Founded in 2014, The Gabriel Foundation works to help families locally and abroad.[/caption]
When Mike Thakur decided to open his own business in 2014, he said he knew he also wanted to find a worthy cause to support.
As a result, he simultaneously launched co-working office The Work Lodge and The Gabriel Foundation nonprofit with hopes of helping those who are unable to help themselves.
“I think that any company that is profitable has a responsibility to invest some of those profits back into the community and into people in need,” Thakur said. “Some people may not think that’s the wisest way to build a business, but we believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Through two different programs, The Gabriel Foundation works to provide meals for families who suffer from food insecurity locally and to provide shelter for homeless orphans abroad.
The Gabriel Foundation partners with local grocers and other nonprofits working toward the same goal: to collect, sort and distribute 800-1,000 pounds of fresh food on a daily basis.
Over the past five years, Thakur said the organization has donated approximately 1.75 million pounds—about $5 million worth—of fresh food to families in need in The Woodlands and Spring areas.
Through its other program, The Gabriel Foundation has a 50-50-50 challenge where if 50 companies or individuals each agree to donate $50 each month to The Gabriel Foundation, The Work Lodge matches the collected amount and is then able to build an orphanage to house 50 children.
“Our goal is to try to at least build one orphanage per year, per Work Lodge location,” Thakur said. “We want to make sure that as we grow with The Work Lodge, that we’re able to find areas in each of the local communities where we can have some kind of impact.”
The foundation opened its first orphanage in June, located in a village near Hyderabad, India. The first floor of the building also serves as a school for the village children.
With the opening of its second location of The Work Lodge in The Woodlands this year, Thakur said the foundation plans to open a second orphanage in India this December.
Thakur said he hopes to gain more food donors in the future and to have more companies and individuals participate in the 50-50-50 challenge. He also aspires to one day build orphanages in North and South America.
“Most small business don’t think they can afford to give back to charitable causes because they don’t make enough profit,” he said. “None of us alone could afford to build an orphanage on our own, but because we work together, we’re all a part of something bigger and we’re able to leave a legacy.”
The Gabriel Foundation 844-967-5563 www.theworklodge.com/our-cause
