In a world where money usually gets a lot of attention, some really impressive people go beyond the usual ideas about being rich. They set an example and use their money to help others.
Take Marcel LeBrun, a rich guy from Canada. He did something amazing to deal with local homelessness. He built 99 small houses in his hometown.
After selling his business for a lot of money, he decided to use some of it to tackle the serious problem of homelessness in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Last year, at least 1,800 people in the city experienced homelessness for at least one day, as reported by CBC.
To solve this problem, Marcel spent $4 million to create what he calls the “12 Neighbours.” It’s like a special neighborhood of small homes. Each home has a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, a little porch, and solar panels on the roof, even though they’re not very big.
Marcel has made good progress toward his goal of building 99 homes. The 12 Neighbours community also got $12 million from the government to help make the project bigger.
Marcel explained his motivation in a talk with a Canadian news station. He sees himself as someone who builds communities.
“I see myself as a community builder, and really what we’re doing here is not just building a little community, but we’re building a community in a city, like how do we help our city be better?” he explained.
Marcel believes that giving people their own property makes them feel responsible. He thinks a community of people who used to be homeless knows the challenges others are facing.
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