Group Fundraising: NJ students working to aid people in need in Kenya

It can be difficult for people in the United States to grasp what life is like without clean water, because it can be found everywhere here. Chris Mileo, a history teacher at Bergen Arts & Science Charter High School in Hackensack, NJ, said that he only gained a true understanding during a humanitarian trip to Africa early in his teaching career. He and his group visited a public school and spent the day laughing, singing and engaging with the children. As his group departed, they left bottles of water on a table for the children to take, and Mileo recalled seeing the children sprint to grab the water as fast as they could.

“It was a really heartbreaking thing, because you understood how precious that water was for those kids,” Mileo said. “Water is the genesis of life, the genesis of everything. And that moment really made a huge impact on me.”

Today, Mileo is an advisor and the coordinator of Pathway to College (PTC), an extracurricular program with more than 40 students at Bergen Charter, designed to enhance students’ preparation for life after high school. An important part of Pathway to College’s mission, Mileo said, is exposing students to life beyond their northern New Jersey bubble, and instilling values of service and humanitarianism.

“Our goal is to try and develop what I call ‘Renaissance men’ and ‘Renaissance women’, who are thoughtful, generous, and really have a deep understanding of the world,” Mileo said. “A big part of that is having them experience all kinds of global perspectives, and understanding that we are all human beings.”

This fall, PTC is teaming up with Embrace Relief in support of this mission. The group has launched a Group Fundraiser project, with a goal of $10,000, for several important humanitarian projects that will aid children in Kenya. The group aims to reach this fundraising goal in early 2024, after which PTC students are planning to visit Kenya, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see firsthand the impact their work will have.

“I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the faces of the people we’re helping,” said Hugo, an 11th-grader and PTC member. “I thought the project was interesting when I first heard about it, but being able to have that experience of being in Kenya makes it even more exciting.”

PTC’s fundraising efforts will target three key areas of need for people in Kenya: hunger, clean water, and education:

• First, the students will take part in two different food package distributions, one of which will aid people in need in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. From there, they will travel on to the city of Mombasa, where they will deliver food packages to children at a local orphanage.
• Next, money raised by PTC will pay for the construction of a new water well that will serve villages just outside of Mombasa, providing life-saving clean drinking water to the community for years to come.
• Finally, the fundraiser will cover the costs of renovations at a public school near Mombasa, including the painting of walls and the replacement of doors.

Each aspect of PTC’s project will make an important contribution to the lives of the people of Kenya, but providing clean drinking water will have the longest-lasting effects. The water well they build will reduce the spread of waterborne diseases, will allow villagers to grow more food for their communities, and will save precious time for the women and girls who collect water each day. And like all water wells built in partnership with Embrace Relief, it will come with a five-year guaranteed warranty covering all maintenance and upkeep.

“It’s such a little thing, clean water, that we take for granted here,” said Matthew, an 11th-grade student in PTC. “To be able to share it with people who don’t have it, and to know that I can make a difference for the greater good, that’s really something I’m looking forward to.”

Opportunities for growth

Embrace Relief Group Fundraisers are a unique way for any school group, community group, or business to make a humanitarian impact. They are open-ended projects They can help instill important skills including teamwork, goal-oriented planning, and determination. For the students at Bergen Charter, who are planning their fundraising strategy to reach their $10,000 goal, this project will be a learning experience of its own.

“It’s a huge goal, but our group is very determined,” said Makayle, an 11th-grade PTC member. “We work well together, and we have a lot of people who have different ideas. This is a very diverse group, and so there are some people who have ideas that I might not think of, and I might have some ideas they might not. It’s a good thing.”

Helping people in need is its own reward, but Group Fundraisers also offer students like Makayle other tangible benefits as well. Performing volunteer charity work with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit like Embrace Relief can set a students’ college application or resume apart, because it demonstrates initiative, dedication, and ability to follow through on your goals. Additionally, teens and young adults who volunteer for Embrace Relief are also eligible for recognition through the Presidents’ Award for Volunteer Service and the Congressional Award.

But ultimately, the joy of a Group Fundraiser is in the knowledge that our actions can have a profound impact on people we haven’t yet met. For Mileo and his students at Bergen Charter, they know their planning and effort will soon pay off. And when it does, they will have made the lives of thousands of people happier, healthier, and safer than before.

“I believe that God gave us life to discover who we are and to help others,” said Arei, an 11th-grader and PTC member. “It’s the only way we can grow as people, and as a community.”

To support Bergen Charter Pathway To College’s “Empathy in Action” Kenya Relief fundraiser, click here.

To learn more about Group Fundraising opportunities with Embrace Relief, and how you can start one for your school, company, or community group, click here.