fundraising event details...!

many of you have been inquiring the details for this event, my apologies for the delay as i've been fixated on my exit exam!  but to those who want to attend, here you are:

WHEN: july 30th

WHERE: 292 townsend street, san francisco, ca 94107

WHAT: silent auction and general farewell "do"

the location is the newest addition to the bloomspot workspace (bloomspot was my employer these last 3 months) and, incidentally, a former art gallery.  we've had one work related event there to date and it is just asking for good times.  my lovely friend jennifer has arranged for three DJs to spin over the course of the night and we have all sorts of goodies up for auction and general sale.  here is a list to give you an idea:

• gift certificate to boulevard (SF) ($100 value)
• gift certificate to monk's kettle (SF) ($50 value)
• gift certificate to allsaint's spitalfields (SF) ($25 value)
• one hour photo session with Katie Jewell-Colomb ($85 value)
• dinner for four (food only) provided by Meg Goldsmith ($250 value)
• two night weekend (three night weekday) stay at lovely bodega bay home ($600 value)

as for refreshments, we will have cookies and brownies for dessert and bruschetta made with  fresh tomatoes and basil from the UC Davis student farm.  i'm working on getting a keg donated, but if worse comes to worse i might purchase one in the hopes of recouping some money from the auction.  so come!  spend money!  and send me to Africa in style!

two weeks...

i'd be lying it i said i was entirely at ease with the impending departure.  there is much to do, much to resolve, and much to accomplish in these final two weeks and if the mental preparatory battles weren't mountainous enough, i'm knee deep in studying for my master's exit exam.  much to my own surprise, i'm finding much pleasure in preparing for it, though the limited time and abundant material aren't exactly complimentary.  so while writing this, i am calming my nerves by eating my body weight in chunky monkey ice cream and watching bad (emphasis on bad) television.  oh, and using piles of academic papers for a blanket.

this past week has been quite interesting with respect to the TZ preparations.  it is quite rare to be so intimately involved in a non-profit in its foundational years and it is both rewarding (to see how much value is placed upon your input) and frustrating (to see how many holes are within the existing system).  and with so many project coordinators being in their early 20's, i feel somewhat isolated in my concerns regarding health care coverage, student loan payments, and a number of other parts of life that not even i dealt with five years ago.  but just as i felt the weight of these issues bearing upon me, i had a chat with the two participants in Kwakiliga last year and heard the warmth in their voices when describing the people we are soon to meet.  little did i know how many there would be: the village numbers 1,000!

and as always, a remarkably humble "thank you" for the continued donations.  without so much as a peep from yours truly, another $600 come in through the pipelines!  $4,087 to date and we STILL have the  event on July 30th!

over half way...

reuters just released an article regarding the worsening famine conditions in East Africa in the coming year, specifically Kenya and Somalia.  the current, flawed favoritism towards using "big" agriculture to combat food shortages is often at the expense of climate health and the  [fiscal] survival  of small family farms who need profits and sustenance most.  but having gauged the amount of arable land relative to growing food demands, the U.N. recently released a statement that "small farms [are the] key to global food security".  read up! it will help you to better understand the need to improve the efficiency of subsistence farmers with limited resources.  wait...i'm doing that!

as for fundraising ... rock on, folks, we've reached $3,487 which means we're well over the $2,000 minimum required before my departure on the third of august.  talk about stress alleviation ... the proverbial mercury is a-rising!  in other news, we're collecting donated items for two different auctions: one is through bidding for good which is currently "live" with 2Seeds items, and the other is for a fundraiser scheduled for july 30th in san francisco.  if you have any goodies (i.e. gift certificates, coffee beans, time shares, etc) please offer 'em up for the sale!

bake sales work. who'd a thunk it...

never would i have presumed that the "third grade bake sale" fundraising approach would actually be a worthwhile event, but let me eat my words when saying i made $140 by selling 28 goat cheese/chocolate truffles and 21 rosemary shortbread cookies to my coworkers at bloomspot (priced at $2 and $1.50, respectively). 

