I realized after yesterday’s post that people sometimes wonder what he does now. Well, I’ll tell you because it’s pretty amazing.
When Habersham Bank was closed by the FDIC in February 2011 (the weekend Amelia turned one and I turned thirty-one and our life turned upside down), we didn’t know what to expect for his future. He knew and liked banking, so that was the route he pursued for another job, and in early summer he landed, along with many of his colleagues, at Hamilton State Bank.
He really liked it there and was able to take on some projects he really enjoyed, such as working with vendors and suppliers. I love to hear him tell this story of his favorite day at this job. Hamilton had just acquired another community bank that had been closed by the FDIC and he was helping with the transition and found out that their coffee service had been cancelled when the bank underwent budget cuts trying to survive. So he called his vendor and had coffee delivered that day. It was one of those ordinary acts that bless others immensely. All day, he fielded thank you calls from those employees. He kept saying, “All I did was order them coffee!”
But for us Hamilton was just a bridge between then and now. In January 2012 he was asked to interview for a position with a small, non-profit loan company in Cleveland. Today he serves as their Chief Financial Officer and works alongside his former boss from Habersham Bank. He’s come full circle in the most miraculous of ways.
You see, his dream has always been to own his own small business. In working with ACE, he spends everyday helping others achieve this dream. ACE is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) which means they make it possible for small business owners to develop and grow businesses that support and sustain local communities.
Local communities.
Which means when I get all on my platform about loving our neighbors and ministering to those who are here in our backyard, he looks at me and says, “What do you think I do all day?”
He’s an integral part of running a small business that funds other small businesses that hire employees that put income right back into the hands of those in our community.
This explains it so much better than I could…
//player.vimeo.com/video/59760957
I’ve spent thirty days writing about living local.
But today I’m realizing that it’s not just a project or a mission; it’s a choice and a lifestyle that sustains a community into the next generation.
So, that’s what he does now. He helps entrepreneurs build their local communities.
He helps make dreams come true.
Lindsey P. Brackett 