The Maguire Iron Podcast: 33: Strategic Planning
October 27, 2022
Timely topic: Supply chain management emerges in new degree, business applications
December 13, 2022The Maguire Iron Podcast: 33: Strategic Planning
October 27, 2022Timely topic: Supply chain management emerges in new degree, business applications
December 13, 2022
“We’ve had a five plus year relationship with helping kids round first and the needs of the people in Nicaragua continue to rise to the top. Politically, the religious persecution, there are so many challenges that are taking place in their country”, said Gene Jones Jr, CEO of Maguire Iron. “And for us with our partnership with Helping Kids Round First, it is very gratifying but at the highest level, the leadership at HKRF and the people with the boots on the ground are delivering great results, and we’re just grateful to help in our own small way of providing resources for them to help them have their lives be just a little bit more fruitful. We are grateful to be a part of that relationship”, said Gene.
“Without actually spending some time on the projects in the country of Nicaragua with the Nicaraguan people, I would have never been able to have a full appreciation from the challenges that they have, but maybe even more importantly the beautiful side of the Nicaraguan people, the hope that they have, the joy that they have, they just embrace life in a very simple way because they’re fighting for their life through a survival mode”, said Gene. “Food on the table, roof over their head. It’s so much different than how we live our lives here in the great nation of the United States of America. Getting to experience that first hand was an amazing gift for me”, he said.
The Maguire Iron team had the priviledge of helping put together and pack meals for the the needing and deserving families in Nicaragua. With the help of many, we were able to pack over 5,000 meals! If you would like to learn more about our partnership with Helping Kids Round First, follow the links below.
“Helping Kids Round First started out as a group of caring people that wanted to help the people in Nicaragua specifically through the game of baseball and softball. The way this group has developed in the way that they are helping in farming, they’re helping in healthcare, they’re helping in senior living, they’re helping in education”, Gene Jones Jr. said. “They’re doing so many amazing projects and work with the Nicaraguan people. What they are doing matters and the more that we can give them support the stronger they are going to be to deliver on all of these areas of giving the people of Nicaragua an opportunity to be successful that they might not have otherwise”, he said. “So, again we’re so fortunate to be a part of it, and have really seen the fruits of our little way of supporting the people in Nicaragua. It matters, and they really appreciate it and they care so much for the people that are helping them. It’s is just a great opportunity to be a part of this partnership”, said Gene.
Helping Kids Round First
Improving lives through baseball – Every year we bring baseball equipment and provide instruction to youth in rural Nicaraguan communities. Baseball has a unique ability to both bring together different cultures and teach life lessons helping to provide a foundation on which to improve lives.
As a result, it is currently the 2nd poorest country in the Western hemisphere, trailing only Haiti (nominal per capita GDP). Nicaraguan youth face the most difficulties. With the cards stacked against them, at least one-third never reach sixth grade. While other organizations genuinely seek to improve the lives of those they help, the true social connection needed to spark long-term, systemic change is missed. How can we set the Nicaraguan youth up for success and help implement a self-sustaining way of life to end this cycle of poverty?
In Nicaragua, baseball is as nearly as powerful an institution like the church. Even in the poorest communities, one can find a baseball field. Helping Kids Round First has been bringing donated baseball equipment to Nicaragua since 2009. Through the game, the non-profit has expanded to include major projects in softball, women’s empowerment and education, sustainable agriculture, and healthcare.
Helping Kids Round First delegations travel to Nicaragua every 4-6 weeks bringing baseball and softball gear, school supplies, medical equipment, and agricultural resources to impoverished communities. Baseball has been the vehicle for creating long-term, sustainable improvements in the region.
