Melissa iris Garcia fundraising for Kien Giang, Vietnam - Mitchell Team 2013

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Melissa iris Garcia

From Melissa iris Garcia

friends & family - welcome to my fundraising page! thank you for your interest & support in my pursuit of architecture & adventure.

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About Me

In just a few months I will embark on the biggest adventure of my life in a land far away from home. As you many know, I have devoted my career to designing homes for all kinds of families, primarily in California. When I'm not doing that, I'm traveling the world exploring how other people live. From beach shacks in Jamaica to castles in Austria, one thing that is universal is that everyone needs shelter. I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Oakland while studying Architecture at UC Berkeley. The experience not only enhanced my education about construction but also about people. Working with both volunteers and homeowners I learned the value of teamwork, hard work & gratitude. I feel very lucky to be able to live the comfortable life that have with my friends and family and signed up for this trip to help more families build that same comfort. And of course, I'm more than excited to explore the uniqueness of Vietnam's culture, history, food, landscape and of course, the people. This will be my first trip to South East Asia and my first international trip with Habitat and I thank you for donating to my project. I hope to come back with amazing stories that I hope will inspire another trip in the future! A little about this trip: I will be traveling with a group of about 16 volunteers to Rach Gia, a small developing port town in southern Vietnam of 206,000 people. We will be working with families in the rural areas to help with home renovations.

More Info

While poverty has fallen in Vietnam in recent years, many ethnic minorities and those living in rural areas remain poor. Urban poverty is also a challenge, as towns and cities swell with the influx of people drawn by economic opportunities.

 

Many homes in Vietnam were built informally and without adequate supporting infrastructure. About a quarter of the country’s housing stock is substandard or temporary.

 

Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, established in 2001, specializes in the implementation of sustainable, community-based shelter and water and sanitation solutions. It has experience in rehabilitating and repairing properties damaged by the severe weather that frequently strikes the country’s long coastline. Habitat also works with microfinance networks so families can save and access credit for home improvements, a speedy way to help thousands of families improve their sanitation and housing.

 

We invite you to join our Global Village team in partnering with these families in need to help build safe, affordable, decent homes. There are many ways to be a part of this project. You can donate to an individual team member by clicking on their photo to the left.  You can also share this cause with people in your network. By clicking on the “Share” buttons at the upper right of this page, you can share a link and information about this page on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and many other social media sites. You can also use the email tool to invite others to join in partnering with families in need.

 

Visit this page often. We will post updates, add video and photos, and keep you informed about our progress in Vietnam. Working together, we can create positive change. Thank you for becoming a part of the Global Village experience!

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.

To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International 

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

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