It's a go!

Hooray, hooray, hooray! The pieces are coming together! As some of you may know, I have been planning a trip to Morocco with Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS) to volunteer with impoverished children. You have NO idea how excited this makes me! It's been a lifelong dream of mine to work in an orphanage, and while I won't know my exact work placement until a month prior to my departure, I'm psyched to help in whatever way I can!



So, here are some of the logistics. I am due in Rabat, Morocco on August 8th and my placement is until August 29th. I will be living in a house that CCS calls HomeBase with other volunteers, a cook, and a household manager. They have an in-country staff that drives us to our work assignments, helps with cultural awareness, and is there 24/7 for any support we may need. I'll be working 5 days a week in the community with evenings and weekends off to explore and learn about a different culture. I don't know anyone else personally that is going, but it sounds like the volunteers travel on the side together a lot which sounds like a lot of fun.



I am so excited that this dream is becoming a reality! I got my first round of Hep A/Hep B immunization and am about to begin Typhoid. Those are the only immunizations that I will needing, which is a huge blessing to help with costs.



Speaking of costs, I've been saving up for years for this trip but I am still short and I could really use your support to make this happen! I'm attaching my fundraising letter below that has additional information about my reasons for going on this trip and the exact amount that I need to raise. I know it's a yucky time to ask for money. Then again, I never liked asking for money! Thank you for taking the time to consider sponsoring me, and if you feel so inclined to help out, you can click on the icon to the right :)



Thank you for joining me along on this journey! I appreciate your support and encouragement, and please stay tuned for updates!



*****Fundraising Letter******

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope all is well with each of you as we approach the wonderful summer season. I think that I can speak for everyone here in Seattle when I say we are more than ready for the sunshine! In addition to the preparation for summertime and time off of school, I have exciting news that I want to share with you.

As many of you know, I have a deep love for children that has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Whether it was kidnapping my newborn sister when I was five to come play in the playhouse without my parents knowledge, volunteering at my church and Seattle Children’s Hospital in the Emergency Department, or my future plans of becoming a pediatric nurse, children have always been the center of my life. I simply cannot imagine living without the giggles and smiles I have come to love when working with children, yet am saddened that I haven’t been able to serve and support some of the kiddos that have needs beyond what I could imagine. Thus, I have decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine and pursue volunteering overseas this summer with impoverished children.

I am going to Morocco! I will be leaving for a month at the beginning of August and will be working in the Rabat community under Cross Cultural Solutions, a renowned non-profit organization that operates volunteer programs in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe, in partnership with sustainable community initiatives. One thing that makes Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS) different than other volunteer organizations is that they partner with local community organizations already founded that are currently seeking support. This way our works as CCS volunteers are always respectful and sustainable to the local community. My hope is to work in an orphanage or with local street children but I will not know my work placement until a month before my departure.

Regardless, I am very excited about this opportunity of a lifetime and look forward to serving a community with need in any way that I can! To make this happen, I need to raise about $4,500 for the program cost and airfare. CCS is an independent international not-for-profit with no governmental or religious affiliations, and their programs worldwide are dependent on volunteer contributions. I understand that finances are extremely tight with the economy today, and I spent a long time praying and thinking over if this is the best time to go. After much thought however, I decided there will always be restraints, and sometimes it’s important to live on the edge and trust that everything will come together. I completely understand if you cannot support me financially at this time. I will also need many prayers, positive thoughts, and encouragement as I take this huge leap of faith and travel to a country with very different ways of living than our own!

If you are able to give financially, please remember that every donation is 100% tax deductible. Every little bit counts, as does your spiritual and emotional support, and I appreciate it all. If you have any questions about anything or would like to hear more about my trip, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I apologize I couldn’t call and tell you each about this personally, and please know that you’re always in my thoughts despite the crazy speed that life has been going at recently. I have created a blog to chronicle my thoughts and desires for the trip leading up to it as well as a way to help keep in touch with loved ones while I am away. Feel free to join me on the journey at the address below. My hope is that you are all well and thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter.

Much love and blessings,

Nicole



Ways to give:
1. Click the widget (icon) on my blog
2. Go to https://my.crossculturalsolutions.org/login.aspx Username: Grizzy
3. Checks payable to “Cross Cultural Solutions” for a 100% tax-deductible receipt (I will provide your address when mailing it in), or to me, “Nicole Griswold” (which I will sign over and can still retrieve a receipt for you).
4. I also accept hugs, lucky key chains or other paraphernalia, prayers, and encouragement!