s, he thought the food was what made them special. Wrong! It was their company culture. 

[13:35] Customers feel so close to the Culver’s message and feelings of home that they often refer to it as ‘their Culver’s’. 

[14:40] What does Jason do at his Culver’s restaurants and how does he create a sense of belonging? 

[20:45] How did Jason survive the housing crash in 2008 when his own restaurant went under? 

[26:10] Jason believes it all comes down to mindset. You need to have an open mind to personally grow and be a better person. 

[29:00] If someone from the community goes into Culver’s asking for donations or charity help, Jason and his team always try to provide or find ways to support their cause. 

[33:00] When you give back, the business reaps several benefits, like low turnover. 

[35:25] Jason has a policy where it takes two people to say no to something. 

[39:55] What you feed, grows and what you starve, dies. Feed your brain and remove the bad habits. 

[41:25] What kinds of things has Jason and his team done to give back to their community? 

[44:40] Jason recently opened his third Culver’s restaurant. How did he successfully lead his first two restaurants? 

[50:35] Creating a good company culture like this is almost like a leap of faith because you’re going into brand new territory and you’re not sure what’s going to happen. 

[53:40 Work-life balance is such a myth! 

[56:30] Jason shares an example of how giving back has improved the lives of his employees. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Culver’s

Jason Kveton on LinkedIn

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries

Jon Gordon

Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Welcome to the 48th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing the origin and connection to the family tree. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

Today’s cover is from a book written by Dr. Raymond Tom, MD.  He’s my uncle and a board-certified anesthesiologist in San Francisco, California. He wrote this amazing book about our family tree when he retired.

I am going to China with my lovely wife, 3 kids, and Mom to visit our family village.

This is something about our origin, finding our family tree. This is a great opportunity for me as well as my kids who have never visited China.  My uncle Raymond established a foundation to help our family who stayed in China.

So there is another part of origins. I am going back to Hong Kong. My father died 30 years ago there, while we were on a family trip visiting south-east Asia.

I was 20 years old and the death had a long-lasting effect on me.

What’s going inside of me?

What I like most about giving back? The impact it makes to givers.

We are going to have some awesome shows coming up.

Jason Kveton, a businessman who is giving back so much to his community with Culvers restaurant who I met on https://www.eofire.com/ and John Lee Dumas.  He is receiving so much in return and it’s a great story about impact on business when they choose to serve their community.

In the next Giving Back insights shows, we are having 5 amazing young leaders. All of them under 21.  The impact they are having locally and globally is incredible.

Wish me safe travels.

Love and gratitude,

Rob

Giving Back Podcast

This is Engelo Rumora’s second guest appearance and he's back with an update! Last year, on Rob’s show, Engelo wanted to give away a house to someone who truly needed it. Well, that dream came true and it has created a new path to Engelo’s life. Engelo’s new philanthropic mission is to give away 100 houses in the next 10 years. On today’s show, Engelo discusses what he’s been up to for the last year and breaks down how he found the winner of the first house giveaway. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] Engelo  is back with a guest update!

[6:00] Engelo has done over 400 real estate deals, but he’s never felt better than giving that house away. 

[7:10] It’s Engelo’s goal to give 100 houses away over the next 10 years. 

[8:55] The day Engelo’s net wealth hits 100 million, he’ll be signing it all away to charity!

[13:00] How awesome would the world be if everyone just played a small part in making it a better place? 

[15:55] When Engelo decided to give a house away, what was his selection process?

[20:25] Give without remembering and receive without forgetting. 

[22:00] Engelo discusses the winner of the free home and shares the man’s difficult story on why he became homeless.  

[26:35] Engelo credits his amazing team for busting their asses on getting the home ready for the winner. 

[35:55] Remember this: Every experience is a good experience as long as you perceive it to be a good experience. 

[37:15] How is 2017 treating Engelo?

