TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED...

"To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected." -LUKE 12:48
Thank God for those rare individuals who assume the responsibility for making our communities a better place. They inspire everyone they come in contact with. Sometimes wealthy and/or famous but not always. People that are givers and never takers. Ironically, the more they give back the more God blesses them. I could name many but Truett Cathy comes to mind as well as Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, Bernie Marcus and countless others. I have never had the pleasure of knowing any of these well known philanthropists but I have had the honor of knowing a great community citizen. A man making your life better, making Georgia a better place. He sponsors public service announcements to promote safety and has raised over 2 million dollars for charities like Shepherd's Spinal Center, St. Jude Children's Hospital, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign. The man gives away thousands of bicycle helmets to promote safety, gives away many college scholarships to deserving students and sponsors numerous sports teams. It's not over yet...he is the founder of KEEP GEORGIA SAFE, a 501(C) (3) non-profit organization with the mission to provide safety information and crime prevention training in Georgia. This Family Foundation operates the only network that sends the GBI issued alerts for missing or dangerous persons to subscribers' cell phones. You probably are thinking this is an elderly gentleman who has already made his fortune, raised his family and retired. He does all this to keep busy right? Not a chance. This is a man in the prime of his life with a lovely wife and three young daughters. A man who came from a humble background but has built one of the most successful law firms in Georgia. I won't keep you guessing any longer. This outstanding individual who I personally have labeled "The Iron Man" because of his boundless energy and strong will to get things done is none other than Mr. Gary Martin Hays. Gary is the principal partner of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C. in Duluth, Georgia. I am thankful for people like Gary and feel blessed to know him personally. I know each of you reading this have a "Gary" in your community. I implore you to do everything you can to encourage these leaders and assist them in any way possible. I wish I could clone Gary but every time I talk about it he runs away from me. Seriously, I hope this blog gets the point across to everyone how important it is to give back to the communities we live in. If you have not understood any of this you are probably a "MOOCH"!