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15 Nov
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Giving From the Heart

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Recently I joined the board of directors of a local non-profit organization, St. Martin de Porres Ministries. I met the ministry’s founders years ago while they were distributing food to the poor in an inner-city area of Fort Myers. Out of the back of a pickup truck in a parking lot, Mercedes and Fernando Castillo, their children, and a couple of volunteers packed bags of donated food and gently handed it to people waiting in line. There was never a lack of a loving handshake
or a heartfelt embrace.

Most of the time, those waiting in line were Hispanic migrants, with a sprinkle of other ethnicities. Most were women and many of them were there with infants. Why would this humble family take time to do this? I wondered. I found it remarkable that they engaged their children in the process and they all seemed to be having a great time.

People noticed their efforts and rewarded them. Soon, ladies from local churches began to join them and helped them find resources. They understood that their loving efforts needed a structure, piety needed technique. Eventually, the Castillos were able to purchase a building and they are now expanding their services to the community.

Here you have a very humble family receiving no salary and dedicating a good portion of their lives to help others. They became a virtuous magnet whose pull was love. I often take the time to ponder about the meaning of social life after I encounter people like Mercedes and Fernando. I question the way we try to solve problems with “experts” or create huge bureaucracies of compassion within our churches that become feel-good alternatives to an encounter that grows systemically, from the heart.

I’m not trying to judge negatively here. Every person I have ever encountered who is trying to do something for others has always inspired me in some way. Even those whose technique might need some “tweaking” or whose only involvement is to write the occasional check ought to be commended, supported, and encouraged. But our resources are wasted at times because we reject the first principle of what I call the Human Flourishing Model: simplicity.

The Castillos found out that I was offering training on “effective compassion” at a local church and attended. I could see their excitement at the concepts and told me how they have been trying to move in the direction of helping people help themselves for a long time but simply did not know how. I could see the spark in their eyes as they spoke of being able for the first time to articulate what they have felt some time—they knew there was a missing link somewhere but did not know how to identify it and fill the void.

After a few weeks, I was about to begin another Effective Compassion Training session at a different church and I saw the Castillos coming again! They went through the entire training twice. They invited me to join their board and I was delighted. While I am very busy growing the Freedom & Virtue Institute, I just could not say no. My heart remains, after all, the heart of an activist.

Today, the entire board consisting of the same humble ladies with their husbands and a few other good people, is making big plans to transform the ministry into one that remains committed to providing a loving support to people in need; yet, now with a vision of human flourishing that is challenging the way we view the poor. Together we are showing that massive distributions of goods might be only a first step into a different type of service.

We are planning to use adjacent land to start a farm with areas dedicated to each family who regularly comes for food. If they want to continue to receive donated food they will have to tend the garden (Genesis 2:15). Through the help of a few donors, the children in each family will also work the plot with their parents and earn money that will go into a BB&T bank account. The bank account will be a dedicated account to help the children earn money for educational purposes such as school supplies, a backpack, uniforms, and the like.

These are just baby steps but very important ones. These steps are consistent with right order but informed by a profound love for the poor. And I could not be more overjoyed.

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16 Oct
0

My Life Is Precious – A Reflection

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“My Life Is Precious ” – A Reflection by Ismael Hernandez

July2017CorridorFeature-FVI_Page_1A few years ago, my wife and I were awakened by a loud thump on our door. We rushed out to find the meaning of the commotion only to find a young girl from our youth group heavily leaning against the door and crying. We helped her in and discovered that for many months she had been taking care of her three siblings all by herself while her mother was out there, somewhere, ravaging on drugs.

From time to time the mother would reappear for some fading moments, only to fade away again, like a ghost, into the darkness and the shadows of the drug underworld.

We took her in for a while till she decided to go back and face the dreaded reality; one with which at times she coped by hurting herself. To make a long story short, that same girl is today happily married, is a nurse, and joined the board of our institute to support the cause of freedom.

