the home stretch of our 2017 project
I have a countdown widget on my laptop and it is customized to tell me how many more days/hours/minutes I have to wait before we get to leave for Guatemala. It seems like the wait has been forever, but the time remaining is now refreshingly short. Just three weeks!
And, as we near the departure date for the inaugural project of our nonprofit, I’m happy to report that we are less than $500 shy of our fundraising goal. I’m delighted with our fundraising efforts, both monetary and physical donations. We’ve surpassed our expectations, and as I sit here reflecting on how we got started, I’m thankful for the local institution that spurred us to action when they indicated they could support us “only after you are recognized as an official nonprofit” and proud of the efforts and determination of my friends and business partners (and support of our families) that worked together to make it happen.
The passion in our hearts for making a difference in the lives of the Guatemalan people is strong. The work involved in raising almost $12,000 was arduous at times. But, in three weeks I will begin sharing the fruits of our labor and the benefits of your donations. You won’t want to miss it! If the WiFi gods are with me and technology cooperates, I will blog at the end of each day during our trip!
The “right” opportunity arose when I learned about a travel opportunity for adoptive families which would include volunteer work and cultural sightseeing. Being members of that team had a profound impact on me, Lillian and Andrew. Not only were we able to make a real connection to our son’s birthplace, but we met incredibly warm and generous people, all of whom we now consider to be a part of our “family.” In addition to the volunteer work I shared with the Team, I also was able to “give back” by performing as my alter ego, “Farfel the Clown” at a barbecue for children of The Backyard School. It will remain one the proudest and happiest memories of my life.