Dear family and friends,

Thank you for taking the time to visit my fundraising website! I want to share with you the opportunity I've been given to experience a new culture this summer, and ask for your help in realizing it.

Recently, I was selected to be a part of a small team of students from Fordham University to travel down south, all the way to Bolivia! From May 24-June 3, we will be living and working in a small town called Valle-Hermosa in the city of Cochabamba. Our project's focus is on cultural immersion and building solidarity between two communities. While we are there we will be learning about the culture, environmental sustainability and fair trade through educational projects with the people of Valle-Hermosa at a school and in the neighborhood. By living at home with families in the community, we will work hard to earn our keep and give back.

Vital to the success of this significant project is the financial assistance we obtain from those who support this important cause. Outside assistance is essential in allowing the participation of many of our team members. Each individual must fundraise a total of $2,400.00 to cover project expenses, including air travel, food, some lodging and other miscellaneous costs. While our team does extensive fundraising on campus, including bake sales, t-shirt sales, and raffles, our efforts barely begin to cover the heavy expenses. The majority of our funding comes from enthusiastic friends, family, and community members. I am, therefore, appealing to you on behalf of my Bolivia team in the hopes that you will be able to contribute to the realization of this incredibly worthy project.

Thanks in advance, and please read below for much more information on Community Links International (the organization we work with) and the Global Outreach program at Fordham!

Peace and love,

Kristie Beaudoin

This particular project is made possible by Community Links International.

According to their website, "Community Links is an environmental, service-learning, immersion, volunteer, and international educational organization. Through cross-border, cross-cultural immersion experiences we provide people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to learn about the interconnectedness of our local, national, and global realities. We also teach participants to recognize how our lifestyles, values, choices and consumption patterns affect people, cultures and the environment the world over."

Global Outreach is built on the pillars of community, spirituality, social justice, and simple living. The pillars are an interconnected framework that allows the students to build their experience on a multi-dimensional platform that addresses their individual growth and the growth of the community as it relates to the greater world community.



To achieve a meaningful experience, we ask each participant to live simply and in community with the other participants, to examine the causes of social injustice, and to appreciate the experience of our various world cultures. We hope that upon returning, the participant retains this new perspective and shares it with his or her own community. We ask each individual and team to adopt and respect the four pillars of Global Outreach, which have been created for this purpose.

Community

Global Outreach teams are formed around the principle of communal living. Each team is assembled several weeks prior to the project’s travel dates and during this time the team works to achieve solidarity and interdependence through team meetings, reflections, and a retreat. During the project, the community shares meals, living space, and expenses, and similar struggles and successes. In addition to developing community with the immediate team, the GO! community seeks to immerse itself in the fabric and culture of the host community. Upon returning from their project, GO! communities are encouraged to maintain their team dynamic through further reflections, team activities, and communication with the host community.



Spirituality

Global Outreach, as an inclusive organization, welcomes all beliefs and promotes respect for and acceptance of the beliefs of team members and religions encountered at a project’s destination. In promoting inclusiveness and respect, GO! encourages dialogue about religious and spiritual differences. It is both a physical and a spiritual journey and each participant is asked to partake in team reflections to assist each other in understanding the various ways in which we process the emotionally and physically challenging aspects of a Global Outreach experiences. Reflection also serves as a vehicle to combine faith and action. It is important to share your spiritual growth and to understand the spiritual nature and growth of your community.



Social Justice

Global Outreach communities learn about various issues of injustice and seek to address the causes of injustice that are rooted in our society. Many projects learn about issues such as inadequate housing, disparities of wealth, HIV/AIDS services, hunger, environmental sustainability, immigration, and atrocities of war. Through examining issues of poverty and injustice, Global Outreach communities come to an enhanced understanding of their role in the greater world community.

Simple Living

Global Outreach communities are asked to live simple lifestyles that promote personal relationships over material possessions, ultimately allowing for a more in-depth cultural immersion. For some, simple living might entail limited access to water for bathing which addresses the water crisis in many of our host communities. For others it could be a simple meal to better understand the lack of equal food distribution. Simple living allows the Global Outreach communities to fully immerse themselves in the local culture and to obtain dee