Well, we are!  Let's go through a few more official definitions to establish a better understanding, though.

The Social Enterprise Alliance says, “A social enterprise is an organization that marries the social mission of a non-profit or government program with the market-driven approach of a business.”

Jim Riley, a business writer and co-founder of tutor2u, explains it a little more simply.  He said, “Social enterprises complete alongside other businesses in the same marketplace, but use business principles to achieve social aims.”

For visual and auditory learners, this video gives a more thorough explanation with use of graphics. 

Perhaps this quote from the above video sums up social enterprises best: 

In the case of a for-profit business [the motivation of investment is to] generate a return on your investment.  In the case of a social enterprise, the motivation for investment is to create social benefit.

According to The Rise of the Social Enterprise from Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2018, social enterprises are becoming more popular and are taking up a larger share of the business world.  

In Josh Bersin's article, he cited these reasons to explain this idea more fully.

1.  "65% of companies surveyed now rate “inclusive growth” as one of their top three goals, eclipsing strategies like “growing market share” or “being the category leader.”
2.  “Citizenship and social impact” were rated critical or important by 77% of our respondents, and this topic was rated the “least ready” issue among the executives we surveyed."
3.  "The need to create 21st century careers, improve the relevance of reward systems, focus on employee well-being, and address the issue longevity in the workforce all rated as top 10 issues in the human capital agenda."

Refutea is so happy to see the growth of social enterprises and is proud stand among businesses who are changing the world one day at a time!  

Want to know more?  Take a look through these resources related to social enterprises!

Sources:  
https://www.tutor2u.net/business/blog/qa-what-is-meant-by-social-enterprise
https://socialenterprise.us/article/what-is-social-enterprise/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2018/04/03/the-rise-of-the-social-enterprise-a-new-paradigm-for-business/#4870430271f0

Iced Apple Peppermint Tea

• 1 package of Peaceful Peppermint  (use less for a stronger apple taste)
• 3 cups boiling water
• 3 cups 100% apple juice
• Ice

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil; then add the tea.  Cover the boiling mixture and let it continue to boil for 15 minutes.  
2. Drain the tea leaves from the tea.  Allow the tea to cool.
3. Add the apple juice and chill.  Add honey for a sweeter taste.
4. Ice the beverage and serve!

Recipe modified from The Daring Gourmet  

Sweet Peach Tea

• ⅓ cup Amber Peach tea
• 1lemon, sliced
• 1piece ginger (about 2 inches), peeled and smashed
• 1quart boiling water
• 8cups ice cubes
• 2peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2cup sugar
• 8sprigs mint
• 1peach, pitted and sliced

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Place the first three items (loose tea, lemon, and ginger) in a heatproof container.  Add in the boiling water.
3. Steep the tea for seven to eight minutes.  Put four cups of ice into a pitcher; add the tea.
4. Blend diced peaches and sugar in a blender until smooth; mix into tea.
5. Serve in glasses over remaining ice (about 1/2 cup per glass) and garnish with mint and peach slices.

Recipe modified from Self 

Frozen Chai Milkshakes

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup loose Revive Chai in cheesecloth
• 4 slices peeled fresh ginger
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Whipped cream
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Instructions

1. Warm milk over medium heat in a saucepan just until it begins to steam and bubble around the edge.
2. Remove saucepan from heat.  Add the Revive Chai, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Stir briefly to dissolve the sugar.
3. Cover and set aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or (preferably) overnight.
4. Pour the steeped chai through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids.
5. Add the ice cream to a blender, then pour in the cold chai and process until smooth.
6. Pour into the chilled glasses, top each with a big dollop of whipped cream, and dust with a little ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Recipe modified from Chowhound 

​Enjoy!

In the 2017 fiscal year, almost 54,000 refugees resettled in the United States of America.  All states take in some refugees, but a few states in particular take in the majority of the refugees seeking a new home.  

At the beginning of this year, Michigan was ranked seventh among the states who accept most refugees.  Previously Michigan’s resettlement numbers have been ranked as high as fourth out of all the states!

Grand Rapids particularly hosts many refugees, approximately 600 per year.  Those who resettle here come from varying countries and backgrounds.

The majority of refugees relocating to Michigan in 2017 came from Iraq.  In fact since 2007, refugees resettling in Michigan have mainly been Iraqi.  The only exception was in 2016. In that year, the number of Syrian refugees was greater than the number of Iraqi refugees.  

The PEW Research Center’s map shows the distribution across the states for 2017.  An interactive version shows the distributions since 2002.  
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The refugees who resettled in 2016 through Samaritas, a Christian ministry in Troy, came from over twenty countries.  They came from Afghanistan, Buthan, Burundi, Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Uganda.

Out of those countries, 940 came from Syria and Iraq.  Samaritas helped almost 500 refugees start a life in Grand Rapids.  Almost half of them came from the Congo.

Over half of the refugees Samaritas assisted in 2016 were between the ages of 19 and 65.  Approximately thirty-eight percent of them were children between the ages of 5 and 18.

The best news:  three-fourths of the refugees were self-sufficient just half a year after reaching America!

Michigan, Grand Rapids, and Refutea are all so excited and proud to be a part of the new chapters in refugees’ stories!  To find out more about refugees in Michigan and across America, check out the articles below! If you’d like to assist local refugees and drink delicious tea, check out the tea available for sale on our website!  


Sources:
https://www.refuteashop.com/refugees.html
http://www.pewglobal.org/interactives/where-have-refugees-settled-in-the-u-s/
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2017/02/see_how_many_refugees_michigan.html
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-states-that-took-the-most-refugees-in-2017
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/06/just-10-states-resettled-more-than-half-of-recent-refugees-to-u-s/

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