What Can You Really Do About It?

It’s easy to feel powerless when you’re looking at something that’s broken. Even a glance at current events will give you plenty of reasons to give up. We always seem to be discovering new mistakes. Bigger problems. Cracks in the proverbial foundation. It’s tempting to say that things are out of our control. There’s nothing we can do.

But despair doesn’t get you anywhere.

Rather than look at everything that doesn’t work, we think each and every person should look at the things that do. Society’s biggest problems — poverty, homelessness, educational disparity, broken relationships — can all be broken down into personal chunks. Problems aren’t nearly as scary when you can see your place in the solution.

Profile of a Problem-Solver

Each of us has a role to play in our community. The details vary from person to person, but it’s ultimately about knowing three things about yourself. What is your channel? What are your resources? And, perhaps most importantly, what is your passion? If you can answer those questions, your path becomes much more clear.

Your Channel is your personal reach. Who are the people you interact with? What are the systems that you can influence? Every network you touch, from church groups to corporate partners to individual relationships, is part of your channel. Anything you can touch, you can change. Most of us don’t run in the same channels as our Congressional representatives. But you’d be surprised at just how much influence you have at your disposal if you simply reach out to the people you love.

Your Resources are the things you bring to the table. From finances to talent to personal time, you’ve got something to offer. If each of us knows what we have to give — and makes an effort to give it — we can get a surprising amount done. Especially if you can inspire others in your channel to give as you do. 30 volunteers can do more than 3, and 100 gifts of $10 are worth just as much as a single gift of $1,000.

Your Passion is the thing that drives you. Not just the thing that brings you joy, but the thing you cannot rest without. What is it that moves you? That demands you to take action? Odds are, it’s more than an evening of video streaming. You care about righting a wrong, providing a service, or building a relationship. And once you know what it is, you can bring your Channel and Resources to bear to get it done.

So… what can you do?

The same thing everyone in that video did. Take stock of yourself. Get a sense of the problem. Find your role in the solution. You might not work for a major corporation. You might not have fundraising experience. Odds are pretty good that you aren’t a City Councilor. But you still have a channel, resources, and passion.

That’s all you need.

If you’re not sure where to start, we hope you’ll consider starting here. We recently launched The Coalition, a new program designed with you in mind. As a member of the Coalition, you can turn a small financial gift into sustainable change right here in your backyard. Whether you pledge $5 or $5,000; your monthly gift will empower local families to tackle those problems that seem too big for any one of us.

We’re committed to helping at-risk kids right here in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District. To restoring homes for North Texans who are living with code violations because they can’t afford to fix them. To providing food, clothing, and counseling for our neighbors when they fall on hard times. But we can’t do that without you. So let’s get started.