Catching up - update on expenses/donations

Wow, it's been a while since I've updated! A lot has happened- and most of it wasn't related to my trip so it's taken me away and given me a solid distraction.

I executed my silent auction (thank you, Facebook!) I made about $1000 from my auction alone! That still knocks my socks off and if I had time, I'd do another auction. It was so fun checking each auction daily for comments, bidders, to see people competing to win and know that my friends were winning some really awesome stuff. (That reminds me, still need to close out a couple of those suckers!)

Today I met with Jane and Melinda, the other trainers for this venture. I've 'known' them both online for several years but we hadn't managed to meet in person until today- to, you know, plan our trip to Africa together. LOL Silly! Still, we got together and it was like we'd known each other all the time, it was easy and fun and we are a spectrum of perspective, experience, and methods. It's going to be some shenanigans to teach this workshop!

I'm still raising money- things are always more expensive than you think they are and I have several vaccinations ahead of me (each of which I have to pay for out of pocket), travel insurance to purchase ($70 or so), and a list of things on Amazon that I need to cart with me on my trip. My flight will be about $1600+ last I heard. Still waiting to pay that sucker and that will nearly wipe me out. I underestimated the amount of money I needed to raise, and I thought I was raising more than I needed! Playing catch up now.

Expenses that I've paid so far:

$165 (passport, passport card + fees)
$550 - Deposit to hold my spot on the trip
$2125 - Remainder due to fully pay for my spot on the trip
---------
$3061


Still to pay for:

$1700 - Flight from Seattle to Entebbe (not sure if that includes checking bags, taxes, etc.)
$409 - Vaccinations (Hep A, Yellow Fever, Malaria prophylaxis, and Typhoid)
$220 - Items needed for my trip Amazon.com list (not including baby items, teaching items, donations to the clinic, etc.)
$70 - Travel insurance
$300 - Travel/trip money
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$2699

Obviously I'll need to trim some fat somewhere if I can't get my money raised, and I won't be able to bring donations with me of childbirth education/teaching supplies, or baby items, if the funds aren't raised.

Right now I've raised a total of:

$4989

This has been generated by generous cash donations and the online auction, and will hopefully be topped off this weekend with my rummage sale.

Time to start sorting stuff! Thank you everyone who has made donations, large and small, and who have been encouraging and supportive as I've been juggling the fundraising with my medical treatment this summer! Let's keep going, we're almost there!

Webite is up and running

Boy, it seemed to take me for-e-ver to find a site that offers free websites that had a template I liked. Darn my Libra pickiness! Either way, I found a good home at moonfruit.com and now I have a gorgeous website that hopefully help me to promote the fundraisers that are underway.

Take a peek!

In the meantime, it seems there's a bit of a lull on fundraising and that's mainly because of my recent health issues, I haven't been able to focus on anything else. Now I'm moving forward and still very committed to getting to Shanti in September. I am starting to grow a little anxious about the fundraising and a lot is riding on these events being successful.

In the meantime I have to get in touch with Melinda and Jane about this training and seeing where I'll fit in. I do have an outline from the original doula trianing I was writing about a year ago and need to send that over so we can start hammering out details. I'm a little overwhelmed with wanting to cover important topics, but also needing to identify what those topics might be in an audience that isn't limited by a doula's scope of practice, where cultural differences may cause things to vary somewhat (or a lot), and making sure not to be so American-centric that the information makes sense to the audience.

At the end of the day, being with women in labor transcends culture in some ways - soft words lovingly spoken, firm but gentle touch, reassurance, a look in the eye of strength and trust in the process her body is taking. Birth makes us very basically human and sets a common ground. Surely there are traditions in place that vary by culture but no matter what, the loving community stands guard in some way, holds a space, sends out hope for a safe passage.

Deposit paid!

Well, I've paid my deposit, there's no turning back now!

I'm trying to stay on top of the fundraisers and plans- but have been dealt a little set back with my health that needs attending. While I'm tending that I'm trying to keep my eye on the fundraising ball, so to speak!

The next thing I'm going to do is get the paperwork together for my passport. I've emailed my doctor about the vaccinations I need (yellow fever and any others I want to update) and how that will work with my treatment, so I'm waiting to hear back from her. I also will need to figure out how to get malaria prophylaxis ahead of the trip but I have some time to sort that out.

Right now I'm working on getting my health issue settled, keeping momentum behind the fundraisers and starting to talk with the other trainers about our 10-day doula training! I'm very excited and can't wait to meet all of the folks who will be teaching this workshop as well as attending it.

Please keep your eye on my fundraising plans and participate as you are able to. If you have questions at any time, don't hesitate to let me know, I love hearing from people with their enthusiasm and ideas!

Deposit done!

Wow, I have to say- it's pretty amazing that in I think less than 10 days, I was able to raise $500. I haven't even held one of the planned events and haven't done any sort of solid marketing outside of Facebook- and look at the outpouring of just generosity and love that I have been so lucky to receive!

So what's happening now?

I will get my deposit done so that I can hold my spot- only 10 people are going and I'm hearing that the two-day doula training (we need to plan/schedule/develop.. ah!) is a major marketing piece of this trip. No trainers, no training! So I definitely need to get my buns in gear on the fundraising.

I have had the most amazing and creative ideas come my way for fundraisers, including offers for help. Here is what I'm working on right now (and could use help with minding the details, if you're interested!)

