Overcoming the impacts of poverty requires the breaking of cycles. And that’s exactly what Alexis Quintero is doing.

He runs a store in his community in Casco Viejo, Panama where shoppers don’t need cash to buy anything. Instead, they buy items using poker chips earned by doing good deeds in the community. People can earn chips by doing selfless acts like cleaning the streets and volunteering.

Quintero opened his shop after spending three years in jail. He had spent much of his life on the streets after being caught in the cycles of poverty and gang violence. Now he’s helping his customers avoid the problems that impacted his life.

“We can’t be stumbling on the same thing every single day, we need to overcome the situation. This is my dream for the community.”

He has a big dream, and it’s a dream that can change things in his community. He’s reinforcing positive action by his shoppers, and providing them with basic necessities, keeping them from resorting to illegal activity just to survive. I think he’s onto something awesome!

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
— 1 Corinthians 10:24 (NLT)