Update!

I realize that it has been a long time since I have posted an update on community center construction progress on this blog.  This is not because we are without news.  Quite the contrary, actually.  I have decided to post briefer updates on the CCC blog and I would recommend pointing your browsers there for more up-to-date information in the future.  However, even there I have been slacking.

At the end of November I came home for Thanksgiving and to check on a broken finger/finger issue.  As it turns out, my original plan to head back to Ecuador after a month or so of being home, was not possible.  I finally had hand surgery this past Friday, February 15, and I am working on recuperation while I've been substitute teaching in the Madison schools.

Meanwhile, I have been having weekly Skype conversations with Paco and Amy to focus our progression forward to construction, keep momentum going, and better organize ourselves as a very young and small organization.  I learned A LOT while I was living in Ecuador for 6 months, and I have been using that knowledge to re-group, re-focus, and make sure that we truly are working on a bottom-up, community-led initiative.

We held another Zumbathon event on December 3rd, which was awesome!  And I am thankful for individuals that keep stumbling across this page, or talk to one of us and want to help donate to make the center construction possible.  I am extremely happy to report that we have raised just over $8,100.00 for construction, and an additional over $12,000 in materials and labor donated by the local mayor in Ecuador!  Thank you for your generous, continued support!!  As we are hoping to really start construction in early summer, and then are looking for ways to maintain the construction, and work more on the sustainable development, job creation, and programming, your continued support is invaluable.

As usual, if you are interested in hosting a fundraising event, want to volunteer, or have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

Thanks again, you guys are amazing!!

Mayor donation, online donation, upcoming fundraising events

Thanks to another generous donation made online, we are over the $6000 mark for these efforts- awesome!!  We still need your help!  Look for some upcoming fundraising events in the near future!

We are also celebrating the recent donation of cement and materials made by the local mayor. This is HUGE!  Now we just need to wait for when the material and construction leader will be delivered.  We are hoping this will occur before the rainy season (i.e Dec/Jan), but this is not guaranteed.  Given the generosity of the mayor with so many requests he receives, we really can only wait until the material is delivered.

After a long day of waiting, the mayor receives us with a donation of materials

Donated bamboo, and moving forward

Poco a poco we continue to move forward, thanks to the goodness of a number of individuals who continue to support our efforts!  The other day, we received a donated electric drill to help in the bamboo curing process, and we continue to work with a wonderful ecological architect who is supporting us in our efforts to move the process forward.

Delivery of bamboo- 1 of 3 shipments

Working during the day on setting up area to let the cured bamboo sit 

We still need your help!  We're talking with the mayor and requesting assistance from him as well as various foundations, individuals, and shop owners in Jama and Pedernales, but you can help as well, by organizing fundraising events, contacting me for information on helping donate materials for the construction, helping with the construction process, or just getting the word out.  Send me an email to find out more.

Updates on construction process

These past few weeks have included several exciting developments in the process of moving along the construction of the community center. Working with the governmental system here has been, by far, one of the more challenging things to moving the center along relatively efficiently. With the help of a local architect and engineer, we now have a “green” center design that will be “officially” signed and approved by an engineer so that we may meet with the mayor and more formally request assistance.

Additionally, we received a very generous donation of bamboo, which will help tremendously in the building costs and construction of the center, as the center will largely be built from local bamboo. The optimal cutting time for the bamboo was this past week, and the bamboo then needs to be cured to ensure it lasts over time. We will be working on this process over the coming week, after the bamboo is delivered to Camarones. This involves drilling small holes at each nodule in the bamboo and injecting water mixed with Borax and a few other things into the small holes. Additionally, the bamboo must be elevated from the ground, with the hole-side up, and protected from any rain.

I will post pictures of the processes as we have them. In the meantime, please feel free to send me any questions or comments you might have. And, as always, if you are interested in organizing a fundraising event, please contact me and I will work on helping with the details!

Summer newsletter posted, lots of activities going on!

