Community Wealth Enterprise is Established

Posted 01/23/10

The '1 of 52' Hunger Network is utilizing its community business connections to further the cause of ending hunger while benefiting the local economy by helping to create a 'virtual group' marketing campaign in partnership with area hotels. The concept, a "Welcome to South County" overnight package showcases local businesses and is intended to create community wealth to address the actual cause of hunger: poverty. It connects the cause of hunger directly to the local economy, local products and services - all tied to socially conscience awareness and actions. (Although this program is specific to Rhode Island, it may have implications in other markets as well.)

We've established a working model program that certainly qualifies as a true Community Wealth Enterprise as defined by Share Our Strength (SOS) founder Bill Shore in his book: Revolution of the Heart on Page 83: "A Community Wealth Enterprise creates wealth by providing a product or service of value, by selling something that people want to buy for reasons independent of their charitable intentions. ...the wealth it generates is returned to the community"

In Mr. Shore's example, he's referring to a non-profit entity. In this case, this CWE concept of facilitating and presenting "Welcome to South County" gift basket packages is actually done by the business community itself. The logistics of the campaign have been set up as a 'virtual' consortium of venues and vendors tied together by one contact point - a merchandise and consumer offer coordinator. (In this case, I (Steve Maciel) am serving as a the volunteer from the End Hunger Foundation as merchandise coordinator.) The marketing campaign runs within, and with the cooperation of, the existing infrastructure of hotels, tourism councils, chambers of commerce and businesses associations.

The marketing campaign centers on "Welcome to South County" gift baskets that are presented to guests who book this special "Stay, Shop & Dine" packaging. The purpose of the marketing campaign is to drive traffic from the hotels into participating sponsors' businesses who in turn consistently support local charitable efforts. By helping these small businesses to prosper, and in addition to supporting and encouraging their continued support of charities, this CWE helps create community wealth which helps alleviate hunger & poverty by increased revenue generation in the community, employment / job security, taxes paid into the system.

Please see this article published in Providence Business News that gives an overview of where we are going with the concept. Where the article states: "There is already a working model program initiated within the South County business community" it is referring to this CWE.

http://www.pbn.com/detail/46660.html?sub_id=46660&print=1

(If link doesn't appear, copy & paste into browser.)

Your comments are welcome at endhunger@cox.net.

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