tvc.dsj.org | June 25, 2019
COMMUNITY
11
The Tentmakers of Zanker Road
By Gregory Kepferle,
Chief Executive Officer
Catholic Charities of Santa
Clara County
The audience was rapt as one by
one the entrepreneurs made their
pitches. The panel of reviewers lis-
tened intently, took notes and then
gave their feedback. While the meet-
ing took place in Silicon Valley, the
entrepreneurs were not tech startups,
nor were the reviewers your usual
venture capitalists. Rather these eight
scrappy social entrepreneurs were
program staff of Catholic Charities of
Santa Clara County presenting their
business plans to faculty and mentors
from Santa Clara University’s Miller
Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
Each enterprise sought creative ways
to further develop and sustain fund-
ing for their services while creating
greater impact for people in need.
For a number of social service staff, it
meant learning a new language and
new concepts like “value chains.”
Others wrestled with the dilemma of
charging fees to clients while staying
true to our mission of helping people
move out of poverty. Throughout the
presentations, the social entrepre-
neurs demonstrated their passion for
helping people in need combined with
professionalism and business acumen.
this kind of hard work we must help
the weak, remembering the words the
Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more
blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts
20: 34-35) The fruits of Paul’s business
are dedicated to care for those who
are in need. In today’s Catholic Chari-
ties, “tent making” takes many forms.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Wh ile many might t h in k t hat
social enterprise is a new concept, it
is as actually as old as scriptures. In
the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 18:3),
Paul describes himself as a tentmaker
working with fellow tentmakers in
Corinth while preaching and teaching.
And later in his farewell to believ-
ers in Ephesus, Paul declared, “You
yourselves know that these hands of
mine have supplied my own needs
and the needs of my companions. In
everything I did, I showed you that by
Modest registration fees leverage gov-
ernment contracts and philanthropy
in our afterschool enhanced learning
programs that help children learn and
keep them safe while their parents
work. Affordable immigration legal
service fees respect the dignity of
the person seeking legal assistance,
while allowing staff to serve more cli-
ents. Those unable to pay can receive
scholarships through separate grant
funding. Offering affordable house
sharing options to health and social
service systems may enable helping
professions retain staff in a high hous-
ing cost environment. Marketing our
geriatric aide training and placement
program to homecare companies can
provide them with a workforce and
the training program with a revenue
stream while helping workers get
into the allied health fields for better
paying jobs. These are just of a few of
Catholic Charities’ opportunities for
creating a greater social impact while
earning income at the same time.
If you want to learn more about
how to invest in the social enter-
prises at Catholic Charities of Santa
Clara County, feel free to email me at
[email protected].
To learn more about Catholic Chari-
ties’ Community Impact Funds, visit
www.CatholicCharitiesSCC.org.
CCH153_CarDonateAd2_4.937x6in_PressQuality.pdf
1
8/10/15
7:41 PM
C
Knights of Columbus Donation
M
Y
Bishop Oscar Cantú, left, receives a donation for $5,000 from the Knights of
Columbus, San Jose Chapter. The funds are intended for Faith Formation Pro-
grams in the Diocese. Making the presentation to the Bishop are: Mike Armstrong,
Chapter President, center, and Rafael Betancourt, Chapter Treasurer.
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