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Giving Back Podcast Episode 007: You Can’t Take Your Possessions to the Grave – Engelo Rumora

Engelo Rumora

Home Giveaway

Ohio Cashflow

List'n Sell Realty

Welcome to the 47th episode of Giving Back Insights, my Thursday solo show where I talk about how our guests and their charities serve others, to explore actions each of can take to make a difference in people’s lives and to share. Today I’m discussing the lots of ways to give back. Listen to today’s episode and don’t forget to give your feedback and valuable comment. Enjoy!

We start with a recording of my first time using my Charity Charge card, donating to a wonderful charity, Rainbow Pack.  Me and Stephen Gartner, founder and CEO of Charity Charge shouting out to Riley Joy Gantt and the Rainbow Pack crew.  

One of the things about meeting people in person is the opportunity to get a better sense of who they are.  Stephen’s not just a do-gooder.  He’s sharp about financial services and making Charity Charge a sustainable business in order to sustainably give back.  He’s nice as hell, enthusiastic with a ton of energy, and a really decent fella.  

http://www.rainbowpack.org/

https://www.charitycharge.com/

Want to see the video of Rob & Stephen?  Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnMSa8mbBvo

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnMSa8mbBvo[/embed]

Let’s talk about giving back, people!  Here’s some that I know of right this week:

Heidi Ham Steiglitz, Reactor Room

https://www.spectrumfusion.org/reactorroom/

A week ago Ron Klabunde, founder and CEO of Generosity Feeds, came to town.  It’s official!  Generosity Feeds and Mod Pizza are working to feed hungry kids in Mod communities across America.

https://www.generosityfeeds.org/

https://modpizza.com/

https://shilohchurch.com/

Thank you, Dawn --- our first Community Champion!

Met Emily Cheng from Los Angeles.  She posted on the The Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Business Group on Facebook, looking for help developing a documentary to highlight local good food champions in Los Angeles.  Amazing, she was so fired up she up and quit her job 3 months ago.  All in, go big or go home.  Wow.  

Emily Cheng

https://www.facebook.com/ingrid.cheng1

http://socialchangenation.com/

Marc Bell making it happen for Oak Luv

https://www.oakluv.com/

#GivingIsLiving

Giving big is about following through on purpose and intent to serve.

How can I serve you?

Always err on the side of love and kindness.

Love & Gratitude,

Rob

Giving Back Podcast

www.CharityCharge.com

www.GenerosityFeeds.org

Mod Pizza

https://shilohchurch.com

Rainbow Pack

Oak Luv

Autism Spectrum

Robert Mallon and Bill Watkins are the owners of Rusty Lion Academy, a company that helps mentor successful businessmen between the ages of 30 and 49. When things finally  start succeeding for many men, that’s when other areas of their life start falling apart, like having a happy relationship with their spouse, spending quality time with their children, and giving back to their community. On today’s show, Robert and Bill discuss why they made the commitment to put 10% of their revenue, not profit, towards important and meaningful causes that make the world a better place, and why they encourage the men they mentor to do the same. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] What does Rusty Lion Academy do? 

[5:30] Robert and Bill do not believe in work-life balance. Robert explains why.

[9:25] What kind of mentoring do Robert and Bill do? They typically work with men between the ages of 30 and 49. [11:50] It’s  difficult for successful men to maintain their business as well as help his spouse raise children. Robert and Bill help men prioritize and organize their lives.

[17:00] Success and significance can be pursued at the same time. It doesn’t have to be either/or. 

[21:30] Money opens doors. Giving back is important, but having the money to give back is equally important in making an impact. Money gives us the freedom to give. 

[25:10] How do Robert and Bill give back to their community? 

[31:40] Robert and Bill are passionate about the work they do because they, too, have been mentored by great men. They want men to find their passion in life. 

[35:45] Both Robert and Bill talk about the book The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity and the impact it had on them. 

[43:10] It’s important that for-profit businesses dedicate some of their profits to a non-profit cause. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

The Lions Pride (Rusty Lion Academy)

The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance, by Edwene Gaines

Year Up