About
The namesake of Four Oxen is Aesop's Fable, "The Four Oxen and the Lion."
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It is a story about four oxen who, when collaborating and working together, were able to remain safe from the lion by positioning themselves tail to tail. When the oxen were working together, the lion was met by horns whenever he attacked. Nevertheless, as time wore on, the oxen lost sight of what was important and quarreled. Each went off on their separate way, and the lion picked them off one by one.
This story is a cautionary tale. Amongst other lessons, it reminds us of the importance of collaboration and working together towards a common goal.
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Four Oxen's mission is to promote and support those who protect and nurture the most vulnerable members of our society. We are committed to collaboration and supporting those who are doing the work that needs to be done.
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Our flagship program, the Virtual Internship, promotes service learning and scholarship while interns pursue a passion project that creates meaningful programming that directly helps those who are most vulnerable.
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Protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable members of our society is a monumental task. We need to collaborate and create a network of individuals and organizations working towards that common goal.
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We are all on the same team, and need to work together.
Our Mission
To promote and support those who
protect and nurture the most vulnerable members of our society.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a network of support and collaboration amongst individuals and organizations who are all working for the same purpose of protecting and nurturing the vulnerable.
We want to
‘Rally the Herd!’
Who is Vulnerable?
There are many ways to define who is vulnerable.
Matthew 25:35-36 often serves as a foundational standard as to who is vulnerable:
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For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.
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Many organizations ranging from the Center for Disease Control to the World Health Organization to the United Nations have also created definitions as to who they believe are the most vulnerable populations.
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Although the definitions vary, none are wrong.
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These definitions and lists are fluid and will change over time as circumstances arise that endanger particular groups to make them acutely vulnerable.
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Whether you are talking about children or the elderly or the hungry or the disabled or the impoverished or the displaced or the abused or whomever – all are vulnerable, and all need help from those who are fortunate enough to be able to serve others.
This great need for help across all strata is why Four Oxen does not limit our outreach through a narrow definition. Instead, we empower others. Through our programming, such as our Virtual Internship, we promote and support those who protect and nurture the most vulnerable members of our society.
