How did you hear about our organization? 

Through my mom actually. She was friends with Angela in high school and reconnected through social media. All growing up I’ve always told her that I want to go on a humanitarian trip and then she told me about her friend who has a nonprofit so I decided to look more into Color My World.



Why did you pick the trip/country that you went to?

Honestly, the only reason I picked India was because I have a slight obsession over beautiful old buildings, landscape architecture, and history so naturally I’ve always wanted to see the Taj Mahal and its grounds. Other than that, I really didn’t know much about India so there was also that mysterious and adventurous aspect to the trip that drew me as well.



Did you come with a friend or your family? 

I came by myself and it was a really great decision. Showing up to a completely new place without anyone I knew really pushed me out of my comfort zone which was awesome and a little terrifying at first. But I made new friends and I feel like it made the trip even more of a growing and learning experience.


Did you fundraise for your trip? If so what did you do?

I had some leftover scholarship money from the school year and I also raised a little bit of money
fundraising with Chipotle.

 

What were some of your favorite activities / projects?

It’s so hard to pick a favorite…

Seeing the Taj Mahal was a dream come true and I really geeked out pretty hard over that. Also riding the elephants and the camels was a TON of fun. I really loved going to the Ikaki village, being lead into the village by the guy playing the drum and everyone coming to greet and welcome us with the biggest smiles was one of the most surreal experiences of my whole life. Talking to one of the nuns at Mother Teresa’s Charity home was also so cool and she was an inspiring lady, devoting all her time to others who can’t help themselves is something I have so much respect for. I really liked finishing off the trip planting trees at Bal Prakash and that we were working alongside, not just for, the people there. I felt like at every project we went to everyone was so happy and welcoming; I loved that about the people in India. Simple, genuine joy is a powerful thing.


What lessons did you learn while volunteering? 

The greatest service is done one by one. We did some really cool stuff that is going to benefit many people but the greatest and most memorable moments for me were the one on one experiences I had connecting with a single person. Whether that was talking to one of the boys at Salaam Balak Trust and him proudly showing me his school work or planting trees at Bal Prakash with my cute little buddy and telling her random stories and hearing her laugh, those little moments were for sure the best times I had in India. I think doing the big stuff like going on a humanitarian trip are very important and necessary in a lot of cases, but nothing is greater or more fulfilling than doing the little things that really show someone you truly care about them individually. People are the most important part of our lives and everyone needs to know and feel they are loved.

What would you tell future volunteers?

Make friends with everyone and don’t be afraid to be yourself! This is more than likely going to be a once in a lifetime experience so don’t waste it. Embrace every moment and get to know the people you are serving and your fellow volunteers. It will make your time all the better and more fulfilling.



Do you have a funny story from the trip? 

The first thing that is coming to my mind is doing yoga at the hotel in Jaipur and the instructor ending the session by saying something along the lines of “this is the most important thing you can equip your yoga arsenal with” and then him proceeding to laugh hysterically for like two minutes while we all just sat there not knowing how to react. Certainly, one of the most hilarious yet uncomfortable two minutes of my life.



Other comments?

It was such an amazing experience! I would recommend Color My World to anyone looking for a great service summer trip!

The post Why I Volunteered With Color My World? – Kali’s Experience In India appeared first on Color My World.

How did you hear about Color My World?

I heard about Color My World from one of my good friends who was wanting to go on a humanitarian trip.

Why did you choose to go to Nicaragua? Did you come with a friend?

My friend and I decided to go to Nicaragua because it sounded amazing and the time frame that Color My World was there worked best with both our schedules. The second summer I choose Nicaragua again because I loved it so much the first time I wanted to go back. The second summer a bunch of my friends came and a couple of my cousins.

What were some of your favorite activities/ projects?

Some favorite projects were going to the local orphanage and playing soccer with the kids, hand mixing cement to lay a foundation on the house we were building, and going to the local dump to play with kids and make/ hand out lunch. Both years I made newborn kits to hand out to mothers, which was so fun and humbling.

