Hello everyone and welcome to my fundraising page!

With great excitement, I have accepted the opportunity to serve as a Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) volunteer. I'll be volunteering with Juventud para Cristo, a child rights non-profit in Montevideo, Uruguay starting in September. I will be one of more than 20 young adults serving on behalf of the ELCA in four different country programs around the world!

As part of accepting this call, I am asked to raise at least $5,000. If you are able, I humbly ask you to help me reach my goal and support my fundraising efforts with a donation today. Through your donation, you join me on this journey as I grow in my own faith and walk in partnership with our global companions. I will be sharing blog posts throughout the year with my donors so that you can follow my journey, learn more about my service placement, and hear about how I’ve grown in my community.

My call to YAGM

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted plans and changed the course of life for most. As some of you may know, after graduating from college, I was supposed to depart for Colombia to serve in the Peace Corps. While I was disappointed with things not working out as intended, God, as always, had other plans. In hindsight, I am incredibly thankful for the way things have worked out and feel as though everything has fallen into place. During these two years, I was able to help my father in his battle with cancer by donating part of my liver, and also landed my first job in my field, gaining invaluable experience in international development. These events have shaped the course of my life and have been my silver lining in this pandemic.   

When I applied for Young Adults in Global mission, I was initially hoping to use it as a backup plan in case Peace Corps never came to fruition. But, after learning more about the program and moving through the interview process, it became my first choice. As I am pursuing a career in international development and humanitarian assistance, I have always planned to do some type of volunteer work internationally. It is a key opportunity that allows one to understand different cultural contexts and gain more experience serving others, particularly the marginalized groups that development aid and organizations aim to help. However, in the YAGM application process, I came to realize it's my faith that draws me to this career in the first place. It is through my work that I can live my faith. For me, YAGM provides a fourfold opportunity to learn about myself, grow in my faith, deepen my understanding of Latin America, and gain the necessary experience to better serve others and observe how development works at the community level.

Support me for one day, week, or month!

A gift of $50 is all it takes to support my year of service! You can support me for one day for $50, one week for $350, or even a whole month for $1,500. The total cost for my year of service is $15,000 over about 10 months. I will be so grateful for your support in any amount. Thank you — your gift truly matters!

This page is set up to receive donations from individuals only. If you’re giving on behalf of a congregation or other organization, please visit ELCA.org/YAGMgive or get in touch with me for information on how to give via check.

About Young Adults in Global Mission

The ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program provides young adults, ages 21-29, the opportunity to grow in their faith and work in partnership with our global companions. Young adults in the program serve in churches, schools, and social service ministries. In the past, the program has engaged in work in Argentina and Uruguay, Australia, Central Europe (Hungry and Serbia), Jerusalem and the West Bank, Madagascar, Mexico, Nepal, Rwanda, Senegal, and the United Kingdom. Currently, in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, YAGM has limited the number of volunteers and service locations.

The total cost for one young adult in the program is $15,000. Each young adult is tasked with raising a minimum of $5,000 to help support their year of service. The ELCA commits to raising the additional $10,000 per volunteer through generous congregations and individual donors. If more than $5,000 in gifts is received, the additional funds will help support other young adult volunteers and the future of the Young Adults in Global Mission program.