Her mother, at one time the victim of her appetites, has remarkably recovered. Yes, she is still struggling but is back at the home with her kids and trying to put her life together. It is as if among the ashes of a broken existence she found an unfamiliar strength, a strength that helped her choose to change. At one point she stood on her feet and shouted, “My life is precious and I will fight for my life.”

Every day, the drama of human existence shows itself before us, and we are confronted by it and challenged to give an answer to it.

The most obvious and unarguable source for the human capacity to choose, is that we are free beings called to make or break our life by the choices we make. Unfortunately, for too long we have believed a lie. The lie that there is some entity that can rescue us from ourselves. Our fate is the result of forces outside of our control, structures that impede our success. Ironically, the same structures that harm our existence are the ones called to repair the damage. Government has become an idol the poor hate but still worship.

For long I believed that lie, the lie that we are tokens in an inexorable historical process that swallows our individuality and can be countered only by another determinism, the one that collapses the whole of society into the affairs and institutions of the state.

Let me read to you briefly from my father’s FBI record.

Proletarian class struggle is the fountain that will bring about the collapse of the capitalist institutions. The function of our workers party is to expand this struggle from the present economic phase to a political phase. That is, shift from claiming rights against particular corporations and Capitalist bosses into a war against the whole system, claiming profound economic, social, and political transformations.

We are victims of forces and the solution is found not on individuals pursuing their interest but in using our victimization as a collectivized tool of class struggle. But this formula carries a drawback that I believe is virtually devastating to our people. This drawback has been at the heart of poverty alleviation efforts in America where the unique and unrepeatable human person is lost in an expansive and yet shallow sea of statism. The drawback ties the poor to their victimization by linking power to his status as victim.

People talk about greed actualized by human freedom? Real greed comes when the individual discovers that the great behemoth of government is not bringing about the expected outcome, and the hopes of salvation from above fade. Then, he becomes an island, hoarding what he can from the pieces of the broken collectivist dream. What sociologists call social disintegration is nothing more than the spectacle of individuals playing fast and loose with other individuals in relationships where trust and responsibility are a must.

the heart of the earth

The social victim is collectively entitled but individually demoralized. Since he has been made a victim by society he comes to believe that his condition is dependent more on external forces than by his own initiative. Without realizing it, he transfers his value to a structure, he becomes a slave. And we often contribute to his bondage!

Power found in victimhood may incentivize political action instead of economic initiative and rabid activism against society combined with passivity within the sphere of his personal life. What a tragedy!

The lure of this tragic affair offers personal innocence and corporate indictment. But “Innocence is ignorance”, Kierkegaard says. Ignoring our personal responsibility for our lives is the death of aspiration, the erasing of true hope.

The truth is that my life is my responsibility, and no one else’s. When we recognize the responsibility of the poor we uplift them, we highlight their dignity. When we don’t, we hurt them, and I don’t care what we do for them, we still hurt them. There is no true compassion in treating people like dogs. The spirit of poor communities simply cannot breadth under the weight of the free stuff we dump at them.

Lumping people into collectivized categories of “poor” or “rich”, “black” or “whites” is an affront against human dignity as it erases the face of people, herding them into plantations of dependency and sameness. The fact remains that the individual is the seat of all energy, creativity, motivation, and power.

Pursuing our interest is the best antidote against poverty and the greatest contribution to the good of others. To pursue my interest is simply to go after what is dear to my heart, what makes me move in the direction of wholeness and what triggers my desire for cooperation. We are most strongly motivated when we want something for ourselves. “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.” We lend our energy to collective endeavors better when we are engaged in what we want for ourselves.

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12 Jul
0

Promoting the Virtue of Meaningful Work

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We are honored to announce our founder and executive director, Ismael Hernandez, was the cover feature for The Corridor in July.  This in-depth feature article chronicles the programs and mission that has been developed through the years at the Freedom & Virtue Institute under he passionate guidance of Mr. Hernandez.

As explanation of the institute’s name, Hernandez notes that in the Greek, “virtue” is not a term of morality but means “excellence of all kinds.” And he argues that for a person to be successful and to contribute to society, freedom and excellence are inextricable.

