Erica Dupont - Volunteer America

Erica Dupont learned about GWF when two GWF directors visited her college classroom to discuss service-learning and volunteering opportunities. Impressed by the mission and the genuine not-for- profit approach of GWF, she decided to help out. With a passion for music and a tendency to do things differently, her ideas were refreshingly new - she chose to do a fundraising concert along with a burlesque show. Through her hard work she was able to get 25 local businesses to donate gift cards and other gift packages in which she raffled off at the concert. In the end, she raised over $1,600 for GWF and Wisdom Academy, our partner school in Kitase, Ghana. Her donations went toward payments on a new school bus, many teacher resources, including 11 classroom bureaus to store the resources, and the initial payments to build a water well on the school's new grounds.

Here is an e-mail from her the night before her fundraiser was set to launch:

E-mail from Erica: Tuesday, 27 March 2007 - "People are receptive to the cause and word is getting out that Ghana Wisdom Foundation exists. Perhaps the concerts that your cousin and myself have organized could be an annual thing or maybe they will inspire another person to do the same. Let me tell you that the reason myself and my partners picked your organization was because you believe in it and it shows. There are at least a million other causes we could have worked for but who knows where the money really goes? You believe in what you are doing and therefore we do too, now others do as well."

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Jennifer Vulgaris - Volunteer From America/Ghana

A teacher in Baltimore County for three years, Maryland native, Jennifer Vulgaris was ready for a change of scenery. With her eyes set on Africa, Jen contacted former co-worker and GWF director, Erin Okun, to find out more about GWF's Volunteer Abroad program. After much discussion, Jen decided to sign on for the experience, but would have to wait some months before leaving. In the meantime, she took it upon herself to volunteer from home for GWF and partner school Wisdom Academy by hosting a fundraiser in her hometown of Catonsville. With much help from friends, local businesses who donated door and raffle prizes, and a golf-driving range in her area who allowed her to host the event for the day, "Golfing for Ghana" commenced. The event which raised $500 for GWF and Wisdom Academy was a success and Jen hopes to hold the event annually. Check out Jen's blog to learn more about "Golfing for Ghana" as well as her volunteer experience in Ghana.

Jen's blog: http://golfingforghana.blogspot.com/

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Brad Pease - Internship

After volunteering in Ghana in January of 2006 Brad has always kept a close eye on the happenings of GWF. So when it came time to choose an organization to do ten hours of community service with as part of a college course, his was an easy choice. Brad went above and beyond the required 10 hours of service and asked to become GWF's first intern. His proposal couldn't have come at a better time. With two-fifths of GWF's board traveling to Ghana, Brad served as a main contact and representative back in he states. He organized a GWF display at a near by Multicultural Fair where he sold crafts from GWF's store and advertised for the volunteer program. He also helped coordinate the volunteer activities of a handful of smaller fund raising efforts at his college. Brad's internship helped GWF expand our operations and GWF helped Brad strengthen his resume.

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Max Gulian, Amy Monroe and Mary Williams - Service-Learning / Volunteer Ghana / America

These three NY high schoolers completed the Triple Crown of volunteer work when they decided to get involved with GWF in the summer of 2007. They volunteered from home when they set up a display and sales table at a local fair and when they organized a fundraising concert in their home town of Ossining, NY. Combined, the two efforts raised over $1,000 for GWF. Then, in the ultimate service-learning opportunity, the three friends traveled to Ghana to learn all about the cause they supported and to see, first hand, how one fundraising effort could effect a school in Ghana. In Ghana, each student was able to offer extra classes to the students of Wisdom Academy during Ghana's school break. Max tutored young students who were struggling with reading. Amy taught a creative writing class to older classes. And Mary taught a photography class to students, culminating in a field trip to the scenic Aburi Botanical Gardens to test their new photography skills.

Avis and Zoe Larson - Volunteer Ghana/America

This mother and daughter duo traveled to Ghana in 2007/2008 for a winter vacation. Before they left, GWF helped connect them to a local artist in Ghana who specialized in making wax prints and other canvas paintings. The two were able to connect the artist with the school and a weekend workshop was set up. The artist came to Wisdom Academy and taught selected students basics of wax painting. Knowing the intricacies of any trade is a huge step forward in Ghana. The students did an amazing job and were able to create a few works of art. Avis and Zoe took home one work of art from each student. In the summer of 2008 and they rented a booth at their local county fair and sold Ghanaian crafts, including their students' artwork, to raise money for Wisdom Academy.