One of the most important ways to have a large impact in life is by focusing on communities that are ignored and overlooked. These communities are often the ones most in need of help, tools, and services but for a variety of reasons the largest players in most industries chose not to work on serving them. We’ve been so touched by the thousands of members of our community who are working on serving the underserved from tackling food deserts to building empowering solutions for the neurodiverse. Each week, you’ll find us highlighting folks serving underserved communities.

Jordan Romig

Asylum is located in Logan Heights, a vibrant neighborhood rich in culture and history. Despite its significance, it is one of San Diego’s most under-resourced communities, leading to its designation as a part of the San Diego Promise Zone. “In 2016, the San Diego Promise Zone became one of 22 federally designated Promise Zones in the United States and one of only four in California. The San Diego Promise Zone covers a 6.4-square-mile targeted area that spans East Village and Barrio Logan east to Encanto and is home to the City’s most culturally rich and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, but also some of the City’s most under-resourced communities. More than 80,000 San Diegans live in the Promise Zone, an area historically burdened by the City’s highest concentrated poverty and unemployment rates.” Read more>>

Nancy Shepherd, Phd

When I conceived Rolling Pin Production, I knew I had to do more than write books and sell spices and dipping oils. I had to make a difference for others. America is experiencing a National Literacy Crisis! Upwards of 85% of our children cannot read above a fourth grade level, and 43% of adults with the lowest literacy live in the worst poverty. An illiterate nation impacts us all. Lower literacy rates directly correlate to higher unemployment rates, reduced income, and overall impacts U.S. competitiveness on the global stage. There are other disparaging statistics, but suffice it to say, there are issues to work on. So you might be asking, what does this have to do with my company?  Read more>>

Zac Hensley

The ReStore primarily serves the community by providing affordable construction supplies, furniture, home goods, appliances, and other items that can be used in a home. These are sourced via donations throughout the Greater Dayton Area. Whether it is a residential donation or a corporate partnership, The ReStore can provide new or like new items at a fraction of the cost to new homeowners, landlords, or those in need. The capital raised via these sales goes directly back into the programs that Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Dayton Area facilitates. The revenue from both stores is typically enough to build between 3 and 4 houses in the region. That’s three to four families that receive a no-interest mortgage that would not have been able to.  Read more>>