When Ahuma Adodoadji came to Rhode Island to interview for the CEO position at Plan USA, he was struck by how little people here knew of the 70-year-old institution, created during the Spanish Civil War to help children whose lives had been disrupted by the conflict.
Plan has since grown far beyond its roots. Today, with an emphasis on health care, education, housing, jobs and safety, it helps children in more than 60 countries.
Of course, how much good the organization can accomplish is a direct consequence of how much money it can raise. So like all nonprofits, it is always on the lookout for a broader base of support. And its network grew larger recently when a local business joined the team.
Hope Global Corp. has been saving money due to an aggressive recycling program. When its employees were asked how the extra dollars should be spent, their answer was Plan USA.
The charity also took its appeal to a recent business luncheon at Bryant University’s John H. Chafee Center for International Business. The message: Rhode Island businesses looking to invest in world-class ideas to help people around the globe don’t have to travel far to do so. •
