Hi friends! I have exciting news! I have a t-shirt design complete! Now you can expect me to badger you for the next couple of weeks to order a shirt :)
I know you are dying to see what the design of the shirt will be, so click here to see the design. I chose a South African term from a list a friend (from South Africa) gave me: "Jislaak". It means something along the lines of "gee whiz!" in Afrikaans, one of the languages spoken in South Africa. (Another note on the design: I realize the colors I chose are Hawkeye colors. I did not realize this until after the fact, and I hope this does not discourage some of you (Iowa State fans) from ordering a shirt :) The colors are not meant to represent the Hawks, but it just turned out that way.)
So this is how you can order a shirt:
1. Send me an email and tell me how many shirts you want and in what size(s) no later than December 24th, 2010. Only adult sizes are available in small-3XL.
2. The shirts will be $20. I know this might sound like a lot, but remember this is a fund raiser to help me go to Africa and help children at orphanages. And frankly, it costs a lot to get to Africa. You can pay for your shirt(s) in two ways:
Option 1: Via PayPal. It is the most convenient way to pay for things online, and it is how I am going to be making the final payment for the shirts. So it works out quite nicely. You can click on the handy donate button on the right hand side of my blog page to make your payment. PayPal does require that you have an account with them, but it is very easy to set up and extremely convenient for future use.
Option 2: You can give/send my mom a check, made out to her. She will then send me the money via PayPal.
3. Getting your shirt. The shirts will be shipped to my house in Ankeny. If you know/see my mom, you can get your shirt from her. We can also arrange a time for you to stop by my house to pick up your shirt if that suits your fancy. Finally, if these options don't work, let me know. I will probably see some of you when I am back, so I can get it to you then.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. You can also ask my mom; she has been/will be a huge help and key to making this work!
Bringing me to wanting to quickly thank my family for their support and help. Trying to organize myself has been very difficult, and they are doing a great job helping me with things back home. Thanks guys! I really couldn't do it without you!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
I Promise I Haven't Forgotten You
Hello! I promise I haven't forgotten about my upcoming volunteering experience, even though it may seem like it. The last few weeks have been very busy with teaching and taking Spanish classes. The Spanish classes were great, and I am sad they are over so soon.
First, the bad news. I think I am going to have to go through a screen printing company to make my t-shirts, which means this process is taking far longer than I thought it would and it is going to be more expensive than I thought it would. However, that just means I am going to have to sell that many more t-shirts to raise funds! (I am sure you will all get annoyed with me badgering you to buy t-shirts in the coming weeks.)
But there is also good news: There should be a t-shirt design for you to see soon, and you will also be able to order shirts soon! That means, you can give all of your friends and family t-shirts for Christmas and Hanukkah!
Please let me know if you know of any businesses that would be willing to or would consider donating to my volunteering experience. It has been very difficult doing fund raising from out of the country!
First, the bad news. I think I am going to have to go through a screen printing company to make my t-shirts, which means this process is taking far longer than I thought it would and it is going to be more expensive than I thought it would. However, that just means I am going to have to sell that many more t-shirts to raise funds! (I am sure you will all get annoyed with me badgering you to buy t-shirts in the coming weeks.)
But there is also good news: There should be a t-shirt design for you to see soon, and you will also be able to order shirts soon! That means, you can give all of your friends and family t-shirts for Christmas and Hanukkah!
Please let me know if you know of any businesses that would be willing to or would consider donating to my volunteering experience. It has been very difficult doing fund raising from out of the country!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Calling All Teachers
Really, this is shouting out to anybody that works anywhere you could put a jar out. I have been given a fantastic idea that I would like your help with.
Put a jar out and ask people to put their change in it. It is a "Change for Change" jar. You could put it on your desk, in the teacher's lounge, or in the break room at your office. If you wanted to get really ambitious for me, you could put a cute little sign on it explaining what it is.
You might be thinking that nickels and dimes don't really matter, and it isn't really going to help me that much. But really, nickles and dimes can quickly add up. Even if those nickles and dimes only add up to $120, it will cover the cost of my visa in Tanzania.
I greatly appreciate your efforts!
Peace
Allison
Put a jar out and ask people to put their change in it. It is a "Change for Change" jar. You could put it on your desk, in the teacher's lounge, or in the break room at your office. If you wanted to get really ambitious for me, you could put a cute little sign on it explaining what it is.