Please see the article below in its entirety.  The Corridor proudly serve residents and businesses in Fort Myers, Florida, directly off the Daniels, Metro, Plantation, Six Mile and Treeline thoroughfares. Since mailing their first issue in August 1999, their goal has always been to create and foster community spirit. They love connecting people through what they do, and highlighting the positive people, places and things that make our Southwest Florida home so special.

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14 Feb
0

Why Good Intentions Are Not Enough

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A Deeper Look Into Poverty

by Ismael Hernandez

One day, while sitting at my AFCAAM Center ministry desk, I noticed some young people coming to receive food from our pantry. It dawned on me that we had been giving food to their parents for many years, and now, here they were as adults for food for themselves. Was I—had I been—truly helping, or had I unwittingly become a cog in a machine that perpetuated the bondage of dependency without altering the substance of their existence?
The experience has stayed with me over the years as a reminder that good intentions are not enough. When it comes to service for the poor, we often respond first emotionally, from the heart, and then move into action, via the muscle, without challenging our assumptions. My assumption was that I was doing the best I could to help the poor. Yet, this underlying belief was fraught with the perils of protagonism. After all, we—those trying to meet the needs of the poor–often conform ourselves to models of service in which we become heroes while the poor recede into the background scenery. At times, we might inadvertently contribute to systems that view the poor as passive recipients of our magnanimity instead of creating new paradigms in which we recede to the periphery of action and become witnesses of the effort of beautiful people building their own lives. If only our trust in the poor to determine their own lives matched our pity for them, what a life-changing difference we could make in the lives of the poor!

That is why I believe that the most important question is not that of what causes poverty but rather the question of what causes human flourishing? What is it that moves people to engagement, risk, struggle, and effort? What motivates them to see the obstacles they face only as the context against which their dignity emerges triumphant?
The Freedom & Virtue Institute, which I founded seven years ago, is built upon the bedrock of human flourishing and is dedicated to the promotion of human dignity, individual liberty, and economic initiative. That dignity emerges organically when opportunity meets dedication and when the human person is placed at the center of our focus and efforts. “How may I help you?” is not the greeting we should offer the poor. “We believe in you, we need you!” is the best encouragement we can offer them to be the protagonists of their own lives.

SRC-logoWe accomplish these overarching goals through a series of initiatives, one being The Self-Reliance Club. Active in public schools, the club embraces activities already underway and brings forth their entrepreneurial value. Students work in gardens, the arts, and other endeavors and earn money for their work. We teach them basic economics and at the end of the school year, we take a field trip to Achieve Credit Union or BB&T Bank where we present them their earnings, in the form of a grant, and they each open his/her own bank account. They can use the savings to buy their school supplies and backpacks, instead of getting them handed to them. There is something extraordinarily powerful in earned success and accomplishment that simply is not present in learned helplessness. Students see the value of work and are able to connect their achievement to reward. This year we are excited to be conducting our first Young Entrepreneurs Fair.

The Dignity of Work Initiative is another of our projects. This church-based initiative assists the long-term unemployed through training, and mentoring. God designed us for work, as an expression of our devotion to our “neighbors” and to Him. But what if—for any reason—a person is out of work? A loss of a job often equates to a loss of a sense of purpose and entrenches vicious cycles of dependency and poverty—I am convinced that the poor do not want this. Christians are engaged in helping the poor, but their efforts are often centered onDignityogWork-logo providing food, clothing, and shelter. Worthy endeavors, all. Sixty-two percent of churches operate these kinds of programs, while only two to four percent provide services that lead to employment for those out of work. We want people to receive all the help they can; our initiative simply shifts the paradigm by prioritizing the inherent dignity of the poor and their God-given need to work.

