Author: shelleybriggscallahan
Dandora Community Center
When I visited the Dandora Community Center in 2016, I noticed that even though school let out at 4 p.m., the students, all dressed in matching blue and white school uniforms, stay on the school’s grounds until long after 6. Children milled about the property, playing games, until finally, the school’s principal, James, announced that … Continue reading Dandora Community Center
Partners in Health
"The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world." ― Dr. Paul Farmer If you aren't familiar with Dr. Paul Farmer, you should consider becoming so as soon as you can. I recommend by starting by reading Tracy Kidder's book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, which tells the … Continue reading Partners in Health
MIMSI International
"From pregnancy through birth to motherhood… We are saving lives." I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Winfred (Freddy) Tovar at a MIMSI International fundraiser in New York City in the spring of 2018. My sister, a pharmacist, and Freddy had become friends working in the medical field as well as volunteering in Haiti to … Continue reading MIMSI International
Villa Emilia
“It doesn’t matter which religion you believe in, as long as you help the poor.” – SISTER PILAR When I visited Villa Emilia in the spring of 2016, I was greeted by smiling children and mothers who lined the Home’s driveway leading to its community center, where the kids sang songs and read poems of … Continue reading Villa Emilia
A Vision for Clean Water
In April of 2019, I had the pleasure of participating in a weekend-long training with the non-profit organization A Vision for Clean Water (AVFCW). Based out of Troy, Michigan, AVFCW “is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with the goal of teaching and training others how to design, implement, and sustain clean water and sanitation projects in countries … Continue reading A Vision for Clean Water
Wine to Water
For many reasons, Wine to Water deserves to be one of Begin Giving's featured charities. Wine to Water provides sustainable solutions to the world’s water crisis by working directly with partnering organizations around the world. In the relatively short amount of time they have been in existence, Wine to Water has had a tremendous impact … Continue reading Wine to Water
Friends of the Children of Haiti
In May of 2011, my twin sister Erin traveled to Haiti to work as a volunteer pharmacist for an organization called Friends of the Children of Haiti, which is often referred to as the acronym FOTCOH. When she returned home, she told wild stories about her experience working and hanging out with the volunteer team … Continue reading Friends of the Children of Haiti
Hands Helping Haiti
Happy World Water Day! What a perfect day to introduce Hands Helping Haiti (HHH). About a year ago, the founder of the HHH, Pat, reached out to me via email. He didn’t know me, and I didn’t know him, but after doing some research on his own about organizations that were working in Haiti to … Continue reading Hands Helping Haiti
Maya Pedal
I don’t remember how I heard about Maya Pedal in Guatemala back in 2008. Maybe someone came into the bike shop that my sister Erin owned that I occasionally worked at and mentioned having been there, or maybe I read about it in a bicycling magazine. But when I looked up their website, I was … Continue reading Maya Pedal