Alpharetta Resident Featured In Book Recognizing Humanitarians

This season of giving is an opportunity to recognize people who are making a real change in the world. Faces of Generosity is a new book recognizing humanitarians around the United States who have given back to their communities. Alpharetta's Michael Belk is one of these humanitarians.

The book was produced by Ronald Blue & Co. They believe part of planning for your financial future should include a plan for generosity. As a wealth management firm, Ronald Blue & Co. believes part of reaching financial success is discovering how a client’s money can help impact people in need. The idea is that financial advisors should help to plan generosity in the same way they plan investments.

Michael Belk was a successful fashion photographer and fashion advertising agency owner when he decided his career was not enough. He answered what he had heard God ask, “What are you doing with all that I gave to you? Are you using it all for yourself or sharing it with others?” It was then that Belk began creating Journeys with the Messiah, a collection of photography that helps people see the relevance of Jesus in their lives today. Belk says, “From the beginning, we sensed we were on a mission to help people relate to Jesus in simple, relevant, and non-religious terms.” The photographs show a first Century Jesus in a first Century setting with a 21st Century element added.

The 27 stories of Faces of Generosity are inspiring stories of people who have had a calling to help others. Each person has a unique reason for deciding to make a difference. In the book, we learn what made each of these humanitarians turn from “everyday people” to people who are making a difference in others’ lives. Profiled are people who are not seeking fame for their good works but instead want to fulfill a desire to help people with what they have to offer.

The stories of Faces of Generosity are as varied as the people featured in the book. The stories told include a medical mission to build hospitals in third world countries and a dental office with a clothes closet to help patients with oral care and make sure they have shoes on their feet and clothes on their backs.

Other stories include creating ways to providing clean water around the world and providing eye care to adults and children in third world countries. The ongoing theme is that these generous givers of their money, talent, and time are answering a call.

About Ronald Blue & Co.: Founded in 1979, Ronald Blue & Co. is one of the largest independent fee-only wealth management firms in the United States. Through four distinct divisions and a network of 13 branch offices, the firm provides comprehensive financial strategies based on biblical wisdom designed to enrich the lives of clients across the wealth spectrum.