The mother of one of our founding members constantly repeated a phrase to her children, “It’s better to be a Sharefish than a Selfish.” This was the perfect name for what motivated us to help these communities, and the words “Share” and “Fish” are ingrained in our vision and values.
The word “Share” is taught early in life – the idea is that it is good to give something of value that would benefit someone else. This not only helps others but connects us to those around us. Our organization was built to share – resources, time, love. This not only benefits the families in El Carrizo, but also those of us who do the sharing.
Two “Fish” references are the essence of what we do. The first is the Starfish story you’ve probably heard. One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.” The second fish reference is the Chinese Proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” This has been our goal from the very first day. Sharefish is dedicated to working with families to build sustainable change through education, and we are doing it one child at a time.
We invite you to become a Sharefish, to know the joy of giving something valuable
to someone who needs it that will change a life forever.
Sponsor a student, donate, visit El Carrizo, share our message.
Their dreams can’t come true without your help.
