Update on Fundraising for Honduras

Hey again everyone!
One of the reasons I am writing this blog is to inform everyone about my trip to Honduras and the progress I am making as well as what you can do if you are willing to help me. Well the trip is getting closer.. only 72 more days! That may seem like a lot but its not a lot of time in the end. The other 4 people who are going with me and myself are doing a lot of fundraising and I have another oppurtunity for you to help me. We are selling 8oz bags of Honduran Coffee for $10, $5 of which will go directly to paying for our trips. If you are interested please let me know, you can email me at pd-whalen@wiu.edu. As well if you are willing to donate school supplies or anything else that these people can use I will be taking an extra suitcase just for donations! Please let me know if you are willing to help with this great cause. I will post a letter at the end of this so you can read more about what we are doing as well I will post a video, please watch it, it is very moving. I appreciate any support you can give me with this trip.

**This is the letter: (I'm sorry its messed up I can't fix it, please bear with me)
Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing this letter to inform you of an exciting opportunity I have this
winter. I have been invited to participate in a volunteer outreach to Honduras.
Our group will spend January 2 – 9, 2010 in El Progresso, Honduras where we will
be involved in numerous projects organized by Students Helping Honduras.

Students Helping Honduras was founded by two young college students, Shin and
Cosmo Fujiyama, who witnessed hundreds of children without adequate housing,
health care, or access to education. Both came to the conclusion that they
needed to help. Upon returning to their campuses, Shin and Cosmo began to
advocate for change in the community of El Progreso—in particular, to benefit
the children of an overcrowded orphanage and the families of the area's largest
squatter community, Siete de Abril.

While in El Progreso, a main focus will be the community of Villa Soleada,
Sunshine Village, as we aid them with various construction projects. Our biggest
project in Villa Soleada has been building 44 new homes for impoverished
families whose previous homes were made of cardboard, plastic, and rusting tin.
As of this fall, the families have begun moving in to their new homes.
Therefore, this winter we will begin construction of a learning center for Villa
Soleada. The learning center will provide empowerment programs (tutoring rooms,
reading materials, access to technology, and support of SHH volunteers) to help
our families and their children rise out of poverty. We will also spend time at
local orphanages, a nutrition center, and visiting the local families.

Team building is an equally important component of our trips. Each day we will
work side-by-side with other volunteers and villagers. In the evenings, we will
return to our hotel, clean up, eat traditional Honduran dinners, and spend time
reflecting on the day’s events as a group.

This is an important trip for me because it will broaden my world views as well
as help me with my major. I believe that this trip will help me with my language
skills as well as understanding the environment some of the children I will
eventually be working with come from.

In order for this experience to become a reality, I will need your support. The
most important support I will need is through thoughts for health, safety, and
growth. The second way you can be of assistance is by donating supplies that I
will be taking for the people of Honduras. SHH asks each student going on the
trip to take one entire suitcase of supplies for the people in Honduras. Items
that are needed, but not limited to, include school supplies, craft supplies,
clothes for children and adults, and hygiene supplies.

Lastly, I need to raise funds to cover my trip cost of $1,150. The cost will
cover travel to and from Honduras, food, living expenses, and a donation to SHH
to continue projects in Honduras. Although we will not go to Honduras until
January 2, the trip payment deadline is December 14. If you are able and would
like to help with this financial need, it would be greatly appreciated. Any
check donations can be written out to Students Helping Honduras with my name on
the “For/To” line; all check donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter; I will await your decision
concerning your part in this project. Please feel free to contact me with any
questions regarding the Students Helping Honduras winter service project.

Thank You,

Paige Whalen

***Here is the video***:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnxwGgtMzgI&feature=player_embedded#

First Post

So here is my blog to keep everyone updated. Midterms are over! This also means that I only have half a semester left, I can't believe how fast it is going. This semester is so busy, I have 7 classes, and am on the executive board for my two clubs SHH (Students Helping Honduras) and A.B.B.E.S (Association of Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students). Within my SHH club there are five of us going to Honduras this January 2nd-9th so we have been having bake sales, a cookout, and a marykay party, plus we are in the middle of planning more fundraising events. Needless to say I have a crazy life here! I am also taking some major steps this semester to be accepted into the teacher education program here including the Basic Skills Test which I will be taking shortly before I come home for Thanksgiving. I will hopefully be accepted into the teacher education program by the end of the year! Well that is it for now but keep looking, I'll try to update when there are new and exciting things!