Fundraising for internet for cultural exchanges

While continuing the process of moving forward on construction of the community center in Camarones, I have been volunteering to teach English in the local school.  I have also been working on coordinating "weekly" conversations between youth at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center in Madison, WI and youth in Camarones, Ecuador.  As I have posted about before (and, hence, my lack of posts on here), it is not easy to have access to internet.  We have to travel an hour by truck or bus, then pay a dollar an hour to use the internet (assuming it is up and running in Pedernales, as it is frequently down and not working), then travel an hour back to Camarones.

The youth here and the youth in Madison are extremely excited to continue the conversations we have started through video chat twice now, but we are hoping to make it easier for the youth to be able to participate.  $1000 is all that is needed to install satellite internet in the community, so we need your help!  Please follow this link to donate, or pass along to anyone you think may be interested.

And, per usual, if you are interested in hosting a fundraising event to help with the community center construction, are interested in more information, or want to learn more about Camarones, please send me an email.  Please be patient, as my internet access is currently infrequent.

Thanks for your interest, and help in these efforts!

Fundraising success, news, etc!

Thanks to everyone that showed up for the bowling event in California this past weekend!  We raised an additional $600!!  That is wonderful!  Also, please check out some press from the event.

Right now, we are trying to raise money to set up internet so that we can more easily continue the connections with our sister neighborhood center in Madison, i.e. Meadowood Neighborhood Center.  We are trying to skype weekly with the children in Ecuador and Madison, but the closest internet is an hour away, so it is much more difficult right now.

If you are interested in helping us raise money for this project, please email me or stop by the Meadowood Neighborhood center and talk to Kris or Cristine.  Thanks!!

Day 79: Over 5K!

Exciting news today!  Thanks to a generous donation received today, we are now over 5K!  Thanks!!

The presentation last week led to some new ideas, networking, and connections.  I look forward to being able to do a presentation at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center when I return.  In the meantime, if you live in the Madison, WI area, we are looking for a volunteer to help with the weekly or every-other-week skyping with the kids in Ecuador.  Pretty low-key moderator needed.  No Spanish necessary.  Send me an email if you are interested!

AND, don't forget there is the upcoming fundraising event in San Francisco, CA this Saturday!  Here are the details again for this event that one of my amazing friends is organizing!!

Bowl for Camarones Community Coalition!

Saturday, May 12 | 3-5 pm

Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center

750 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA

3 blocks from the Powell St. BART station (map)

Suggested donation: $20/students, $25/non-students

Includes shoes, two hours of bowling, and beer + soda 

100% of your donation goes toward CCC!

Please take 20 seconds to RSVP HERE

Event/donation website: http://www.razoo.com/story/Bay-Area-Bowling-Night

Donate online to Bowl for Camarones Community Coalition! at Razoo

Tomorrow, May 8, I will be back in Ecuador for some on-the-ground strategic planning, volunteering, and continuing fundraising.  Check back here often for updates!

As always, please feel free to email me with questions, comments, ideas, or help coordinating a fundraising event!

Day 73: Discussion about CCC on Thursday, May 3, and upcoming bowling fundraiser!

This is an exciting week for many reasons!  This Thursday, May 3rd, at 6:30 p.m. I will be offering a brief presentation about the Camarones Community Coalition, with a focus on the connection to the Meadowood Neighborhood Center here in Madison.  If you are in the Madison, WI area, please check it out (or pass along to others you think may be interested)!  Here are the details:

Building a Sister Neighborhood Center in Rural Ecuador

Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

Meadowood Neighborhood Center, 5734 Raymond Road

Curious about the developing relationship between Meadowood Neighborhood Center (MNC) and a rural coastal city in Ecuador?  Come learn about some of the initiatives former MNC staff member Emily Kalnicky has been working on with her small, Wisconsin-based non-profit, Camarones Community Coalition.  Emily will share some future goals and ideas, and ways you might be able to get involved with literacy initiatives, educational programming, cultural exchanges, potable water, or other projects linking the two communities.  Emily will offer a brief presentation, followed by a question and answer/discussion with the audience.  She is curious to hear your ideas and answer your questions before she heads down again on May 8 to Ecuador for 4 months of on-the-ground strategic discussions leading to the construction of a sister community center to the MNC.  Light refreshments will be available.

For more information, please contact Emily

Then, if you happen to be in the San Francisco, California area, check out the bowling fundraiser happening Saturday, May 12th!  (This is a change from the originally planned bowling fundraiser scheduled for May 4th).  Here are the details for this event that one of my amazing friends is organizing!!

Bowl for Camarones Community Coalition!

Saturday, May 12 | 3-5 pm

Yerba Buena Ice Skating and Bowling Center

750 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA

3 blocks from the Powell St. BART station (map)

Suggested donation: $20/students, $25/non-students

Includes shoes, two hours of bowling, and beer + soda 

100% of your donation goes toward CCC!

Please take 20 seconds to RSVP HERE

Event/donation website: http://www.razoo.com/story/Bay-Area-Bowling-Night

Donate online to Bowl for Camarones Community Coalition! at Razoo

And, thanks to my wonderful friends out in Davis, California who helped to raise an additional $57.00 from the pizza fundraiser at Woodstock's!  You guys rock!  Thanks to all that showed up!!

Finally, in one week from today, I will be back in Ecuador for some on-the-ground strategic planning, volunteering, and continuing fundraising.  Check back here often for updates!

As always, please feel free to email me with questions, comments, ideas, or help coordinating a fundraising event!