Greetings to all!  I apologize for the lack of updates, but without internet in Camarones and with the multitude of activities going on, time for updates has been extremely limited, though we are sending out a summer newsletter today to individuals who have supported us and for whom we have their email addresses.  Please feel free to email me if you do not receive the newsletter email and/or want to be added to our list.

In addition to raising funds for the community center construction and potable water project, we are still trying to raise funds to get the internet up and running in Camarones.  Please consider helping us reach our goal to make this a possibility.  We have been taking groups of kids to the closest internet cafe (an hour away) to chat with afterschool program participants at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  When we first started the video conference exchanges, we had 4 kids in Camarones that participated, but the group has grown into a group of about 20 dedicated kids who are practicing their English and asking good questions of their peers in Wisconsin.

 Paco and some of the kids on the back of our transportation to Pedernales

 After using the internet we often head down to the beach with the kids and play soccer, toss around a football that was donated by Meadowood kids, or take funny pictures like this one

One of the days we went to use the internet was "Kid's day" which is just like Father's or Mother's day here, but for kids, so we treated and bought ice cream cones in Pedernales

Look forward to more updates soon, and thanks for the continued support!!  With your help, we recently raised an additional $200!!  As always, if you are interested in helping to organize a fundraising event, want more information, or have a question, please email me!

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!

Day 66: Pizza Fundraiser in Davis, California

If you happen to be out in the Davis, California area, check out the fundraiser happening today, April 24, between 6 and 9 p.m. at Woodstock's Pizza in Davis, California, 219 G St., Davis, CA 95616.  Print out this flyer and bring it with you when you order from the bar or the front counter and 20-25% of the purchases will go toward the fundraising for the community center in Ecuador!  How cool is that!!  Check out the history of Woodstock's Pizza, which is pretty amazing story.  Not only do they have gluten free crusts, they also pride themselves on being green and recycling whenever possible.  So, check them out, and help support a local restaurant, as well as the mission of the Camarones Community down in Ecuador!!


And, in case you are curious, I added a new Frequently Asked Questions page, so please check it out!  Let me know if I missed anything, or if you have other questions or comments, by posting below, or emailing me- thanks!

Day 63: Cheerios books, book donations, and fundraising events!

This past week was full of wonderful activity.  One of the most exciting things was a large donation of books from Half Price Books in Madison.  Most of these are children's books that are in English, but they will still work well for English language teaching down in Ecuador, as well as overall literacy initiatives.


Then, we also received a few books donated from a community member here in Madison that had been collecting bilingual Spanish/English children's books free in boxes of Cheerios.  Apparently there are free books available in boxes of Cheerios roughly through the end of April.  Check it out and please consider saving and donating the books to the Camarones Community Coalition!


This coming week is a fundraising event at Woodstock's Pizza in Davis, California. If you live in the Davis, CA area, please consider going out to eat for some Pizza on Tuesday, April 24, 6-9 p.m. at Woodstock's Pizza, 219 G St., Davis, CA 95616.  Print out this flyer and bring it with you when you order from the bar or the front counter and 20-25% of the purchases will go toward the fundraising for the community center in Ecuador!  How cool is that!!  Check out the history of Woodstock's Pizza, which is pretty amazing story.  Not only do they have gluten free crusts, they also pride themselves on being green and recycling whenever possible.  So, check them out, and help support a local restaurant, as well as the mission of the Camarones Community down in Ecuador!!


And, I am going to be giving a presentation at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center on Thursday, May 3rd about work here and in Ecuador.  So, if you live in the Madison, WI area, please consider joining me for a fun discussion.  Here are the details being sent out:


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 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 present 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 MNC. 

Thanks again for all the continued support, enthusiasm, and ideas.  Per usual, feel free to email me with any ideas, questions, or comments you have.  And, as always, please check out other ways you can help out!  

I will be heading back down to Ecuador on May 8th and am trying to coordinate a "pack for a purpose" small initiative to help transport as many of the donated books and supplies for Camarones.  Stay tuned for more details, or contact me to see how you can help!

Day 54: New fundraising event: Bowling on May 4!!