for you inquisitive souls, if you did the calculation you'd realize i should have generated just under ninety dollars.  having made nearly double my anticipated amount, i don't know what to say other than this: i was worried to even announce my departure for fear that i'd get the professional axe, but instead i've earned nothing but prolific support, financial and emotional, plus some super hilarious comments such as "you're way more interesting than i thought".  cherish those.  

cooler still is the CEO's excitement at the prospect of hosting a fundraiser pour moi at our new facility: a super chic art gallery in SOMA.  keep your eyes peeled for details...and if you're at all artistically, musically, or culinary inclined, we're hoping to provide food, drink, music, and an abundance of art for a silent auction.  

lastly, the incorporated photo is of Father Komba, our closest contact in Korogwe who i had the good fortune to meet while at the Boston orientation.  his smile is infectious, and his love for tanzanian food seems all too prevalent in this tomato - centric photo.

fundraising progress...

its been a while since i've given a fundraising update, so in honor of my T - minus six week departure date, please allow me to share the good news that i'm  now a wee bit past 1/6th of the way to my goal!  huzzah! 

the truly phenomenal thing is a modest handful of generous folks were responsible for this humbling sum, and to those thirteen people I THANK YOU!  (you even get capital letters to show the depth of my gratitude).

there are still a few fundraising tricks up my sleeve, so keep checking those in-boxes for some fun and inclusive events that might entice you to leave the house and enjoy the sunny weather that is upon us.  until then, keep up the enthusiasm and support ... its contagious in the best of ways.

but wait!  upon hearing of my progress, my lovely friend and co-worker Renee Grelecki donated $10 ... so let's make that $1315! 

progress. in several regards...

my sister lauren and i had moderate success at our craft table at the winters outdoor quilt festival, especially since our booth was awkwardly placed in a patch of rose bushes.  the highlight may well have been spending the whole day together and eating lox - caper - cream cheese bagels, but on the bright side we were pleased to contribute $90 to the 2Seeds fund from our sales and the kind souls who pulled donations directly from their wallets.

because we still have much that we'd like to sell, both lauren and i will continue to donate 100% of our profits on any sales made between now and my departure. journals?  terrariums? jewelry?   check out these pictures of our craft table and let us know if you're interested in purchasing anything or finding out more about our handmade items.

in other news, i officially have my departure date: august 3rd.  let the countdown (both excitement and freak out) begin! the first two weeks i'll be in korogwe with the other project coordinators practicing our swahili and acclimating to a culture quite foreign to our own.  after that point, each of the project coordinators scatter to their respective sights and begin assimilating to their new communities...families...and homes.  to introduce you to mine, here's a bit of info about my team:

sarah pontier: born and raised outside kansas city, she to ohio (miami university) to complete a degree in international studies with a concentration on african studies.  she's a traveling fiend, having been to almost all 50 states and several other exotic locales including mali, africa and fiji.  and she, much like myself, is an organizational fanatic and avid cooker, reader, writer and consumer of music...but unlike myself, she has a self-confessed pitiful memory.

fatma mnimbo: her home town is arusha (tanzania), but she moved to dodoma to complete a degree in geography and environmental studies.  she is the baby of five siblings, one brother and three sister and her interests are as broad as her siblings: reading historical books, experiencing new cultures and languages, music and film.  she, as a tanzanian, is thrilled to be involved with 2Seeds Network and make a positive chance in her community.

fundraising progress...

thank you to the generous few who have made donations already!  i am so very appreciative of your selfless support, and hope you "pioneers" set an example for the folks who' are still considering donating.  as with all things, the beginning is the hardest part, but growing momentum is on the horizon!  

if you live in the Davis or Sacramento area, please come visit me at the winters outdoor quilt fest where my sister and i will be selling wide selection our crafts and donating 100% of the profits to 2Seeds Network.  pictures of the products will be up shortly, but details of the event are as follows:

saturday, june 11th

10 a.m. to 4 p.m

rotary park (corner of railroad and main streets)

winters, california 

best of all...it's outside!!!