Volunteering | trials in food

“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Gandhi

I don’t have a recipe to share with you today. What I wanted to share is my upcoming trip in April to El Salvador with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Program. Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end the cycle of poverty by mobilizing volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership. In addition to providing volunteer labour, Habitat assists low-income families to build their home by providing donated materials and no-profit, no-interest mortgages tailored to their income level. As the mortgages are repaid the funds are used to build more homes. Habitat’s vision is a world where everyone, regardless of religion, political party, or race, has a safe and decent place to live.

As a part of the Global Village Program, a team of 12 of us from all over Canada will be working with their affiliates in El Salvador to build simple and affordable homes for families in need. El Salvador is the smallest, but most densely populated country in Central America, with over half of its population living in sub-standard housing. The need for housing in El Salvador is heightened by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes that are common to the region.

We will be spending a week, working alongside with the families, to build basic homes that are 450 sq ft in size and include two bedrooms, living and dining areas, and either an outdoor latrine or a bathroom. The homes are made with seismic-resistant concrete blocks and are structurally reinforced with steel to protect against earthquakes.

After completion of their homes, new homeowners pay it forward by assisting with the construction of their neighbours’ houses thus creating a domino effect perpetuating Habitat’s mission.

If you would like to support me and Habitat, that would be awe-some! Here’s how you can contribute to this great cause:

Make a donation on my Giving Page (http://www.canadahelps.org/gp/16609). Your donation will go towards the trip costs, which include basic room and board, in-country transportation, travel insurance and a donation to Habitat for Humanity toward El Salvador’s building projects and the Global Village program. All donations above $20 will be issued a tax receipt.
Or if you don’t require a tax receipt, you can make a contribution to my flight costs via Paypal. My email for the account is yvonneluu(at)yahoo(dot)com.

You can contact me at the above email if you would like more information about this trip. Thank-you so much for your interest and support in advance!