Thanks to the awesome work of one of my friends (who is a graduate student out at Berkeley), we have another fundraising event coming up in May.

Check it out:


Bay Area Bowling Night!
Friday, May 4, 2012,  8 - 10 pm
AMF Southshore Lanes
300 Park St., Alameda, CA 94502

Suggested donation: $20/students $25/non-students
Includes 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, and popcorn!

Check out the Razoo fundraising page she put together for more information!

This looks to be a really fun event!!

Thanks for all of the continued enthusiasm, interest, and ideas!  If you are interested in helping set up a fundraising event, or even just your own fundraising page to help in these efforts, check out the Camarones page on Razoo.com or go here to see how to start your own fundraiser for CCC and see how simple it is to put together your own page.  Or, please feel free to leave a post below, or email me, thanks!!

Day 48: Check out new fundraising tool!

Check out a new way to make donations, and please consider helping out by donating or even constructing your own fundraising page linked to the Camarones Community Coalition (it's free, quick, and a super easy way to help out in fundraising efforts!)

Donate online to Construction of a Community Center at Razoo

Here's the QR code that can also be scanned on a smartphone and linked to this fundraiser, how cool!

Update from Madison, WI community center discussion on 4-2-12:

There were about 30 people in attendance and there was a wealth of ideas on things people want/need from a neighborhood center.  A few of the main points in response to the question "What are 3 things that you and your family need/want from a neighborhood center?":

• Free meeting space
• Quality after school programming
• Close to the populations being served
• Help with housing/employment and other training services
• Safe place
• Access to food
• Open on weekends, evenings, vacation periods
• Self-governed
• Open access/ more activities for all ages
• Cooking/kitchen space
• Conflict resolution training
• Parenting support/child care
• Cross-cultural events
• Access to community garden 
• Green space / open area for youth and adults to use
• Source of information on various services and programming for all ages

Overall, this meeting re-energized me about all of the similar discussions that will be continued down in Ecuador for construction of the community center and planning for future programming in the area.  The idea of "self-governance" that came up at this meeting really hit home, as I think that is one of the things that can really make or break the success of these initiatives, and one of the things I think is so important.  I am happy I was able to go to this meeting to see how many of the ideas were the same to the ones at the other meeting I attended on the west-side of Madison, but also how there were minor differences unique to the community needs on the south-west side of Madison.  Again, hitting home the importance of talking to and actually working with the population being served.

As always, feel free to comment below, or email me with questions, comments, or ideas!

Day 44: $4825 and Community Center Discussion TONIGHT

Some exciting news!  Thanks to a generous donation received in the mail today, and the money raised from the Applebee's Fundraiser ($125 total!), we are now very close to having raised $5000 total for the construction of the community center in Ecuador.  Please consider attending the Woodstock's Pizza Fundraiser (in Davis, CA), happening April 24, or check out how else to help! 


And, if you live near the Southwest side of Madison, please consider attending the additional Community Conversation on Neighborhood Centers happening TONIGHT:

Monday, April 2, 2012, 6:30-7:30pm at the Wisconsin Youth Company, 1201 Mckenna Blvd (across from Elver Park).  

This meeting is to discuss 3 questions (Same as what I posted after the meeting on March 22 at the Alicia Ashman Library):   

What three things you or your family need from a neighborhood center?  What difference does a neighborhood center make in a neighborhood?  Does it matter where a center is located?

I'm thinking of attending again to see the ideas that are generated from this side of town, since this is where the Meadowood Neighborhood Center is located.  Maybe I'll see you there?


Questions, thoughts, comments?  Please comment below or email me.

Day 40: New Fundraising Event!!

Thanks to the help of a couple of my friends out in Davis, California, we have a new fundraising event to look forward to!  Check it out:


Woodstock's Pizza Davis Fundraiser:  Tuesday, April 24, 6-9 p.m.  219 G St.  Davis, CA 95616.  Print out this flyer and bring it with you when you order from the bar or the front counter and 20-25% of the purchases will go toward the fundraising for the community center in Ecuador!  How cool is that!!  Check out the history of Woodstock's Pizza, which is pretty amazing story.  Not only do they have gluten free crusts, they also pride themselves on being green and recycling whenever possible.  So, check them out, and help support a local restaurant, as well as the mission of the Camarones Community down in Ecuador!!


