Hi all, this is Ian! I'm excited to announce that I am planning to accompany Building Goodness Foundation as a construction volunteer on their December 14th-21st trip to Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, where they will be laying sub-slab plumbing for a new school building they are constructing. I have been interning with Building Goodness since August, measuring impact data from past building projects they have undertaken, and now I have been invited to visit and help out at one of their ongoing projects in the field! I will be accompanying two master plumbers on the trip, where I will serve as an extra set of hands and use my Spanish as a liaison between them and the local workers, an opportunity I am thrilled for.

However, there is a trip fee I need support with. Volunteers are asked to provide $1,500 up front, which covers all air fare, lodging, in-country travel, and food. Building Goodness has very generously offered to reduce my cost by $500, on account of my having provided my time for free as an intern, but I still need to come up with with the remaining $1,000 soon. So, lieu of other gifts as the holiday season approaches, I am asking if you can chip in to my fundraiser. This will be an amazing opportunity to contribute to important work occurring in a beautiful, but challenged part of the world, to gain a deeper appreciation for another culture and way of life, and to further my career pursuits in the field of international development. All donations will be very much appreciated!

Building Goodness is a Charlottesville-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, specializing in offering reduced cost construction contracting for other nonprofits, small businesses, and homeowners, both locally and internationally. To learn more about their current project with La Puerta Abierta, visit https://www.buildinggoodness.org/international/puerta-abierta.