An angel to single mothers
Wise men say that you are not truly rich unless you have something that money cannot buy. If this principle will be applied in life, travel writer and guru, Rick Steves could be one of the truly rich people on our planet.
The rich and affluent man knows how to invest and spend his money wisely, but not in a way that most people would expect him to do. Rick invests not on a profiting business but on helping the socially disadvantaged people and the community as well.
Being an experienced traveler, Rick knew how it feels like to have nothing but a backpack. He knew how it is like to sleep on the streets, to struggle in looking for an affordable and free place to sleep where all of your valuables, including your life, would be safe and sound.
Hence, after establishing a successful hosting career in Travel Channel, Rick decided to help single mothers have a roof over their head.
In year 2005, Rick bought the Trinity Place apartment complex in order to offer a warm home to recovering single mothers for free. Rick did not collect any rental fee and would rather rely his additional income on the increasing equity of the complex.
“Imagine the joy of knowing that I could provide a simple two-bedroom apartment for a mom and her kids as she fought to get her life back on track,” Rick says about his nesting egg.
Since then, the Trinity Place became a warm home for single mothers who are recovering from drug addiction. This was made possible with the help of the Rotary Club and YWCA, who proactively provided the needs of the recovering single mothers in order to get back on their feet.
Just recently, Rick decided to take his generous and selfless gesture a notch higher. He has decided to give his 24-unit apartment complex to the YWCA.
This way, the organization will be able to maximize their plans of taking care of the recovering single mothers, knowing that the apartment is theirs to keep forever.
“Working with the YWCA and the Rotary Club of Edmonds, we publicized this creative way of putting a fortunate person’s retirement nest egg to work in a powerful way in hopes that others would be inspired to do the same in their communities,” Rick explained.
“The gap between rich and poor in our country continues to widen. And I believe needs — such as affordable housing — will only increase as budget cuts are implemented… Organizations like the YWCA will need to pick up the slack.
If our country truly wants to be great, we need creative thinking connected with our hearts.
And it’s my hope that love and compassion can trump values of crass commercialism, greed, and ‘winners’ beating ‘losers’.” The inspiring travel enthusiast Rick shared.
As a testament of how Rick’s generous and compassionate heart made a big difference in the life of others, Tamara shared how the Trinity Place helped her to raise her children while she’s still recovering.
“It means being able to have my kids with me, and being able to raise them and be a mom again and get my life back on track,” Tamara, who was homeless a year ago, shared.
Indeed, Rick’s selfless decision only goes to show that not everything in this world should be about money. More than money, Rick is able to make a big difference and save a life. No material wealth could ever compare with what Rick has sown in the world- compassion.
Watch the inspiring video of Rick below to learn more about his selfless yet soul-enriching housing project for single mothers recovering from drug addiction.