JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He overcame the violence of a revolution during his youth, lived in poverty when his family came to America and he has turned his good fortune into a chance to help others.
Ed Perez, who was born in Cuba, has made Jacksonville his home and he has made helping others his mission.
From the beginning, which he says was wonderful, Perez has lived a complicated, roller coaster of a life. In the 1950s, his family seemed to have it all.
Then came Communism and the Castros.
“My dad was a businessman. He traveled a lot and life was good,” Perez said. “But when the revolution took place, our life changed.”
Perez said his family eventually fled to Miami, escaping bombings, harassment and seeing death with their own eyes.
He was just barely into his teens and they had next to nothing.
“The reason I do what I do: I have never forgotten what it felt like. I had never forgotten that pain, the uncertainty, that embarrassment of having to depend on other individuals,” Perez said. “I remember us, as a young boy, being concerned that someone saw I’m wearing somebody else’s clothes.”
That battle with poverty didn’t last forever. His family found a way to start new business in the Baltimore area.
Perez got a college degree and had a long career with CSX -- 42 years, finishing as an IT executive.
When his corporate America life ended, his international charity work flourished.
He started Three Grains of Rice Missions and has the support of people throughout the region and the world.
Perez says there are about 21,000 grains of rice in a single bag.
“We’re not asking you to give everything up. Three of the grains consistently throughout your life, and if every one of us could do that consistently, we can change not only Northeast Florida, we can bring change worldwide,” Perez explained.
Over the past five-and-a-half years, his nonprofit has worked with organizations that address homelessness, as well as women and children that are in distress.
Perez, has served on more than a dozen nonprofit boards and was once president of the Hispanic Chamber, among other groups.
Perez says he’s lived the American dream and he wants to share that dream and his optimism with others.
“You know, I have a heart for Cuba. I have a heart and love for the people, but my country is right here,” Perez said. “I love this country. I love what it has done for us. I love what it stands for. I love the freedom that we have. I love the opportunity that exists here, and there’s no way in the world that I would go any place else but to stay right here in the U.S.”
Perez said he has been back to Cuba five times -- all on mission trips.
Just this year, however, Three Grains of Rice has deployed clothing and shoes to Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras and other countries. They also give back locally.