((PKG)) VETERAN SOAPMAKER
((TRT: 02:44))
((Topic Banner: Soap and Kindness))
((Reporter: Angelina Bagdasaryan))
((Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS: Maxwell Moore))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I'm already making money on the soap. I can just, for every one
that I make, I'm going to give one away. And for every one I
make, I'm going to give one away. And that was it. I feel fortunate.
I feel fortunate that I got to see as much pain and as much misery
and as much suffering as I did.
((Photo Courtesy: Maxwell Moore))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I talk of the motivation that came from the military, it came from
the Marine Corps. And they taught us, “If you see a problem, you
don't like the problem, that's your problem now.” So, I was seeing
a problem among people in my streets, who are my fellow
countrymen, people who live in the same city as me. And they're
asking for help and they smell so bad, I can't get this close to
them. And like, my solution is, “Let's get our people clean first.
Let's get our people some humanity first. And then let's move
forward from there.”
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
A rodent-borne plague was reoccurring in our homeless
populations about five or six years ago. We're getting old
diseases coming back because we're not using really basic
hygiene principles for our poor.
And so, that was a real motivator for me, to make one and give
one away. It doesn't matter if you're making your profits. It doesn't
matter if you're making money. I love money. Don't get me wrong,
I love money. But if you're making money and you're surrounded
by people who are poor, who are sick, who can't take care of
themselves, then you're going to get sick.
I heard in Special Operations one time, somebody say, “Do what
you can, with what you have, where you are.”
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
So, I partnered with a mobile shower organization that brings
showers to the homeless. They bring the showers, I bring the
soap. That's it. And I think that, you know, I'm not fixing
everything, but I think that if everyone concentrates on fixing a
little bit of something, our problems would already be solved.
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I wanted, you know, to make a difference and do something that
was legal and good. And it started as a hobby that kept my hands
busy and kept me out of trouble. And then it just took off, you
know. I started giving it away as a gift. People loved it and they
kept asking for more and more. And I couldn't afford to just give it
away. And they were willing to pay. And with the profits I was
making, I was, I felt, I’m not going to say I felt bad, you know, but I
felt like there’s something more than I can do with this than just
count the money.
((NATS))
You’re the best. You’re the best.
((TRT: 02:44))
((Topic Banner: Soap and Kindness))
((Reporter: Angelina Bagdasaryan))
((Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((NATS: Maxwell Moore))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I'm already making money on the soap. I can just, for every one
that I make, I'm going to give one away. And for every one I
make, I'm going to give one away. And that was it. I feel fortunate.
I feel fortunate that I got to see as much pain and as much misery
and as much suffering as I did.
((Photo Courtesy: Maxwell Moore))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I talk of the motivation that came from the military, it came from
the Marine Corps. And they taught us, “If you see a problem, you
don't like the problem, that's your problem now.” So, I was seeing
a problem among people in my streets, who are my fellow
countrymen, people who live in the same city as me. And they're
asking for help and they smell so bad, I can't get this close to
them. And like, my solution is, “Let's get our people clean first.
Let's get our people some humanity first. And then let's move
forward from there.”
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
A rodent-borne plague was reoccurring in our homeless
populations about five or six years ago. We're getting old
diseases coming back because we're not using really basic
hygiene principles for our poor.
And so, that was a real motivator for me, to make one and give
one away. It doesn't matter if you're making your profits. It doesn't
matter if you're making money. I love money. Don't get me wrong,
I love money. But if you're making money and you're surrounded
by people who are poor, who are sick, who can't take care of
themselves, then you're going to get sick.
I heard in Special Operations one time, somebody say, “Do what
you can, with what you have, where you are.”
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
So, I partnered with a mobile shower organization that brings
showers to the homeless. They bring the showers, I bring the
soap. That's it. And I think that, you know, I'm not fixing
everything, but I think that if everyone concentrates on fixing a
little bit of something, our problems would already be solved.
((NATS))
((Maxwell Moore, War Veteran, Founder, Maxwell's Soaps))
I wanted, you know, to make a difference and do something that
was legal and good. And it started as a hobby that kept my hands
busy and kept me out of trouble. And then it just took off, you
know. I started giving it away as a gift. People loved it and they
kept asking for more and more. And I couldn't afford to just give it
away. And they were willing to pay. And with the profits I was
making, I was, I felt, I’m not going to say I felt bad, you know, but I
felt like there’s something more than I can do with this than just
count the money.
((NATS))
You’re the best. You’re the best.
