Today I am asking my family and friends to help support the two foundations that will forever be a part of my life: Fundación Rostro de Cristo and Fundación Nuevo Mundo.
Before we left for Ecuador last year, each volunteer was asked to raise $2,500 to help Rostro de Cristo cover the costs of our programs--food and stipends for volunteers; salaries for our guards and program staff; and, most importantly, daily bread, bananas, and water for the kids at our three After School Programs. I didn't ask for money back then a) because I was already planning a fundraiser for St. Anthony's, and b) I hadn't yet been to Ecuador, so I couldn't really tell you from personal experience what I was raising money for. Sure I knew Rostro was a great foundation, but I felt weird asking people for money when it wasn't even real for me yet.
So, I paid the $2,500 out of my savings, and told myself that after this year, if this is something worth my family and friends' money, then I would ask them for help. And here we are. You've been with me all year. You've seen my pictures. You've read my blogs. I've caught up with a lot of you personally these last two months. I would not be writing you right now if this did not mean something very very special to me.
Rostro de Cristo and Nuevo Mundo are like any other non-profit these days--they badly need money to stay open every day. The seniors I taught last fall were the last seniors to graduate from Nuevo Mundo because the foundation could no longer financially support a full high school--now the school only runs through the 9th grade.
In the past I've held fundraisers--concerts, raffles, t-shirt sales--to support the causes close to my heart. From 2007 - 2010 I worked with dozens of different friends to hold events that raised over $15,000 for St. Anthony's and Doctors Without Borders (after the Haitian Earthquake). Today, though, instead of appealing to your love of raffle prizes, sweet t-shirts, live rock 'n roll, and cheap drinks, I want to appeal to your heart. Yeah, I know that sounds a little corny--and don't worry, I'm not done partying for a good cause--but this time, I just want to focus on the act of giving--nothing in return, just knowing that your small sacrifice will make a huge difference in the lives of my new friends, my new family, in Ecuador.
So I come to you, my friends, my family, and ask you to help support something very personal, very important to me. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving (believe it or not, they know about it in Ecuador too, and call it Acción de Gracias), and it's in this spirit of gratitude that I ask for your help. I will forever be thankful for the experiences these two foundations gave me this past year--I could never repay them for the impact they have had on my life, but I'd like to try.
My goal for this month is to raise $5,000: $2,500 for Rostro de Cristo and $2,500 for Nuevo Mundo. A lofty goal, but I email these blogs out to about 100 people, and at $50/person, I think that should get us there (someone check my math, I'm terrible with numbers). Obviously not everyone can give $50, but hopefully some people give more, some people give less, and we can get to that $5,000 goal. If you could at least give $10, it would mean a lot to me--not to mention all the Ecuadorians each of these incredible foundations serve.
Below is a link to Rostro de Cristo's giving page, where you can donate with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Since Nuevo Mundo doesn't have a US 501(c)3 (it's an Ecuadorian Foundation with no US presence), Rostro has agreed to receive all donations, then pass on half to Nuevo Mundo. All donations are fully tax deductible.
On the "Review Your Donation Screen" (after you enter your card info or sign into PayPal), please enter "Mark Perlite" in the "Add special instructions to the seller" field so Rostro can tell me how much we raise at the end of the month.
Or, if you would prefer to make your donation via mail please send a check (with "Mark Perlite" written in the memo) made payable to:
Before we left for Ecuador last year, each volunteer was asked to raise $2,500 to help Rostro de Cristo cover the costs of our programs--food and stipends for volunteers; salaries for our guards and program staff; and, most importantly, daily bread, bananas, and water for the kids at our three After School Programs. I didn't ask for money back then a) because I was already planning a fundraiser for St. Anthony's, and b) I hadn't yet been to Ecuador, so I couldn't really tell you from personal experience what I was raising money for. Sure I knew Rostro was a great foundation, but I felt weird asking people for money when it wasn't even real for me yet.
So, I paid the $2,500 out of my savings, and told myself that after this year, if this is something worth my family and friends' money, then I would ask them for help. And here we are. You've been with me all year. You've seen my pictures. You've read my blogs. I've caught up with a lot of you personally these last two months. I would not be writing you right now if this did not mean something very very special to me.
Rostro de Cristo and Nuevo Mundo are like any other non-profit these days--they badly need money to stay open every day. The seniors I taught last fall were the last seniors to graduate from Nuevo Mundo because the foundation could no longer financially support a full high school--now the school only runs through the 9th grade.
In the past I've held fundraisers--concerts, raffles, t-shirt sales--to support the causes close to my heart. From 2007 - 2010 I worked with dozens of different friends to hold events that raised over $15,000 for St. Anthony's and Doctors Without Borders (after the Haitian Earthquake). Today, though, instead of appealing to your love of raffle prizes, sweet t-shirts, live rock 'n roll, and cheap drinks, I want to appeal to your heart. Yeah, I know that sounds a little corny--and don't worry, I'm not done partying for a good cause--but this time, I just want to focus on the act of giving--nothing in return, just knowing that your small sacrifice will make a huge difference in the lives of my new friends, my new family, in Ecuador.
So I come to you, my friends, my family, and ask you to help support something very personal, very important to me. This month we celebrate Thanksgiving (believe it or not, they know about it in Ecuador too, and call it Acción de Gracias), and it's in this spirit of gratitude that I ask for your help. I will forever be thankful for the experiences these two foundations gave me this past year--I could never repay them for the impact they have had on my life, but I'd like to try.
My goal for this month is to raise $5,000: $2,500 for Rostro de Cristo and $2,500 for Nuevo Mundo. A lofty goal, but I email these blogs out to about 100 people, and at $50/person, I think that should get us there (someone check my math, I'm terrible with numbers). Obviously not everyone can give $50, but hopefully some people give more, some people give less, and we can get to that $5,000 goal. If you could at least give $10, it would mean a lot to me--not to mention all the Ecuadorians each of these incredible foundations serve.
Below is a link to Rostro de Cristo's giving page, where you can donate with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Since Nuevo Mundo doesn't have a US 501(c)3 (it's an Ecuadorian Foundation with no US presence), Rostro has agreed to receive all donations, then pass on half to Nuevo Mundo. All donations are fully tax deductible.
On the "Review Your Donation Screen" (after you enter your card info or sign into PayPal), please enter "Mark Perlite" in the "Add special instructions to the seller" field so Rostro can tell me how much we raise at the end of the month.
Or, if you would prefer to make your donation via mail please send a check (with "Mark Perlite" written in the memo) made payable to:
Rostro de Cristo
P.O. Box 920433
Needham, MA 02492
Thanks!
Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment