The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity that encourages, recognizes, and supports the philanthropic and volunteer activities of financial advisors in communities across the country and around the world, hosted their annual Community Leadership Awards on Thursday, September 18th. Randall M Thompson, of Lincoln Financial Advisors in Houston, was a finalist for the Global Community Impact Award, based on the work he does in Haiti with Pure Water for the World, a 501(c)(3) organization out of Rutland, VT.
In 2010, Thompson volunteered to go to Haiti to survey the work of Pure Water for the World as a representative of his local Rotary club.
“It was a sea change in my life — a very deeply moving experience,” Thompson shared.
Pure Water for the World’s mission is simple but profound: to improve the health of children, families and communities in the developing world by providing them with sustainable water solutions, sanitation and hygiene education.
Thompson has personally raised the funds to support clean water solutions for entire villages. Pure Water for the World is passionate about education and empowerment of the local community members with regard to sanitation and hygiene practices. A clean water solution includes an in-home use bio-sand filtration system, community agent training, hygiene education, and monitoring and follow-up to ensure the long-term efficacy of the systems and practices.
When asked by Invest In Others what he sees as the ripple effect of his work, Thompson replied, “On a macro level, their economy will grow; on a micro level, they won’t have to watch their children die.”