You might be thinking that nickels and dimes don't really matter, and it isn't really going to help me that much. But really, nickles and dimes can quickly add up. Even if those nickles and dimes only add up to $120, it will cover the cost of my visa in Tanzania.
I greatly appreciate your efforts!
Peace
Allison
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Some Adjustments
Some of my plans might be changing slightly.
I got an email saying that the program I was going to do in South Africa is not going to be happening past December 2010. Instead, they are starting a different program in Tembisa, which is between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is at an orphanage instead of a school, although there is a pre-school. I would still get to stay with a host family, which is good. This program is also cheaper than the other one, which is also good.
I have to reply and tell them whether or not I want to do this program for sure. I am pretty sure I still want to do this program, but as with anything, I fear commitment and have to think about it. Really, not that much has changed except for the location.
Other than this, not a lot else has been happening in my preparation for volunteering. I have been preparing letters for my mom to send out (thanks mom!) and writing emails to those awesome businesses that have email addresses available.
I am also working with the fantastic Alexa on making some t-shirts for you to order! Watch for them because they are going to be awesome and made with love by Alexa :)
I got an email saying that the program I was going to do in South Africa is not going to be happening past December 2010. Instead, they are starting a different program in Tembisa, which is between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is at an orphanage instead of a school, although there is a pre-school. I would still get to stay with a host family, which is good. This program is also cheaper than the other one, which is also good.
I have to reply and tell them whether or not I want to do this program for sure. I am pretty sure I still want to do this program, but as with anything, I fear commitment and have to think about it. Really, not that much has changed except for the location.
Other than this, not a lot else has been happening in my preparation for volunteering. I have been preparing letters for my mom to send out (thanks mom!) and writing emails to those awesome businesses that have email addresses available.
I am also working with the fantastic Alexa on making some t-shirts for you to order! Watch for them because they are going to be awesome and made with love by Alexa :)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Getting Some Things Done
I have decided to use my Monday off of work to start contacting businesses about sponsorship/donations. After the bicentenario celebrations of the weekend, I figured it was a good way to use my Monday off. Besides, if I get on a roll now, I will have almost all week to work on more emails and letter writing. I only have class two days this week, and the students told me that one of those would probably be canceled. That means, I might only have to work one day this week, and use the rest for writing emails! Yippie!
Contacting businesses is proving to be time consuming. Some businesses have contact information specifically about donation requests, and some of them outline requirements. Having the requirements outlined is nice so I know if I should even bother. However, I am sometimes unsure if I meet the requirements. I will still contact these places, but it sucks thinking I might just be wasting my time.
Another problem I have run into is the means of contact. Several businesses only list telephone numbers and snail mail addresses. These become very expensive means of contacting businesses in the States when you are living in Chile. I am hoping I have found a way around it though- I email my mom the letters with addresses, and she sends them out. Keep your fingers crossed she is willing to do this huge favor for me!
Finally, I want to give a huge thanks to Andres for being my first donor! I really appreciate it! Some others have contacted me about wanting to donate, but needing to wait until the next pay check/the new year/ etc. and I really appreciate that as well. Thank you!
Contacting businesses is proving to be time consuming. Some businesses have contact information specifically about donation requests, and some of them outline requirements. Having the requirements outlined is nice so I know if I should even bother. However, I am sometimes unsure if I meet the requirements. I will still contact these places, but it sucks thinking I might just be wasting my time.
Another problem I have run into is the means of contact. Several businesses only list telephone numbers and snail mail addresses. These become very expensive means of contacting businesses in the States when you are living in Chile. I am hoping I have found a way around it though- I email my mom the letters with addresses, and she sends them out. Keep your fingers crossed she is willing to do this huge favor for me!
Finally, I want to give a huge thanks to Andres for being my first donor! I really appreciate it! Some others have contacted me about wanting to donate, but needing to wait until the next pay check/the new year/ etc. and I really appreciate that as well. Thank you!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Another Way You Can Help
Hello friends! I have been working on more ideas of how to raise funds for my volunteering. I have received a couple of good ideas and some people are willing to help me with my fund raising activities. Thank you to everyone that has been helping me/offered to help me so far! It really means a lot to me!