As always, please see how you can help and please feel free to email me or post below if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions (or want to help organize a fundraiser for your neck of the woods)!

Day 37: We now have official tax-exempt status!!

Today has been a great day already!  I was able to talk on the phone to Paco, the President of Camarones, and I am gearing up to head back down to Ecuador for some on-the-ground planning with the community.  I am also still working on organizing a few more fundraising events with the help of friends here in the US, and I am continuing to raise money for construction of the community center, as well as future programming and initiatives in the community.


AND, I received our official determination letter from the IRS in the mail, and the Camarones Community Coalition is now listed as a public charity with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, effective September 26, 2011.  So, all of your donations are considered tax deductible!  


So, now is a great time to see how you can help!


Thanks again for your encouragement, energy, and enthusiasm in this initiative.  As always, please feel free to email me or post below if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!

Day 34: Invitation to Ecuador and message from the President of Camarones

Today I received an email from Jorge Luis Vaca, President of Camarones, Ecuador (goes by Paco as his nickname), that was intended as a thank you and invitation for all of you that have taken an interest in this fundraising effort, and the larger movement of construction of the community center and sustainable development in his town (see how you can help too!).


Here is the message he sent:


Una vez mas gracias a todos los donates y por esa gran generosidad, ahora esto ya es una realidad por fin vamos tener nuestro centro comunitario y estan invitados a que vengan a mi comunidad a que conoscan y tambien seran muy bien recibidos.


And here is my English translation:


One more time, thanks to all of the donors and for the great generosity, now this is a reality, that finally we are going to have our community center, and you are all invited to come to my community and to know the community, and you will be well received.


It has been wonderful to update him and the rest of the community on the progress of the fundraising (especially the description of the Zumbathon), and to hear the excitement on their end, and I think it is wonderful that he sent this message to share with all of you.  Thanks again for your continued support!!

As always, feel free to email me or post below for questions, comments, or to help host a future fundraising event.  

Day 33: Discussions of Neighborhood Centers

The session on neighborhood centers was lightly attended, but had an interesting mix of individuals providing input.  I encourage you to attend one of the remaining sessions on the  role of neighborhood centers and community needs here in Madison if you haven't already.  This meeting allowed us to share our opinions on three questions:  


1.  List 3 things that you want or need from a neighborhood center
2.  What difference does a community center make in a neighborhood?
3.  Does it matter where the center is located?


For all of these questions we worked as a group to provide our input on giant post-it-note paper sheets that were then posted around the room.  We were given three colored circle stickers that we were instructed to place on these "idea sheets" next to our top three choices for the wants/needs. These lists, collected from all of the sessions, are then going to be used to help with difficult funding decisions in the future.  So, again, I encourage you to go to one of these listening sessions if you are interested in having a voice in some funding decisions affecting neighborhood centers, and, ultimately, your community.


This session, for me, was really energizing.  I love hearing input on how people view the role of neighborhood centers, and, more generally, the overall idea of "community".  This concept is something that I have been intrigued by for as long as I can remember, but, more "scientifically" when I started studying zoology and psychology here at University of Wisconsin-Madison for my undergraduate degree.  I think the overlaps between non-human animals, and humans in their respective "communities" is important, interesting, and, to me, fascinating.  So much so, that I will definitely write more on this at a later point, but for now I am tired, with ideas all over the board, and should be a little more focused before writing more on that topic.

As always, feel free to email me or post below for questions, comments, or to help host a future fundraising event.  

One thing this session really hit home is that it would be ideal if I could raise even more funds before returning to Ecuador, so that the center has more flexibility in the initial design and programming opportunities, however, the other thing this session helped me to see is that part of what makes an effective neighborhood center is the ability to grow and evolve as the community sees fit, but that the community being served by the center has input on the planning.  So, again, please consider making a donation online or seeing how else you can help.  Or, if you have already donated, consider passing on the word to those you think may share an interest.

