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SAVING THE HUNGRY
  • Why Saving The Hungry
    • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • What Makes Us Different
    • Solutions
    • Financials
    • Sponsors
  • Where We Work
    • Canada
    • Nicaragua
    • Honduras
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  • Volunteering
    • FAQ
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    • Build Your Own Team
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Our Blogs

What A Team!

11/3/2017

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Our latest team of 17 returned home from Nicaragua late last night. What an action packed 12 days! A roller-coaster ride filled with laughter and emotion, with the start of new friendships and new beginnings. 
This was one energized team, that worked and played hard.  During our time in the garbage dump we worked alongside the locals to build 4 homes.  3 of which were for single mothers, while the 4th was for a young family with 3 children. 

Listening to the mothers share their stories was over whelming, with the one mother telling us that she had been living in the most unbearable conditions for over 10 years.  Living conditions where water is leaking through the roof and floors!  I cannot imagine waiting for a home that doesn’t turn into pools of mud for 10 long suffering years.   She stayed close all day watching and smiling as the walls of her new home went up.
The second mother, a petite and gentle lady that giggled all day from excitement.  She found it particularly entertaining when the Canadian giants took a picture with her outside of her new home, I think she reached our belly buttons!    She allowed us to take pictures of the inside of her old home and 3 of our team members cried when they saw her living conditions. 

Words cannot describe the horror these people live in.   The first night, after we had completed 2 homes it poured making our working conditions on day two extremely wet and muddy.    As I lay in my comfortable bed listening to the rain, all I could think about was the families who were lying in pools of water and mud.   
​Due to the poor living conditions many children suffer from breathing problems and this was the case with a little 6-year-old boy, who’s home we built on day 2.
   This little guy desperately wanted to help build but every time he exerted himself he would start to wheeze and cough.   

After the homes were built, we spent some time at The Centre, which is a place of refuge for the children that live in the surrounding slums.   We painted walls and fences and the girls painted fingernails (which was a huge hit). What a privilege to be able to love on these people and to help support them as they pull themselves out of poverty. 
Every time I go back to this country I feel more connected with the people and the culture – coming back to Canada gets harder and harder (especially when the temps are -15😊) 

A huge thank you to each volunteer that worked their butt off to make this team a success, we had such an eclectic group of personalities and ages, but everyone worked in unity to make our time in Nicaragua a success - 5 parents and 10 children’s lives have been changed based on your belief in the work we do.    
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A special thanks to our donors for supporting our efforts to change lives, without you guys none of this would have been possible.   We love you with all our hearts!
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Volunteer With Caution

11/3/2017

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​Have you been thinking about volunteering in 2018?   Picking the right organisation to partner with is extremely important.  There are hundreds of companies to choose from, but not all are created equal. 

Understand their target market.  Is it for young adults, seniors, short or long-term volunteers?  Some companies specialize in large travel groups and others only work in countries where they have the most experience.  If you are planning on volunteering, it is important to partner with a firm that fits your personality and personal values.

Choose an organisation based on reputation.  Ask around….  Who do you know that has volunteered with this organisation?  If you don’t have anyone in your network, ask for at least 2 references.  If they are not willing to share past client experiences with you, then keep looking.  

Volunteering overseas is about making a difference.  Is the organisation involved in relief or rehabilitation work?  When you are considering short term volunteering you want to carefully consider how this organisation is impacting the lives of the people in need.  A lot of damage can be done in high risk communities, if the organisation does not understand the difference between relief and rehabilitation work.  

Is it safe?   Find out exactly what is expected of you and where you will be travelling.  What is their communication plan in case of an emergency?  What cities are you travelling to?  How much physical labor is involved?  How far are you from local hospitals?  Make your decision based on their responses. These questions should be easily answered.  

Get an idea of cost?  Are their any hidden surprises?  How clearly is the cost structure broken out?  Your volunteering experience shouldn’t cost the earth particularly if you are staying in modest accommodations.

​Volunteering is ideal for anyone who feels like life is overwhelming, or for someone searching for something meaningful.  It is an ideal way of finding perspective.   Our volunteers have returned home with a new lease on life along with a greater appreciation for their own – it truly is a life changing experience!
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Hunger Banquet Was A Success!

10/17/2017

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Saving The Hungry just hosted our 4th fundraiser and we sure had a lot of fun in the process. 
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​While our theme was more serious based on the % of population that would eat and those that would only receive a bowl of rice for dinner – all our 94 guests were real troopers.  As they came through the door they would pull a random poker chip that would assign them to their table for the night.  High income (full plate of food), middle income (beans and rice) low income (rice).  

