December 2024
Today is not just another day. It's a new opportunity, another chance, a new beginning. Embrace it.
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We got our first site visit!!! Yes, the Wolcott Family Foundation (WOLFF) “visited” us via zoom. We had a great conversation and I got a chance to connect with a phenomenal mother-daughter team. Even if we’re not one of the finalists, I am grateful to the Wolcott Family Foundation for giving us this wonderful, amazing opportunity. I hope to start my own foundation later in life, much later, cause the funds are not there yet and this opportunity provided a great insight to what is possible.
What would the funding provide?! It will free our time and energy so we can really focus on our outreach to expand our program to two sections. The chances of us raising $5000 is highly unlikely even if we focused all our energy on fundraising. And without that money, we cannot expand. We’re not interested in increasing our numbers just for the sake of growing but rather we want to increase our visibility in Aurora and make our program more accessible to students who really need to realize their power beyond the 25 students, beyond the city of Aurora, beyond the US. Yes, I do see the potential of the our program to reach internationally to all age groups. I believe in the ability of our team to create the kind of space for meaningful conversations in community.
This month in November, we also had a productive board meeting. As two of our dear board members, Maria Ignacia Miranda Santis and Clara Lee, plan to step down at the end of this year, we will be searching for 3 new board members for the new year. Here are the expectations for the board members:
Prepare for, attend, and actively participate in biannual meetings
Serve as advocate and ambassador for the organization and fully engage in identifying and securing financial resources and partnerships
Fundraise and/or donate $50-$300 (based on sliding scale)
Volunteer 1-3 hours a week (depends on the skills and availability of the candidate)
Attend workshop, dinners, potluck, and gatherings (optional but highly appreciated)
We will be sending a broad request but invite a few, key people to join our board in early December. So if you are interested or know someone who might be a great fit for our organization, please complete or share our board application form.
And finally, we will be launching a new website with a new logo which would align with our targeted focus in the new year. This will take some time but I am excited at displaying our work more effectively and beautifully.
Welcome, welcome to the new year ahead.
Sam Joo
CEO and Founder
November 29, 2024