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The M.O.R.E. Project

MonaVie is helping to get M.O.R.E. out of life
By Sarah Paulk

It's evening in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A child, toes covered in dirt and filth after a day of walking without shoes, curls up near a makeshift shelter of wooden crates and plastic. Filthy and alone, he quietly sobs through pains of hunger, fear and solitude. Years of living on the street have led many homeless children in Brazil to this nightly ritual. Though it is a heartbreaking situation, it does not have to be this way.

A Light in the Darkness

Before the company's launch in 2005, MonaVie's leaders made a decision that would improve lives across the globe. Realizing that the company's products rely heavily on the acai berry, a fruit found only in the Brazilian rain forest, they decided to take action to return the favor to the country that had benefited them so greatly. "We felt an inherent obligation to give something back, since Brazil was not only an important contributor to our company but also to our potential success," say Charlie Brink, executive vice president and co-founder of MonaVie and executive director of the M.O.R.E. Project. "We decided to organize a charity, the M.O.R.E Project, not only to provide a frame of reference for our distributors to have contact with the country of Brazil, but also create a company culture."

The M.O.R.E. Project, an acronym representing "MonaVie's Operation Rescue," focuses on three primary initiatives: providing a safe home for homeless Brazilian children, teaching young men social and ethical values and educating young single mothers and their children.

To address the needs of young homeless children in Rio's slums, the M.O.R.E Project is refurbishing a series of homes, 10 in all, transforming them into safe havens for Brazil's youngest afflicted residents. Volunteer foster parents help provide for their psychological needs, as many have been victims of mental, physical, sexual and drug abuse.

Many young adult men in Brazil are offered the gift of a secure future through M.O.R.E. Project's Father's House. "There is a phenomenon in the slums of Rio De Janeiro that young men, usually raised in poverty by their unwed mothers, do not develop a sense of social obligation," Brink says. "They feel no obligation to their children or community because they were raised on the streets and do not know what it means to be a responsible parent." To combat this social problem, Father's House provides a safe home for young men ages 18 to 25, offering their employable skills. "In return, we ask that they make a contribution by volunteering their time and energy to the M.O.R.E Project," Brink says. "These young men are desperately waiting to be loved, embraced and trusted."

The Richard Laverdure School, named in honor of a MonaVie distributor and M.O.R.E Project enthusiast who passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 50, helps young single mothers learn to read and write English and Portuguese and develop their own trade. "We have built a school, hopefully first of many, that allows mothers to bring their children with them so they will be safe and provided with food and support," Brink says. "We teach the mothers while we teach their children as well."

Making a difference in the densely populated slums of Rio de Janeiro is a daunting task, but one the M.O.R.E. Project is successfully tackling, one person at a time. "This year we are providing services for over 450 people," Brink says. Our goal is to provide that same level of support for over 1,000 people next year, and we will continue to grow as our resource base grows.

Committing to the Future

In an effort to ensure the success of the M.O.R.E. Project, MonaVie's board of directors committed to provide administrative support for 10 years. "The board agreed unanimously," Brink says. "We entered into that contract because we are committing to our distributors that every dollar they donate will be used for helping those in need."

With that goal in mind, MonaVie has given the M.O.R.E. Project a gift that many charities never receive. "Every dollar raised goes directly to the M.O.R.E. Project," Brink says. "Most charities give 50 cents of every dollar, but we want to be different. We are committing ourselves to run this charity in the most honorable and pristine way possible. We've agreed to have the charity audited every year, because we are trying to be a transparent as possible."

MonaVie's admirable intentions resulted in a charity that changes the course of many children's lives, but it did not come without struggle. "We wrestled early with the question, 'Should all of our efforts be focused on saving the rain forest?" Brink says. "We realized that by growing our company and commercializing the acai berry, we would actually improve the sustainability of the rain forest by teaching farmers the value of cultivating rather than cutting. By providing economic incentive to native Brazilians, MonaVie is helping preserve the rain forest while, simultaneously, the M.O.R.E. Project focused on improving the quality of life for Brazilians. Brazil has given so much to us through the acai berry and other fruits that we are striving to demonstrate our gratitude to them by helping the poorest of the poor."

A Culture of Giving

Though they are legally separate entities, MonaVie and the M.O.R.E Project have worked alongside each other throughout their existence. "There would not be a M.O.R.E. Project had there not been a MonaVie," Brink says. "MonaVie success is phenomenal, almost unprecedented. When you come into contact with this type of growth, this type of money, you can either manifest a culture of greed or you can legitimately and sincerely be grateful for everything that is happening. I am extremely proud that this company falls into the latter category."

MonaVie's "if you receive more, give more" corporate culture has changed lives beyond the Brazilian rain forest. "You cannot come into contact with this charity without feeling some sense of obligation," Brinks says. "My partners and my shareholders are some of the most generous people on earth, and as they give to charity it becomes infectious. Because everyone involved is so grateful for what is happening to them, they feel an inherent compulsion to help others. The M.O.R.E. Project was created to channel people's need and desire to give."

The M.O.R.E. Project has changed Charlie Brink's life. "In my life, nothing has had such a dramatic impact on me," he says. "I've had the good fortune of doing business all over the world, and MonaVie is the most amazing opportunity I've been blessed with. It has fundamentally changed me. And I plan to do it for the rest of my life."