Tuesday 22 May 2012

Brian K Alfaro on Supporting Others, Philanthropy, and the Gospel of Wealth


At one time he was the richest man in the world. Andrew Carnegie was born into poor circumstances and rose to become one of the captains of American industry. He sold his steel holdings for what today would be twelve billion dollars and could look forward to a retirement of extreme luxury. Andrew Carnegie, though, had a different idea, an idea that Brian K. Alfaro also strongly believes in.

 Carnegie believed in the saying, "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced " . He authored "The Gospel of Wealth”, which advocated that the rich should use their personal holdings to enrich society. Carnegie more than lived by what he preached. In the years that followed the sale of his holdings, Andrew Carnegie donated what would today be approximately four billion dollars to charity, especially libraries. His generosity was considered astounding in the Gilded Age of robber barons and is still today noted as an example of what a rich person ought to do with his or her wealth.

 In the shadows of many homes there are secrets the family wants to keep hidden. Some families are ashamed of a family member who is intellectually disabled and want to keep this person hidden from view. That is not only cruel but terribly unfair. Intellectually disabled people are this way through no fault of their own. They have a right to step out and be a part of the community. Special Olympics Texas wants to bring these people into the light. Brian Alfaro is a longtime supporter of this wonderful cause.

 Special Olympics Texas sponsors competitions for the intellectually disabled in sports, such as swimming and track. The special athletes learn valuable life skills as they train with a volunteer coach to compete. Their reward is the very visible joy seen on their faces when any Special Olympics athlete wins a medal. The boost to their self-worth is beyond any measure. The lesson for the public is also quite valuable.

 When people see the intellectually disabled in public, they gradually begin to realize these are people just like us. These wonderful athletes have so many gifts to share and are just looking for the chance to do it. Donations to Special Olympics Texas help with the cost of the competitions and also spread the message about these very special people who just happen to have a disability. The entire community gains a reward through Special Olympics and Brian K. Alfaro urges support of this wonderful group. It is a prize of greater compassion and empathy for those ones forced to the sidelines of life. Supporting Special Olympics Texas helps everyone.

 Carnegie's example is one that can easily be followed by anyone no matter how rich or poor a person may be. Philanthropy is all about making the world a better place; one where everybody can enjoy life. Carnegie chose libraries as the main beneficiary of his largesse, but anyone can choose a particular cause or charity to donate money to on a routine basis. Philanthropy is all about leaving the world a better place than what it was before, and Brian K. Alfaro is an avid believer in this philosophy and urges others to get involved and support those in need. Andrew Carnegie used his money to help achieve his goal of leaving the world a better place. As mentioned earlier, anyone can do the same thing. It just takes a desire to do it.