Perhaps you’ve thought about it. Perhaps you’ve been moved by the movie ‘The Hurt Locker,’ set in the Iraq War. As American soldiers put their lives on the line, perhaps you’ve asked yourself: what can I do to help? One local man has devised a clean, reader-friendly guide spelling out ideas on how to contribute”big or small”to supporting our troops in the war. Jim Hake is the author of ‘101 Ways to Help the Cause in Afghanistan,’ a book featuring 65 organizations that are supporting our troops and helping the Afghan people in innovative ways. Hake stresses that this book is directed to everyone, regardless of economic stratum or political leanings. ’When you get below policies and politics,’ Hake says, ‘and look at the people involved, the soldiers and the Afghan people, there’s a connection with Americans that will lead people to help in some way.’ Hake, a technology and media industry entrepreneur and investor, founded Spirit of America in 2003. He currently serves as the foundation’s chief executive officer and runs it with a staff of four. Spirit of America has provided millions of dollars of aid: medical supplies, clothing, tools and more to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. His efforts have garnered praise from the Wall Street Journal and Senator John McCain. Hake, who has traveled to Iraq but not Afghanistan, says, ‘I came to understand that many Americans wanted to help but didn’t quite understand what they could do. The book shows how individual Americans can make an extraordinary difference.’ Originally from Philadelphia, Hake moved from Venice to Pacific Palisades in 1996 because ‘I thought it would be a wonderful community to raise a family.’ Hake and his wife, Kristy, have two boys, Sam, 15, and Muki, 12. Hake earned his BA in economics at Dartmouth College and received his MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Entering the Internet and media sectors, he says, was ‘almost inevitable’ going to school near Silicon Valley. ‘In 1981 to 1983, there were a lot of companies like Apple which were starting to explode. The activity and creativity was extraordinary.’ He was also a marketing executive at Rational Software from 1982-87, when he helped launch the company’s hardware and software products. In 1992, Hake became a founding partner and president of Access Media Inc., an Internet media company, which created the high-tech industry’s first Internet-focused media and marketing programs. By 1996, he had sold his stake in Access Media to a business unit of SOFTBANK, the world’s largest investor in the Internet at the time. In 2005, the busy Hake became a co-founder and CEO of SignalOne Media Corporation, a venture created to establish commercial satellite TV channels in the Middle East. He also became the principal of PacificOne Capital, an investment and business development firm. But with the 21st century, Hake came to a career crossroads. ‘It was really the attacks of 9/11 that led me to try to help,’ he says. ’We’re supported by individual American donors,’ he continues of Spirit of America, which averages about $2.5 million in money and donated goods annually. ‘The money is going in the general sense to provide what our troops in Afghanistan require to help the Afghan people: sports gear, medical supplies, irrigation equipment, sewing machines. Everything is done in response to some service man or woman asking for something to help.’ For example, ‘The Marines and other soldiers have asked for solar-powered radios to give to villagers in remote areas where there is no electricity.’ ’It’s my entire focus today,’ he continues, although he is not entirely removed from his prior endeavors. ‘Utilizing the Internet and technology is a central part of what we do. Many of the people I stay in touch with are involved [in the technology industry].’ A large part of the nonprofit’s mission is about ‘finding ways to improve relations and perceptions of the American people and help those serving abroad. I want to support America’s freedoms and opportunities, the ideals for which America stands, which I feel really strong about. In ‘101 Ways,’ ‘there’s something for everyone, regardless of the size of a donation,’ the author says. The book organizes ‘the ideas of 65 organizations doing useful and interesting things.’ He cites as examples ‘helping Afghan women go to school or start a business. Or providing blankets for children.’ Chapter #11 explains how one might help provide dental care for Afghan kids; #53 (dubbed ‘It’s On Me’) suggests ‘random acts of kindness’ such as taking care of a soldier’s tab at a restaurant or coffeehouse; #73 details how to temporarily care for a soldier’s pet while he/she is serving abroad. One pointer is particularly poignant and simple: ‘You can show a veteran that you are interested in his/her personal story by asking them to sit down and talk [#98].’ Raising money to buy computers is a way to make a grand statement. ‘It’s not just about a computer,’ Hake says, ‘but women, for a very long period of time and even today, have been suppressed or repressed. We’re providing a way to communicate with them.’ Ultimately, the quicker we can aid the Afghanis, the sooner we can get our soldiers home. ’Those are great things to support,’ Hake says. ‘And in doing these things, if we help shorten the war, that’s even better.’ ’101 Ways to Help the Cause in Afghanistan’ is available via Amazon and HelptheCause.com. Visit www.SpirtiofAmerica.net.
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