Day 32: Signs of spring!

Spring may be my favorite season.  New beginnings, signs of life everywhere, and renewed energy that comes with longer days and warmer temperatures.  Having spent time living in Hawaii and Ecuador, where seasonality is largely different, I feel very lucky to experience winter, fall, spring, and summer.  The seasons, as I experienced them, in Hawaii and Ecuador were both the rainy or dry seasons.  Both countries are rather interesting in the variety of biomes present, which means that snow can still be seen on the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, but it's different than experiencing a winter in Wisconsin (however, winter this year in Wisconsin was uncharacteristic).


The official first day of spring was yesterday (March 20th), and with that comes more ideas for ways to continue raising money for sustainable development work in Ecuador, as well as renewed optimism for all of the exciting possibilities for future projects both down in Ecuador, and here in Madison at the Meadowood Neighborhood Center.

 Purple Hyacinth surrounded by leaves left over from the fall

Lilac bush with new buds

Tomorrow I am hoping to go to a listening session about the role of neighborhood centers and community needs here in Madison.  Input for residents living on the West side of Madison can be made at one of the five "Community Conversations" the city is holding.  Thursday, March 22, 2012 from 6 to 7:00 p.m. at the Alicia Ashman Library.  Maybe I'll see you there?

As always, feel free to email me or post below for questions, comments, or to help host a future fundraising event.  And, please consider making a donation online or seeing how else you can help.  Or, if you have already donated, consider passing on the word to those you think may share an interest.

End of Day 30: $4,650 (not including Applebee's amount or a few other things I know are coming)

This last month has truly flown by!  I feel so honored and extremely grateful to know so many caring and wonderful individuals!  With all of your help, in 30 days, we were able to raise a respectable sum of money, but so much more than that has happened in the last month.  I cannot adequately put to words the feelings of sincere gratitude I have for people to be so giving and generous of their time, their energies, and their ideas (as well as money).  I have learned a lot about fundraising and networking and other important skills that I am hopeful I'll be able to continue to put these tips to good use in the years that come for assisting in sustainable development projects in Camarones and elsewhere, as this truly is a lifetime commitment on my part.

While the dollar amount doesn't match the original $30,000 that I stated I had set out to raise, I am extremely happy!!  I plan to continue fundraising and seeking donors before heading down to Ecuador to help with on-the-ground strategic planning and budgeting for where we are at.  I also plan to organize a baile and maybe a small raffle when I am back in Ecuador to raise a small amount more, but also continue to foster ownership and enthusiasm.  With some creativity, and careful planning, we can start with the money already raised and build a center that has the possibility to be expanded as more money is raised in the future.  And, hopefully we will be able to use strategies and ideas from these last 30 days to help with other projects, including completion of the potable drinking water system in this community.  Time, energy, and ideas abound for future projects.

So, what is next?  I will continue to post on here as I have updates to the dollar amount raised, or to announce upcoming fundraising events (look for a couple more on the east and west coasts, thanks to friends that are helping me coordinate!!), or updates on other ways you can help.  I will also continue to post information on the importance of neighborhood centers, or the sister neighborhood center connections, or fun projects down in Ecuador, or random photos as the mood strikes (or someone requests/suggest).  And, as it gets closer to me heading back to Ecuador, I will post updates, and will then try to continue posting after I am back in Ecuador and working on the next phases of the community center construction.

As always, feel free to email me or post below for questions, comments, or to help host a future fundraising event.  And, please consider making a donation online or seeing how else you can help.  Or, if you have already donated, consider passing on the word to those you think may share an interest.

Thanks again for making the month leading to my 30th birthday something truly beautiful and wonderful!  This fundraising drive started as a crazy idea that popped into my head just 34 days ago and I had no idea where it would go.  I honestly would not have been able to predict all of the wonderful things that have transpired in the past month, but I am so thankful to have experienced them all.