When we think of givers, names like Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan come to mind. Or, more recently, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

In fact, both Gates and Buffett are interesting examples of the 18 Principle at work. Bill Gates stepped down from the day-to-day running of Microsoft to become Chairman of the company he founded when he was 53, and he apparently moved from Empire Builder to Giver while also remaining a Mentor to those following in his footsteps by endowing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with more than $28.8 billion to support philanthropic initiatives in the areas of global health and learning. Warren Buffett, Chairman of the multi-billion dollar holding company Berkshire Hathaway, had not been known for his philanthropy until, at the age of 75, he publicly pledged to give away 85 percent of his Berkshire Hathaway stock (worth more than $40 billion) in the next several years.

Philanthropy on that scale is surely beyond the reach of most people, but everyone can give back on some level. In fact, many times the need is very close to home. The number of hungry people who can’t afford a decent meal is constantly on the rise. The U.S Department of Agriculture says that 35 million Americans, some 12 percent of the population, couldn’t put food on the table for at least part of 2007. How many of those people are living in your own community? What could you to do help alleviate their hunger?

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