Lastly, our Effective Compassion Training helps non-profits and churches here in Southwest Florida and across the country discover and implement the “seven principles of effective compassion.” By being grounded in sound principles that offer a sound basis to promote ectflourishing, we begin in the mind—with an intelligent and dispassionate assessment of the deeper human needs—then the heart and lastly the muscle. We explore the principles used in the past by people of goodwill when there were no government-run programs. These principles, adapted to present conditions, are still profoundly and vitally important.
The Freedom & Virtue Institute is committed to a new way forward—based on perennial truths—as we look to the problems of poverty. Please contact me if you want to know more about any of FVI’s initiatives.

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14 Jan
0

Jody Carroll Interviews Ismael Hernandez

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Ismael Hernandez, an Everyday Hero

everyday herosThe Everyday Heroes Project, a Stitcher on demand radio broadcast, featured founder and president of the Freedom Virtue Institute on Friday, January 13th. Jody Carroll interviewed Mr. Hernandez in an in-depth look at life growing up in Puerto Rico as a staunch believer in the communist philosophy and socialist party. Hear his transformation from communism to democracy and how the seeds of freedom were planted and forever changed his life.

 

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15 Dec
1

Not Tragically Colored Listed In 2016 Top 10 Best Books

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A Non Fiction Novel on Racial Reconciliation and Racial Tensions

Ismael Hernandez, Author of the bestselling novel Not Tragically Colored: Freedom, Personhood, and the Renewal of Black America is shedding light and a new perspective on racial reconciliation and racial tensions in America. It has been listed as the number five best book in 2016 by The Gospel Coalition.

As reviewer Kevin DeYoung states “This book—written by a Black, Puerto Rican, Catholic conservative—presents a vision for renewal that is opposed to the prescriptions found in much of the “racialist” literature (his term). The gist: ‘The fact is that one can stand side by side with another person in the binding principle that racism is evil and, at the same time, be far apart in one’s analysis of specific policy and social issues’ (p 147).

Ismael Hernandez is also the founder and president of the Freedom & Virtue Institute. The goal of the Freedom & Virtue Institute is to develop and execute programs that focus on self-reliance and empowerment for young people, churches, civic organizations, and businesses.

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About The Freedom and Virtue Institute

The Freedom & Virtue Institute believes in fostering attitudes and leading initiatives that build off the principle of creating self-reliance among underprivileged children and individuals enduring hardship that wish to better their situations and live a dignified, self-sustainable life. Presently, the Freedom & Virtue Institute conducts three unique causes: The Self-Reliance Clubs, Dignity of Work Initiative and the Effective Compassion Training programs. In pursuing our goals, the institute does not support/endorse any specific political party or candidates, but instead looks at the “big picture” and the role of government in our society. We believe human freedom and private initiative in local communities are the best instruments to create lasting positive change in our society

The Self-Reliance Clubs exist to educate the next generation to understand that they are the champions of their own lives. Through their own initiative, ingenuity, and hard work, they will realize that they have the power to determine the direction of their future.

Self-Reliance Clubs are set up in schools to provide under-privileged students with the opportunity to work in various entrepreneurship initiatives, learn economics, earn money, and gain self-esteem and a sense of individual freedom.  The ‘money’ earned can then be used to purchase school supplies, equipment, and clothing.

The Dignity of Work Initiative of the Freedom & Virtue Institute is a church-based initiative that involves volunteers and employers in assisting people in getting meaningful employment. We utilize the Jobs for Life (JfL) curriculum. Jobs for Life is a global nonprofit organization that engages and equips the local Church to address the impact of joblessness through the dignity of work. By mobilizing a worldwide network of volunteers committed to applying biblically-based training and mentoring relationships, Jobs for Life helps those in need find dignity and purpose through meaningful work.

The Freedom & Virtue Institute’s Effective Compassion Training program is designed to offer a detailed exploration of the realities of poverty and to equip participants with practical and meaningful tools to address these struggles.

At the Freedom & Virtue Institute, individuals and organizations are shown the impact of their actions on their local communities, with the ultimate goal of bringing change in the internal culture of organizations participating in poverty-alleviation work. For more information on how you can help, visit www.fvinstitute.org or call (239) 240-9393.

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