What were some of the lessons you learned from volunteering in Nicaragua?

One of the biggest lessons I learned is how important it is to be grateful and more appreciative. These people that we went to another country to serve would always end up serving alongside us, helping however they could. This taught me that I should always strive to be helpful in any situation I can, especially when I’m not asked, because by helping others I will start to develop habits of selflessness which will make my life so much happier!

What would you tell future volunteers?

I would tell future volunteers that no matter where they go it is up to them to make the best of this amazing experience they are able to have. Things might not go as planned, different foods, and creepy bugs could gross you out, but look to all the positive things and focus on serving others and you will be able to have one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences you could have!

Thank you Regan!

Want to share your story? Email us at hillary@colormyworldkids.org

The post Why I Volunteered With Color My World? #CMWvolunteer appeared first on Color My World.

“As I was sitting in a local Chipotle franchise a few months ago, I saw a flyer that caught my eye about fundraisers with Chipotle. Now, normally, if ones goes into a fast food establishment and sees a fundraiser, it is most likely for an elementary school or high school sports team. I decided to take the flyer and when I got home looked into the requirements a bit more in-depth. What I found was that Color My World qualified for most of these fundraisers that I have seen. So, I decided to start the application process and see what happened. From the information I found, 50% of the sales from CMW supporters would be given to CMW after the fundraiser. I was able to pick the location, time, and date and Chipotle even provided me with these great flyers!

So, about 2 weeks before the scheduled event, I created a Facebook event and started sharing and publicizing the night like crazy. I called the event “Chipotle for Charity” and went to town. I picked this night because the Provo location of Chipotle gets a lot of traffic and Monday nights in Utah are big family nights as well as it being a holiday, I expected a good turnout.

I had gotten a corporate email a few weeks before the event saying that we were not permitted to hand out flyers at the location during the event which would have greatly increased our donation. So, I decided to call the manager, Luis, and talk with him about it. He was more than welcome to let us come in to answer questions during the night and promote the fundraiser.

So, the day of the fundraiser came. I printed flyers and picked up cookies for all the Chipotle staff. Having worked in the food industry and just retail in general, I know that cookies and acknowledging what these employees were doing that night would make them more apt to be on our side and help promote the fundraiser.

It started at 4 pm and by 5 pm, the manager had come outside and told me that he was going to count the entire night’s sales toward the fundraiser and that I didn’t need to stay outside. He felt bad I was out in the cold but could see it was something I was passionate about, so he bought me dinner and told me to come inside. Major props go to Luis because he was definitely the Hero of the Day.

The fundraiser was definitely a success and went off without a hitch. Many companies do fundraisers like this or host similar events that allow them to get tax breaks and bring in some good publicity. In 4 hours that night, we raised over $1100 for Color My World! This was a great fundraiser because it allowed people to donate while doing something they would normally do anyway- eat dinner. But if you’re having a hard time coming up with the funds to join us abroad this year, or even next, just get in contact with Morgan Lowe (me), one of our volunteer directors, and she can help you brainstorm and get all the necessary information you need to help get you on one of our trips!”

How can you apply to have a fundraiser at a Chipotle near you!

Click here!

When filling out the application you will need this EIN 20-1831524 and our new address 12231 Joshua Tree Trail, Windermere FL 34786 to register.

This is a great way you raise money for your trip with us this summer!

The post Chipotle Fundraiser! appeared first on Color My World.

The diversity of people, religions, culture and economic challenges abound.

We will be working at several different projects as we travel around the golden triangle of India.

We are only taking 15 people on this amazing journey and like each of our Color My World expeditions this program will sell out fast.

Do something only people of doing with Color My World summer! Come to India and change lives and in the process change your own life.

The post Join us on our Newest Humanitarian Expedition to INDIA appeared first on Color My World.