Piece of my mind on peace of mind

Charities approach businesses all the time to support them. This is as it should be. Any commercial undertaking owes it to give back in significant ways to the public it sells to and serves.

The question is how to choose the right charity. Why in particular did my company, Blue Ribbon Bags  find itself sponsoring an amazing evening this week in Raanana for hundreds of women and a remarkable facility known around the world as Beit Issie Shapiro?

The answer lies in my own personal approach to values in business. We have built our wildly successful lost baggage insurance company around one very important element crucial to safe and happy traveling: peace of mind. After planning a vacation or business trip meticulously for quite some time and spending serious money…you do NOT want to arrive and find your suitcase missing.

That led to an idea and the realization that Blue Ribbon Bags sells not insurance but something much more valuable: peace of mind. When your bag arrives, as it almost always does, that’s great. But on the rare occasions when it doesn’t–rather than lines and bureaucratic hassles, you get an almost instant check for $1000 and can continue with your vacation.

The thing that most impressed me about Beit Issie Shapiro, other than the fact that my wonderful mother-in-law, Ruth Edel, has been supporting them for years was piece of mind.

First, a word about who they are and what they do: Beit Issie Shapiro is Israel’s leading organization in the field of disability. The American Friends of Beit Issie Shapiro (AFOBIS) are dedicated to supporting Beit Issie’s mission in the United States.

Support from our American Friends impacts the quality of lives of children with disabilities and their families throughout Israel. Support for the organization enables Beit Issie Shapiro to share and leverage the innovative therapeutic services and programs it has developed and perfected over the years through their network of collaborations, research and training.

Having a challenged child can be totally rewarding, but it’s no picnic under the best of circumstances. Peace of mind is one of the hardest states of mind for the parents of such children, and their extended families, to find.

Blue Ribbon Bags was founded on the quest for peace of mind and we saw this hugely important quality reflected strongly in our acquaintance with Beit Issie Shapiro. We were proud to choose THIS particular philanthropic endeavor to support at this week’s event and we warmly encourage everyone reading this to do the same. Linor Abargil did a great job as the keynote speaker. Her story inspires everyone who hears it.

If you feel the need to support the cause, as we do, please contact Andi Saitowitz at andis@beitissie.org.il.