Hunger is about power. Its roots lie in inequality of available resources.  The results are illiteracy, poverty, war, and the inability of families to grow or buy food.  

During the evening we had some more adventurous groups switch food plates, sell their tickets to move to a different table and those who looked at their tiny bowl of rice with a look of surprise as the realization hit them. 
Everyone came away with a strong understanding of what hunger and poverty look like in the world today.  We were, however, careful not to starve our guests completely and the snack trays circulating the room emptied quickly 😊
Our deepest gratitude and thanks to everyone who donated or purchased a ticket.  Your participation is helping Saving The Hungry and our team of volunteers to close the poverty gap and help the families that live on the garbage dump in Cristo Rey, Nicaragua.

Another massive thanks to our amazing team of volunteers that will be leaving this Saturday to work alongside the families and children in the dump.  Without you, your hard work, your friends and family, the work we do in Nicaragua would not be possible.

A special shout out to Paul Woida, Spark Art Gallery, Modern Muse, Growing Greener Innovations and Starbucks for their time and support!  You guys rock!
With everyone’s hard work and commitment to our cause we raised a total of $9450.80!!!!!
Please follow our updates on Facebook, at goo.gl/br737M as we post live from the garbage dump.
 

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Guatemala - Here we come!

9/11/2017

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We are very excited to announce our newest partnership in Guatemala!
Located 10 minutes outside of Antiqua we will be working to support two Not for Profits. 
The first organisation is an Orphanage that has over 100 children ranging in age from 3 weeks to 20.  The orphanage is housed in an old school with a large yard for the children to play.  This is also where our teams will be staying.   We will be painting, assisting house mothers with washing, ironing and helping children prepare for school.   Bring a soccer ball because the boys are all going to be looking for someone to play with them. 
 
The 2nd organization builds home in one of the local Barrio’s (slums) located at a local landfill.  Houses are built from metal with two windows and a door.   The home costs $2500 US to build.  Every house will be equipped with a wood burning stove and a 5-gallon water purification system that costs $2500 (US).   Some of our team members could also assist the workers and founders to drill water wells.
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Guatemala is rich in culture with a warm people that will welcome you when you arrive.   Join us in March 2018 and learn about the history of this great nation.

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Why Volunteer?

8/3/2017

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There are many reasons to volunteer, but for a business professional or entrepreneur it can mean the difference between success, failure and keeping healthy. 
We’re not just saying that either; here are 4 reasons we’ve come up with based on the feedback from volunteers we have had on our past teams.
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1.   Its good for your health
As a business professional how much time to you relax or think about something other than your business or job?   Volunteering takes your mind off your problems and puts perspective back into life.  When you focus on someone or something else, it reduces your risk of health-related issues by 50%.

2.   Stuck in a rut?
Are you hitting a roadblock at work?  Do you feel like you are caught in the weeds or a project isn’t going as well as you had hoped?  Volunteering can give you that sense of accomplishment and keep your confidence levels high when things are work are not going as you had intended.  The confidence boost and distraction will help you push through the work-related frustrations.

3.   Gets your head out of the sand
When you work 40 or more hours a week, you become trapped in your work – home life bubble.  By volunteering your eyes become opened to the world around you, in your own backyard and internationally. 

4.   Volunteer and Vacation
When was the last time you went on vacation?  Travelling with one of our teams, gives you the best of both worlds.  It also allows you to connect with your family in a meaningful way and give your children the opportunity to watch you giving back to another community.  Make a difference, take a family vacation and meet new friends all in one vacation.
Recharge your batteries and be a world changer, we can’t think of a better way to show off your personal brand and add a renewed sense of fulfillment to your life.

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2017 Saving The Hungry.  All Rights Reserved.  Nonprofit No 5120709257
  • Why Saving The Hungry
    • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • What Makes Us Different
    • Solutions
    • Financials
    • Sponsors
  • Where We Work
    • Canada
    • Nicaragua
    • Honduras
    • Guatemala
    • South Africa
  • Volunteering
    • FAQ
    • Projects
    • Join a Team
    • Build Your Own Team
    • Giving
  • Blog
    • Newsletter Feb 5/21
    • Newsletter Mar 11/21
  • Next Trips
    • Honduras Fund Raiser
  • Child Sponsorship
  • Contact