Margaret Mead once reflected, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
One of Synapse’s clients is doing just that. Listen Up Español (LUE) is a leading Spanish language call center/online marketer based in Portland, Maine with the call center located in Hermasillo, Mexico. One afternoon, LUE CEO, Craig Handley, mentioned to our Synapse employees that his company was interested in philanthropy. It was this brief mention that lead to the creation of a charity offer.
The charity LUE chose to support is indeed a special one: buildOn. Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn founder and CEO, certainly never doubted the power of a small group – even of one individual. buildOn is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to “break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations through service and education.” Jim saw the need for an engagement program targeted at urban youth and so in 1991, buildOn was born.
Synapse and LUE launched the buildOn charity offer in May 2012 and its success has been tremendous. The two organizations have raised $325,000 for buildOn, funding five new schools and an after-school program started in an impoverished area. The statistics alone are impressive, but it’s the charity’s effect on the communities that speak volumes.
“Never give up – no matter what is going on around you, never give up. Be compassionate in your mind and in your heart. But never give up.” -Jim Ziolkowski
We’re proud to be three small groups coming together to make a difference.