PADUCAH - Most people say they want to make the world a better place. Caleb Gentry, owner of Paducah's Java Junkie, is putting his money where his mouth is. Of course, he hopes to turn a profit at the same time.
Gentry wants to sell his business and move to Central America. He'll loan money to people living in poverty.
The process is called micro-lending. Muhammad Yunus recently won a Nobel Prize for his work with micro-loans. Basically they're like regular loans, just on a smaller scale. They're mostly used in developing countries to help people work their way out of poverty by helping them start and grow their own small business.
The process gives people the opportunity to succeed. Gentry is the perfect man to do this because he turned a good idea into a successful business.
The 23-year-old opened his first Java Junkie at age 18. While serving his customers coffee is his way of life right now, it's all about to change.
He wants to sell his business and move to Honduras where he'll provide money in the form of a loan to the poorest of the poor.
"We're going to go down there, find the needs and give people money," Gentry said. "They're literally trying to live, like literally not starve and die in their sleep every day."
By loaning out money at a low interest rate to people the idea is the person will become self-sufficient over time. The hope is one success in a village will inspire the rest of the villagers.
"When I say give people money, I'm talking $50 to $100 to buy a sewing machine so they can make clothes to sell to neighbors," Gentry added.
He knows what it's like to sell, having been through the ups and downs of opening Java Junkie. An experience that has taught him not only that money makes the world go round, but the value of a hard earned dollar.
"That's why we have to go down there and make a profit but that profit can be pumped right back into those impoverished areas and those poor people to do it again, do it again, do it again," Gentry said.
Putting into practice something his grandfather told him once.
"If you want to get where you want to be, make sure everybody else gets to where they want to be."
To do that, Gentry will teach people living in poverty a thing or two along the way.
"A generous man is happy when he's helping feed the poor and I'm just going to help the poor feed themselves," Gentry said.
He hopes to sell the restaurant to anyone interested. Call (270) 564-3112 to learn more. Gentry hopes to travel to Honduras with a capital of around $100,000.
To learn more about Muhammad Yunus and his book "Banker To The Poor," click here. To learn more about the Grameen Bank, click here. Also, to learn more about the Kiva Organization, click here.
