Making Great Out of Little

by Dr. James W. Jackson

Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
Author, The Happiest Man in the World: Life Lessons from a Cultural Economist

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." (Edmond Burke)

Millie was a devoted nurse in the Emergency Room of one of Denver's finest hospitals. She had experienced the raw trauma and stress of fighting to pull helpless victims back from the brink of death. She had also been there to help comfort the anxious and frightened family members who helplessly waited for some indication of hope from the hospital emergency staff.  

Millie's husband, Dave, was a successful physical therapist. He also knew pain, and had spent his career helping hurting humans regain ease and comfort. Their occupations had been satisfying to them over the years because they knew they were helping other people become better off. But the closer they got to retirement age the more excited they got about the future. One day they would be finished with the success of their daily jobs and be free to pursue things they hoped would be of even greater significance. Their list of things to pursue grew longer by the day.

After they retired, Millie and Dave tried several standard post-retirement jobs. None worked out like they had expected. Then, their daughter-in-law suggested they visit Project C.U.R.E. She had volunteered there and understood that with all the international connections and exciting projects going on, surely that would be the place for significant adventure. Besides, it had everything to do with medical involvement, and that would be right down their alley.

Millie first ventured out to Project C.U.R.E. by herself. But the warehouse guy didn't show up for their appointment to show her around. The ethereal dream for significance began to float away with the clouds. But on the second try they connected, and Millie was introduced to Project C.U.R.E. Millie is a bright lady, and the moment she stepped foot inside the warehouse "she got it!" She saw the millions of dollars worth of donated medical goods on the racks ready to be sent out to the needy hospitals around the world. She knew that in the past the hospital where she had worked had discarded vast amounts of medical goods, as were overstocked medical goods of the manufacturers and wholesalers. Here was an organization aggressively recapturing those goods, sorting them, inventorying them, and distributing those goods to hospitals and clinics in every part of the world where they had no current supplies and no adequate pieces of medical equipment . . . even emergency rooms that had nothing at all! Her heart was captured.

The warehouse fellow told her he needed help simplifying the sorting guides to help the many warehouse volunteers more easily sort the thousands of items being inventoried. That's when she recruited husband Dave. Later, they were given the challenge to take the forklifts and rearrange certain areas of the warehouse to make the loading and shipping process easier. Dave and Millie saw that they were needed and that they were making a huge difference in how the entire operation functioned. Very quickly they caught the significance of how each piece of the donated medical goods could make the difference between life and death in some patient on the other side of the world. People would be receiving life- saving goods and would never even know Dave and Millie Truitt, or ever be able to tell them, "thank you."    

Today, Dave and Millie Truitt oversee the staging, loading, and shipping of the huge ocean-going cargo containers headed out to over 125 needy countries of the world. They have faithfully been at their jobs at Project C.U.R.E. for over 12 years. They are full-time, non- paid volunteers who drive over an hour travel time in order to show up and excitedly go to work.

Dave and Millie Truitt are true heroes to me. They did not make the mistake of doing nothing just because they could only do a little. They took what appeared to be just a little job and made it into a great and significant, life changing accomplishment!

Dr. James W. Jackson often describes himself as "The Happiest Man in the World." A successful businessman, award-winning author and humanitarian, Jackson is also a renowned Cultural Economist and international consultant, helping organizations and governments to apply sound economic principals to the transformation of culture so that everyone is "better off."

As the founder of Project C.U.R.E., Dr. Jackson traveled to more than one hundred fifty countries assessing healthcare facilities, meeting with government leaders and "delivering health and hope" in the form of medical supplies and equipment to the world's most needy people. Literally thousands of people are alive today as a direct result of the tireless efforts of Project C.U.R.E.'s staff, volunteers and Dr. Jackson. 

To contact Dr. Jackson, or to book him for an interview or speaking engagement: press@winstoncrown.com