What is Starfishers?
“How can any of us be anything until the least of us is something?” – Randell E. Morrison
And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my
name receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth
him that sent me; for he that is least among you all, the same
shall be great. – Luke 9:48
The Starfishers non-profit organization was founded in October of 2009 by a small group whose vision was simple yet profound – help whoever is in need, whenever they need it, and however it is needed. While charities with a focused vision or fixed demographic are wonderful and necessary – what about those people who don’t fit their profile? Many charities today focus on the gravely ill, or the homeless adults and children, or the battered and bruised women from physical abuse – and the list goes on. At some point in their lives, each and every founder of Starfishers has been where we call “in the ditch” - where it seemed as if no help was in sight and we would perish either physically or emotionally. It was after certain individuals devoted their lives to giving us back our own - when we realized the power of one person’s commitment.
As an organization, our goal is to give back and be that person on the other end who steps up and gives people back their lives – whether it be for physical, financial, emotional, or spiritual needs. Every person on the planet fits our profile – if you are hurting, are in despair, are destitute, have given up hope, feel spiritually lost, or are being “beat up” by the world and it’s powerful systems (e.g., the legal system, the government system, the health system, the religious system, etc.) – then Starfishers is here for you. One person’s life is significant enough for our charity to reach out and dedicate ourselves to making a difference. The inspiration for our name came from the “The Starfish Story” which you can read below. In our organization, everyone is a starfish who deserves to be picked up when they are down and “thrown” back to life.
Please contact us at starfishers.net@gmail.com for help requests, donations, or to be added to our mailing list.
The Starfish Story
by Loren Eiseley
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!”
