Ethos Water, Grab a bottle. Make a difference.

While I visited with numerous companies and owners, one stood out far from the others. I am not criticizing the owners and operators of the other companies I will feature. Not one bit. But the reason I chose Ethos to be the feature vendor at the show was their philosophy and why they do what they do. Not only do they sell a good, quality bottle of water, they also give back to the community of man. They have put their heart above their heads and are making a difference.

On the bottle is their mission statement: We help children around the world get clean water. Ethos started out as a simple idea. Water for water. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me introduce the founders of this great company. Peter Thum and Jonathon Greenblatt. I spoke with each of them and got bits of info from each of them. Peter, as part of a consulting job he had in 2000-2001, spent six months in developing townships of South Africa. It was during this time that Peter became aware of the plight of the citizens of these townships. Most were without clean drinking water, it was devastating to the community. In fact Peter quickly became aware of how devastating this could be: disease from non-potable water sources result in one death every 14 seconds. Clean water is essential to life. Peter started Ethos Water from these experiences. Jonathon, on the other hand worked in the Clinton administration. He had the opportunity to develop economic policies that would help US companies enter emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. With this program came travel to many of these areas. Jonathon gained firsthand knowledge of the plight of many people in Latin America and Asia without clean water available to them. With the knowledge and understanding of what a lack of clean water can do to the citizens of countries an idea was born. Peter asked Jonathon to get involved in this newly formed endeavor. Together they are working to alleviate the suffering of thousands of children worldwide through the efforts Ethos Water.

How does Ethos do business? It is bottled in California. The water is derived from a natural spring located at Palomar Mountain in Southern California. 50% of the after tax profits of Ethos Water are donated to Ethos International for the building of wells in developing nations. The donation to Ethos International is currently 50%, Peter and Jonathon hope to make the contribution larger in future years. By making these contributions, they support the building of wells in developing areas. They do not do this on their own. They work with established entities in developing nations to further the cause. Entities such as C.A.R.E., WaterAid and others work with local governments and agencies to provide new wells in suffering communities.

How many of you have been hot? I mean really HOT. So hot that a simple puddle of water can cool you down. A simple puddle of water made by 16 oz of water? It doesn't take much does it? Sometimes, for those of us with water readily available, it seems so easy. We just turn on the faucet, out comes cool, clear, drinkable water. Even on those hot days of summer, as a child, a neighbors' hose would offer the much needed relief. Until you've seen what a difference clean water can make to a community, you'll never know how a simple purchase of Ethos can make a huge difference. Visit Ethos International to see how Peter and Jonathon, and thier supporters, have already made a difference.

How can you help make a difference? Buy Ethos water. We all buy bottled water. Make a concerted effort to go out of your way to support this worthy cause. If you don't have a Whole Foods nearby ask your local grocer to begin carrying this water or contact Peter or Jonathon and tell them where you are and where you'd like to buy their product.

This is a small "commercial" for a product I believe in. But don't take just my word for it. Please visit their website to learn more about the Ethos water program and how you can help make a difference.