How did you hear about our organization?

Color My World hosted an information session at my library! My friend’s mom told us about it and we all decided to attend it together. The Hughes family is also originally from my hometown so I had heard about their nonprofit from word of mouth.

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

I traveled to Nicaragua in the summer of 2017 and Guatemala this past summer. I first chose Nicaragua because it was the cheapest and I had honestly never heard anything about the country before, so I was really curious. This past summer I chose Guatemala because I wanted to try a different country and I loved the idea of staying in an orphanage! Both trips are very different from one another, so I would definitely recommend both.

Did you come with a friend or family member?

I went with friends for both years! If you’re nervous to go by yourself, don’t hesitate to invite a friend along, just make sure you don’t stick with them the whole time 🙂

Did you fundraise for your trip? How so?
For Nicaragua, I created a Go Fund Me page where my family members could donate! I then used that money to buy donations for the people of Nica including candy, toys, nail polish, etc.

What were some of your favorite activities/projects?

My favorite part of Nicaragua was visiting an orphanage for young girls. I brought a bunch of makeup and we gave everyone makeovers! At the end of the day, the sweetest girl Amy wrote me a note and I still have it hanging up in my room.
In Guatemala, I loved being able to bond with the children because we saw them every day for the whole week. Eventually, they began to learn our names and would be so excited to see us in the morning. One of my favorite memories was when I walked into the room where we eat breakfast and one of the young boys exclaimed, “Good morning, I love you!!” in broken English and my heart just about melted. In both countries, I loved being able to experience the amazing food, the unconditional love of the people, and going to church.

What lessons did you learn while volunteering?

I learned a lot about how service affects both the people on the receiving end, as well as those that are doing the giving. Seeing the joy on other people’s faces from simple acts of kindness will change your world forever.
I also realized that you will never be able to change the entire world, but if you focus on just changing one person’s world for the better, that’s a great start. CMW gives you the tools to change a dozen or so lives each week, and I promise, they will never forget you.

What would you tell future volunteers?
Don’t be scared! The entire Color My World family is so welcoming and you will feel at home in no time.
If you came on the trip with people you already knew, go out of your comfort zone! Try sitting next to someone new at dinner each day, and you will be amazed at the kind of people that Color My World brings together.
Don’t pay for cell service! It’s such a refreshing break and makes you appreciate it a lot more when you go home 😉
Don’t worry if you don’t know Spanish! Love, selflessness, and joy don’t always have to be expressed through words.
GO! You won’t regret a minute.

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

This is a perfect way to get your families involved in the gift of service during the holidays!

Combine a basket with family and friends!

Last year, we delivered 49 baskets to Blessed Sacrament Church in Manchester and 4 baskets to families in need in Bedford.

You can see the power of community in the photo….it really does take a village.

Enjoy a quick story on our 2013 experience-

When I arrived at the parish, I was informed that the church’s food pantry was robbed last night, the turkeys and all of the food on the shelves were stolen.

When we arrived with the 50 baskets they informed us that YOUR donated baskets made the difference as 300 families were arriving tomorrow and they were short at least that many baskets as a result of the robbery.

She said….”It is amazing how things like this just work out……”

I nearly broke down in tears as I know it was frigid and cold for you all this weekend, many without power and some hustling back from weekend trips etc, to get a basket to us.

When I heard about the issues at the church, I was humbled by the amazing people that surround us.

Thank you ……Your baskets were like manna from heaven. – Angela Hughes

Baskets will be delivered by Blessed Sacrament Parish in Manchester, NH that do so much to help the poor and the needy.

#‎feed‬ ‪#‎colormyworld‬ ‪#‎thanksgivingbaskets‬ ‪#‎spreadjoy‬

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We also attended a summit with the Govenor of New Hampshire and Volunteer NH.

Here are some photo highlights of the day.

Hillary and Chase meet with the Govenor of New Hampshire

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Hillary and Chase with Gov. Lynch, NH.

In 2005, the StarMight Foundation, A 501c-3 NH Non-profit Organization,”Empowering Young People To Find Their Passions And Use Them To Make The World A Better Place,” began an initiative called the New Hampshire Board of Youth Volunteers.

For two years, 16 middle and high school students, representing 12 different NH schools, collaborated monthly to plan and implement the very first conference about volunteerism in NH designed BY youth FOR youth.

Their work continues today…..

“Together We’re Creating A Whole New Paradigm!”

The NH Board of Youth Volunteers (NHBYV) serves as a network of young volunteers from around the state of NH that exemplify the power of youth. This Board of Youth Volunteers has been designed to bring youth volunteers, between grades 7-12, together throughout the year to plan, organize, execute and promote the very first NH Youth Conference on Volunteerism. The purpose of the Youth Conference on Volunteerism is to provide middle and high school students the unique opportunity to network, learn, and be recognized for their commitment to community service.

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Hillary and Chase Hughes led the effort.

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It was the first time our family had participated in such a program and we were sold!

We McClain moved, the program folded and it was a decade later that we decided to launch our Feed New Hampshire program featuring Thanksgiving Baskets at Color My World.

“A new study is providing a glimpse into who’s going hungry in New Hampshire.

The study by Feeding America was done by surveying people who use food programs across the Granite State. It found that 1 in 9 Granite Staters don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Food programs serve more than 100,000 people in New Hampshire. Volunteers in the state donated more than 30,000 hours last year to fight hunger, but despite their best efforts, the New Hampshire Food Bank said the need is growing.

“We particularly want to make sure that those veterans who are struggling with food insecurity or homelessness or both get our help,” Hassan said.

Keith Howard runs Liberty House, a shelter for veterans. Seven years ago, he was homeless, and he wants those who donate to know they are literally saving lives.

“Each and every one of you is responsible for getting food to food pantries in Nashua that kept me alive so I could do the job I do today,” Howard said.

Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas said he’s concerned that so many children are going hungry in New Hampshire. In some Manchester schools, more than 80 percent of students are on free or reduced lunch.

“They get that meal at lunchtime, but that may be the only hot meal they get all day long,” he said.”-WMUR

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