Zanzibar & Tanzania with G.I.V.E

My Roots have been set in Nicaragua. Change is in progress! I'm ecstatic to continue being the Roots of Change with the G.I.V.E. program in Tanzania & Zanzibar next summer!!

Many of you know that I spent two wonderful weeks in Nicaragua and got to spend my time with an amazing group of people that I continue to keep in contact with. I am hoping to continue Giving through this program for years to come, but I need your help! Any amount of money you can spare towards the cause is greatly appreciated. I was blessed with an amazing group for Nicaragua and we all are planning to try and earn spots on the same two week trip, but to Africa this next summer. Being able to team up with these people for a second time would mean the world to me. They all share my passion for helping others and I miss them all dearly.  We all came from different parts of the U.S. and two of our group leaders were even from different countries, so the chances of us reconnecting in person rely on these trips.

My brother Joey is turning 18 in January and graduating from high school this next year. I would love for him to be able to experience all the amazing things that traveling and volunteering has to offer. He has decided to try and join the group for Africa this summer, but that means raising double the amount of money.Anything you can do to help us be "The Roots of Change" is the first step to changing the world as we know it. As little as a combined $4 a day can help us reach our goal by the due date and send us off on our 17 hour flight to Africa. Joey got to help me make a video from my last trip and he became very interested and excited about the organization. There has been no hesitation in his drive to join me on this trip. We are ready to go! We have already started to save as much money as possible on our own to make sure we reach our goal. Last year all of my Birthday and Christmas money went towards my trip and we both plan on repeating that this year. Joey will also be putting his graduation money towards the trip. There is nothing more important to me then this trip and my enthusiasm has definetly rubbed off on Joey. I can't wait for him to experience that same life changing two weeks that I was so lucky to have already experienced.

Here is a journal I wrote from my last trip that gives a start to finish aspect of how it went. I hope it emphazises how important the trip was to me.

 http://mitchgivenicaragua.blogspot.com/

This is some of the things that I will be doing in Africa when I go next summer.

http://www.givevolunteers.org/volunteer-initiatives1.html

And here is a video I put together of our trip to Nicaragua. It has many of the pictures and some small video clips of the great times we had. I hope you get to take the time to watch it. This is the same video that is in the slideshow on this page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEJ8fIBq_d4

All money recieved will be spent 100% towards the trip for my brother and I. This includes immunization shots, airfare, program costs, and any other fees such as traveling insurance. If money is sent via this website they do take a small percentage of it, so to have a maximum benefit it is best to send money directly to me and then I can enter your donation towards the goal percentage. Either way is greatly appreciated. If we are lucky enough to receive extra it will all be used as donations towards the Nicaragua program to benefit all the beautiful people I was able to meet in 2013. Many of them have never even owned a toothbrush, so any amount of money can help them greatly.

http://fundly.com/g-i-v-e-the-roots-of-change-nicaragua

The link above is from my last fundraiser for Nicaragua in the summer of 2013. Take a look at the about me section to see what I was thinking before the trip changed my life. I owe it all to those 20 people who helped me out last time. I truly am thankful to have so many loving people in my life.