I was shocked to learn that more homeless people die from dehydration in hot months than perish in cold months because of cold weather. Any image you may have of the perils of people in rags huddling on top of a grate pales in comparison to the health hazards of being hot and thirsty without access to any water.

So why do I care? Because the homeless are my main cause across Canada. I am known as the “homeless person's best friend.”

Once I established my business, The Bargains Group, I decided to use my entrepreneurial skill to help the less fortunate, especially the homeless. Last year, I collaborated with another EO Toronto member, Robin Howlings (pictured at right, on the right-hand side), who is in the water filtration systems business. In honor of her late father, Robin's company donated 12 state-of-the-art Danamark Water Filtration systems to various homeless shelters in Toronto. Robin will also donate more systems this year, and this time to other major cities in Canada that have an emergency need for water systems.

In addition, bottled water companies are helping us provide water to needy social service agencies, including The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, Youth Unlimited and The Scott Mission. We've donated more than one million bottles in the past seven years.

Friends and EO members always ask me why I do this. As a mother and an entrepreneur, I am seriously concerned about my city, which is one of the reasons I have been so devoted to improving the quality of life for the homeless.

All of my projects were developed because the services to meet these basic requirements did not exist. When I see a need, especially in a vulnerable community, I set a goal to do something about it and don't stop until my mission is accomplished. That's what entrepreneurship is all about.

From my work with the homeless, I've learned to look beyond the obvious when dealing with a social problem. This can be applied to product distribution problems in general, or sourcing new bargains. I've learned to dig deeper to find a solution that I may have previously missed.

What I've done for the homeless isn't special or unique; rather, any entrepreneur or business is capable of doing the same. I like to think that the community is a part of us all, and that I should serve it just like I would any other customer.