* Portrait Fundraiser courtesy of Elaine Turso Photography.
  -- $20 gets a 15 minute session and a free 8 x 10, and I keep 100% of those proceeds
  -- $50 gets a 30-minute session and two free sheets, and I keep 100% of the proceeds

* Pin-up Portrait Session by Raina Skye Photography
 -- We're still working out the details of this (it was conceived literally, five minutes ago) but it's looking like we need someone who wants to do pin-up hair and make up. Sessions will be $50 and you get a treasure to send to your partner (or keep for yourself!)

* Multiple direct-marketing fundraisers, including Scentsy, Creative Memories, Tupperware, all linked right on my blog so hit those up!

* Fundraiser from Little Earth Co., an awesome WAHM who makes soaps and other treasures, also linked on my site

* If I can raise the funds to do a Comedy Night fundraiser at the Cloverleaf in Bremerton (it's $400 down and then we keep profits), I'd love to schedule that - we'll see if I raise funds in time to make that happen. I think it would make a major dent in what I have to raise AND we'd get to have a great time out!

* Bake and Rummage sale at The Clothes Line in Old Town Silverdale. The date is currently scheduled for the end of August but it looks like I need to have all of my funds together by August 1, so we may need to rethink this one.

So my next goal is another $400 so that I can pursue the Cloverleaf Comedy Night, which I think will really go a long way toward my goal!

I can't thank everyone enough for your donations, for sharing the information about this trip and for investing in me in all the ways that you do. I am so grateful!

Fundraisers

I'm convinced that if I just open myself to all possibilities, and say yes to the things that arise (as they resonate with me), that I'll make it to my goals.

I'm less than $160 from my first goal- to pay the $500 deposit to hold my spot. Only 10 people are going on this trip and I so clearly see my future on the plane, landing, dreaming and amazed, that I just can't fathom that not happening. I see it as clearly as I see this computer in front of me.

I have to look into this yellow fever vaccination. Curious how sensitive I can be about vaccinating my kids but when it comes time to take a trip to Africa I'm pretty much ready to sign up for whatever they want to throw at me. Tetanus? Sure! Yellow fever? Absolutely! Malaria prophylaxis? Yum!

It does make me nervous that I could get sick on the trip but not so nervous that I would stay home. The fact that Jane has been there before, with her own daughter, too, makes me feel a lot more comfortable but I wouldn't say that over all I'm anxious about it. Just aware - and wisely so, I think.

It's so funny how when people are talking about travel and they say they've been to Africa, it's met with "ooooooh", and a lot of intense curiosity and sort of a group pause, in wonder of the idea of it. Africa seems so mysterious and I think there's something in me that feels connected to our human history. A little piece of me feels like it's always meant to go, belonged there somehow. Countries and politics aside, the land calls to me like gold calls to Pirates (of the Carribean. ;)) I just have always known I would go.

Trying to balance all of this fundraising with dealing with the health issues I have currently happening as well as all of my other commitments and jobs this summer is a trick. I realize that as much as I'd like to protect my family from all of it that I think it would be better and easier for everyone if we all were involved, even in some small way, rather than me putting it all in a bubble and trying to keep life normal. (Whatever 'normal' is around here!)

So right now what I'm looking into are a few things that have a wee bit of momentum behind them already:

• Three fundraisers via direct sales (see the Fundraiser links on the side of the blog? Click them!)
• Begging people via Facebook, email and this blog.
• A rummage sale at a local consignment shop whose owner volunteered her parking lot. She's rather amazing.
• Book a party with Red Spiral Henna in June and I'll donate 50% of the party proceeds to the fundraiser.
• A mini-spa/silent auction event where people can come and get pampered and have some snacks and champagne, and hopefully make a purchase too!
• A friend told me about one of the little bars in Bremerton that does a comedy night fundraiser. You pay $400 up front and then they put together the acts, and then you decide on ticket sale prices. I need to look into it a little more- I don't think this is something I could pull off alone and I'm nervous about risking the $400 - and I understand that the bar isn't going to risk losing money on something like that, too. I have to think about it.

I'm accepting other ideas, and especially offers of help because I am just one woman and while I am pretty amazing, I am not able to do absolutely everything. ;)

It's happening :)

I have officially raised enough money now to make my first purchase - if I were to do it now. My passport! I will need to get my passport but from the website, it takes a couple of months generally to process. I have a little time. I've decided that gathering the first $500 for the deposit for the trip is more important, so that's my first goal.

Today, I gained $175! I need $200 more to reach the first goal of $500. I'm getting a lot of offers of help and will be meeting with a friend this week to talk about a mini-spa/silent auction event. I heard about a local venue that will do a comedy night fundraiser- it costs $400 up front and then we sell tickets and promote the event. I don't know if that's a risk I want to take but it could be a really fun (and possibly press-release-worthy) event, too.

So much to do!

There is just SO much to do to prepare for this trip- to even get close enough to know for sure I'm going. I have to buy a passport for the trip and meanwhile worry that I won't raise the funds for it. I am planning fundraisers that sound like they're going to be a lot of fun and hopefully well attended- and still, I may not know for sure I'm going until it's down to the wire! It makes me really nervous.

Right now I am talking with a friend (I did it, I asked him!) about possibly using his venue for a little event I am thinking might work out well. More details on that when I have them.

Another friend, a local business owner, offered her space for me to do a garage sale and so we're hammering out those details. I'm trying to keep people posted without being overwhelming, and I also am trying to mitigate my nervousness that people won't donate.

The best part though, is just when I feel most nervous about it, someone does donate, offers a silent auction item, or offers to help in some way. I need to trust that what is meant to happen will- and that whether it's what I'm planning or not, it will still be a delicious journey getting there.