Ron McCaslin

January 9, 2012 at 9:41 am | 1 comment

So Young, So Eager – “I just like to give back.” Ron McCaslin decided that he wanted to build houses when he was 12 years old – but not just any ordinary houses. His uncle, an Amway IBO, had told Ron about a trip he was taking to Guatemala through an organization called Habitat for Humanity®; Ron was eager to go.

“My mother raised me to be a very kind and giving person. I wanted to go, but since I wasn’t my uncle’s kid, I had to wait until I was 17,” says Ron.

While playing on three sports teams, playing in the marching and concert band, taking challenging classes, and spending time with his amazing girlfriend, as he says, Ron was able to raise enough money to cover his travel expenses through community events and family donations.

Just Happy to Be
Having taken a keen interest in history at a young age, Ron has always dreamed of traveling far and wide. Ever since his first trip to Guatemala his perception of the world has drastically changed.

“I look around and see them (people of Guatemala) having hard times, but I don’t refer to them as poor people; they’re just in a bad situation,” explains Ron. “You see people in Guatemala who literally haven nothing. They have nothing, and they’re so happy with life.”

Putting Others First
Last year, before departing for his second build, Ron started a program, now called “Goals for Guatemala,” in which he and others gather playground equipment in the U.S. to give to Guatemalan children. “I figured it’s about community, getting other people involved who can’t make the trips but can still make a difference in the world,“ shares Ron.

There is one girl in particular who has a hold on Ron’s heart; she is nine years old. “She’s an absolute darling. I could talk about her for an hour even though I’ve only spent four hours with her.

Ron began sponsoring little Juanita last year after he had heard about the organization, Compassion International®, through his aunt and uncle who sponsor two Guatemalan children. He met her the day after the last day of the build.

“We went to the zoo, and when I went to buy her candy she asked, ’Can you buy these two toy cars for my brothers?’” tells Ron. “She was eight years old and cared more about her brothers than she did about herself.”

Ron currently works the late-night shift at a distribution center from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and works on his AMWAY™ business during the day.

“Freedom is more important than work,” he says. “The more money I make, the more people I can help. That’s the important thing.”