UPDATES:

Jan. 31st -- goal date for raising $600

Feb. 25th -- goal date for raising $1200

Jan. 31st is about a week away!  I am $60 away from reaching my first goal of raising $600.  Help me reach the halfway mark!

________

Hello, friends and family! 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising web site!

This is my last year at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, and I am excited to lead a Global Outreach project to Ecuador over this spring break, March 13-20.

Global Outreach

Global Outreach (GO): it is an extracurricular program at Fordham that organizes volunteer groups of about 12 people to stay for at least a week in various cities around the country & the world, engaging in numerous social justice issues.  GO has 28 projects a year, and teams work together to prepare and fundraise for months in advance.

Why it's important to me

This is my 3rd GO project: as a freshman, I went to Mississippi and as a sophomore I went to Mexico.  GO is an important part of my college experience, because it truly connects my education with action.  In rural Mississippi, I worked with a children's camp.  In Mexico, I worked with issues of immigration and community development. 

GO projects allow students to learn the stories of individuals around the world, many who are poor and marginalized.  Whatever I end up doing immediately after college or even further down the line, these experiences have been formative in my education and my life.

To lead a project is an honor and an immense responsibility for me.  I interviewed chaperones and students before assembling a team of 12 great members that I'll meet with weekly over the entire year.  I'm in charge of ensuring we're prepared for our experience in Ecuador.  If you're curious about more info regarding GO, check out their web site: www.fordham.edu/go

So what exactly are we doing in Ecuador? 

• Being!  My project focuses on cultural immersion, which includes being, rather than doing -- we will be learning from the community we'll live in.
• The organization we work with, Rostro de Cristo, brings volunteer groups from the U.S. to stay with them throughout the year.  They bring us to neighbor visits, schools, and hospitals.  We'll go to the market and cook and clean with the community.
• Rostro de Cristo focuses on living in solidarity with the poor.  Instead of acting for the poor, it is important to act with them.  Our group will engage with the community to learn their stories.
•  We’ll participate in reflection and dialogue with our team, the community, and the yearlong volunteer from Rostro de Cristo accompanying our team.
• After we come back from Ecuador, we’ll have team meetings to process and discuss our experience. We’ll hold an educational event to share our experiences with the rest of the Fordham community.

How your donation will help

As a leader, I have to fundraise $1200 total for my individual cost to go on the project.  With so many GO projects at Fordham, it is difficult to gain donations to cover this cost from fellow students and the community alone.

Individual donations from friends and family constitute almost 90% of fundraising efforts.  I need your support to fundraise money for me to go to Ecuador.

Any remainder that I don't fundraise out of $1200, I have to pay for myself, so please help me fundraise my goal amount!

How can you help?  Donate asap!

• Give anything -- help me reach my first target goal of $600 by Jan. 31st.
• $85 will sponsor me for half a day in Ecuador
• $170 will sponsor me for a day

If you'd rather mail a check or if you want a tax-deductible receipt, please contact me.

Tell others you think may want to help

Please pass the word along to friends, family, and colleagues.  Stay tuned for progress on my fundraising and the next target goal for the total $1200 cost for my project to Ecuador.

THANK YOU

Thank you again for taking the time to visit my fundraising web site!

Sincerely,

Christine Gosney

gosney@fordham.edu