I have created a profile on the Your Cause website. Please, take some time to look over my profile and my cause: Allison Volunteers. There are a couple of nice features about this website.
First, there is a goal tracker, so both you and I can see how close I am to achieving my fund raising goal. Currently, I am at $0, and my goal is to raise $4000 by January 7, 2011. Part of tracking my goal includes being able to see some of the most recent donations that have been made to my cause.
My Cause also directly links my profile to A Broader View, the organization I am going through for my volunteer service. The donations you make here will go directly to the organization to help cover my program costs.
Finally, one feature that I think is really neat about this site, is that people can offer testimonials about me. That means, those of you that know me should write a testimonial about me. Then, those that do not know me or do not know me very well, will be able to read the testimonials and get information about me from sources other than myself. They will be able to see what others think of me and my cause.
I am working on setting up profiles, making a list of businesses to contact, and spreading the word about my volunteering. I have been given two more classes at work, so the amount of time I have available to work on this is starting to decrease. However, I am still working hard to achieve my fund raising goals!
I have created a profile on the Your Cause website. Please, take some time to look over my profile and my cause: Allison Volunteers. There are a couple of nice features about this website.
First, there is a goal tracker, so both you and I can see how close I am to achieving my fund raising goal. Currently, I am at $0, and my goal is to raise $4000 by January 7, 2011. Part of tracking my goal includes being able to see some of the most recent donations that have been made to my cause.
My Cause also directly links my profile to A Broader View, the organization I am going through for my volunteer service. The donations you make here will go directly to the organization to help cover my program costs.
Finally, one feature that I think is really neat about this site, is that people can offer testimonials about me. That means, those of you that know me should write a testimonial about me. Then, those that do not know me or do not know me very well, will be able to read the testimonials and get information about me from sources other than myself. They will be able to see what others think of me and my cause.
I am working on setting up profiles, making a list of businesses to contact, and spreading the word about my volunteering. I have been given two more classes at work, so the amount of time I have available to work on this is starting to decrease. However, I am still working hard to achieve my fund raising goals!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Initial Ways You Can Help
As my first step in raising funds for my volunteering, I have installed a button here in my blog. It is really easy to use. Just click on donate, and the button takes you to the PayPal site to make a donation. You can chose the amount you are willing to donate. It really is easy- I promise. I know some of you do not have an excess of cash flow, but even something as small as a $5 donation is much appreciated.
Another way you can help is to spread the word about what I am doing and encourage others to donate. Tell people about my blog where people can read about my preperation for volunteering, and eventually they can read about the volunteering itself! From there, people can also click on my donate button. If you or someone you know would like to make a larger donation and would need a receipt and other paperwork for tax purposes, please let me know. I have the proper forms and procedure available.
Yet another way you can help is by donating materials I can take with me. There are very few resources available at the school and orphanage, and those that are available are often not in the best condition. Some ideas include: toothbrushes, toothpaste, vitamins, first aid supplies, balloons, games/puzzles, anti-bacterial soap, bubbles, markers/crayons, child scissors, cassette player with children's music, pencils/pens, books/coloring books, and pavement chalk. If you would like to send any of these supplies with me, please let me know. It is greatly appreciated.
Again, I would love to hear any ideas you all have for fund raising. It is going to be a challenge raising money from down here, so I would love to hear of any creative ideas you might have.
Another way you can help is to spread the word about what I am doing and encourage others to donate. Tell people about my blog where people can read about my preperation for volunteering, and eventually they can read about the volunteering itself! From there, people can also click on my donate button. If you or someone you know would like to make a larger donation and would need a receipt and other paperwork for tax purposes, please let me know. I have the proper forms and procedure available.
Yet another way you can help is by donating materials I can take with me. There are very few resources available at the school and orphanage, and those that are available are often not in the best condition. Some ideas include: toothbrushes, toothpaste, vitamins, first aid supplies, balloons, games/puzzles, anti-bacterial soap, bubbles, markers/crayons, child scissors, cassette player with children's music, pencils/pens, books/coloring books, and pavement chalk. If you would like to send any of these supplies with me, please let me know. It is greatly appreciated.
Again, I would love to hear any ideas you all have for fund raising. It is going to be a challenge raising money from down here, so I would love to hear of any creative ideas you might have.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)