The Countdown Continues: Running Towards Tanzania

Just a few short months ago, I received notice that my Projectline International Volunteer Travel Grant proposal had won me the opportunity to travel half way around the globe to a small village in northern Tanzania. Check out the article here. Needless to say, I was a little more than excited (flashback to me jumping up and down).

Since then, I’ve been busy with preparations. Preparing to travel half way around the world takes a bit of work. Gathering information for visas, lining up work permits, sorting out program fees and vaccinations, booking a five-stop-34-hour-one-way airline ticket, lining up a home for my obese feline-companion Rainbow (thanks, Dad!), and oh yeah… literally running like a crazy person to raise money and donations while training for my very first full marathon (yes, that’s 26.2 miles)! At over 400 miles of total training, you could say that these adorable kids at the Tamiha Orphanage  have definitely inspired me to keep pushing myself along this whole journey.

With the marathon  quickly approaching— June 23rd (reposting this blog a little late)—one journey will come to an end (hopefully with smiles across a finish line) just as another begins (with a trip to the other side of the globe) at the beginning of July!

It’s not too late to make an impact yourself! Here are three quick things you can do to impact the lives of these children and women in need:

1. Share my story with friends!
2. Donations on the Hitting the Pavement for Tanzania  fundraising website have closed - with nearly $2,000 raised! But you can still donate directly on the Tamiha website. What exactly will these donations do? $20 pays for an overnight stay at the local clinic, $150 provides 18 women who have HIV and their children enough food and cooking oil for one month, $470 will sponsor a child for one year to attend school (tuition, food, medicine, clothes, etc). I am personally delivering donations to the Tamiha Orphanage on my trip. This includes:
• Food (power bars, protein powder, non-perishables, etc)
• Vitamins and basic medication
• School supplies

If you need a little extra inspiration, here’s a video from a past volunteer to give you an idea of what I’m in for! Nothing like some smiling faces to brighten your day.

Whether you want to donate to the orphanage or just want to connect about your own experiences with volunteering, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a note here or find me on Twitter @thejessiemorris.

To read the original blog post on the Projectline Services Inc. blog, click here.

Announcing the first International Volunteer Travel Grant Winner!

In hopes to catch up on my adventures, I'm reposting a blog from the Projectline Services Inc. blog with an exciting announcement! Check it out!

In late January, Projectline announced its first International Employee Volunteer Travel Grant as an extension of its local volunteer program. Each year, the grant will give two Projectline employees the opportunity to travel abroad to help with a cause near and dear to their hearts.

Projectline’s first grant winner is Jessie Morris, a marketing consultant who has been with the company for nearly five years. “As soon as I heard of the opportunity, I knew it was something I had to do. I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity Projectline has given not only to me, but to the people who will benefit from this volunteerism and the Projectliners who will receive this grant in the years to come. This is truly a unique opportunity and shows Projectline’s dedication to changing the world,” she says.

Jessie will be flying to northern Tanzania in July 2012 to volunteer with the Tamiha Foundation a local nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic andrelated issues. Tamiha serves its community with an orphanage, a vocational school for women, and HIV/AIDS awareness and support programs. Watch the video that Jessie put together to understand the importance of the work Tamiha is dedicated to.

In addition to volunteering in Tanzania, Jessie will be running her first full marathon to raise some much-needed money for the foundation. “It’s crazy to think about how such a small amount of money can go such a long way,” she says. “When you consider that it costs only US$150 to feed all 100 children at the orphanage for one month, it’s hard not to want to make a positive change and support the programs that are dedicated to changing so many people’s lives. Any amount—small or large—helps.”

To make your positive impact, please learn more about Jessie’s efforts and donate by visiting Hitting the Pavement for Tanzania at: https://www.fundraise.com/jessie /hitting-the-pavement-for-tanzania.



To read the original post on the Projectline website, click here.