AGM 2012 - 2013 Newsletter

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Save the Date!

Alabama Greek Missions

AGM Officers President: Sarah Elizabeth Tooker Vice President: Shelby Wilson Treasurer: Mary Wills Marketing Director: Myreete Wolford Recruitment Director: Dave Dent Fundraising Director: Molly May Positions still to be filled: Special Events Coordinator

AGM travels to Nicaragua On the 16th of December, thirteen fellow UA Students boarded a plane and gave up our first week of Christmas break for a mission trip abroad. We had the opportunity to be a part of this journey to Leon, Nicaragua in representation of the service club, Alabama Greek Missions (AGM).

For months, AGM has been preparing for this mission through fundraising, toy drives and meetings galore. Preparation was daunting but when the day came to depart for Nicaragua, the only thing that mattered was making a difference in a third world community. This difference was made not only to the communities we helped, but to us as well and because of that, we want to share our experiences.

Budget Us In 2013-2014

Fundraisers Throughout the Year

Follow AGM to know the dates of our future fundraisers at local businesses and cookouts. Come support when you can!

Save The Dates Fall Events

Cookouts – TBA

Percentage Nights –Oct

Toy Drive – Nov.

Doughnut Sales – Nov.

AGM’s goal is to build two houses in Nicaragua this year but we cannot do it without you. Please keep us in mind when budgeting for 2013

Nicaragua 2013 December 14-21 Sign up for our 2013 trip now on AGMs Website.

Pricing and more information can be found there as well.

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SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS ALABAMA GREEK MISSIONS SPRING 2013

Our trip to Nicaragua In Nicaragua, we worked hard and played harder.

El Ayudante

Community of Trapichito Every morning as we drove to Trapichito, a community sponsored by El Ayudante, and when we would arrive the children would flood around our truck and ask for our

attention all day long. We played soccer and parachute with the children, read stories about different Christmas traditions and completed activities that went along well with our stories. From Rudolph and stockings to Santa Claus and The Christmas Story, we taught and we learned.

By the end of our week, we brought them an actual Christmas. When this came, they did not know what to do because they were so excited! After three piñatas, we began to read “Must be Santa,” when all of a sudden, Santa Claus (Dave Dent) appeared with a large red bag filled with toys! Skateboards and Barbie dolls, soccer balls and toy cars were all given out, making the children ecstatic and the parents relieved.

Greek Row in Trapichito Furthering our help in the community, AGM’s House for Home initiative allowed us to build a home for one of the family’s of Trapichito. The community chooses the family who receives the home and they are required to work on the construction of the home with the volunteers so that the donation was legitimate and valid. They worked as hard as they could and it was evident that they deserved the home that we build. If it was not their efforts that made us believe in them, it was their story.

The mother had three children. The husband left her forcing her to work in the city, a 15 minute drive that she only had enough money to make every 15 days. The children, all under the age of five, had to live with their grandparents, even though they were far too fragile to care for children. The grandfather was working with us all week until the day of our dedication because he was in the hospital for kidney failure. This family was a blessing to us as much as we were to them.

El Ayudante was our home base for the week. Because Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America, El Ayudante took special security precautions, which ultimately allowed our group to work with safe visits and open minds. They are dedicated to partnering with the Nicaraguan people to transform the nation—one child, one family and one community at a time. We could not have asked for a better group to lead us in helping their own efforts.

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SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS

Our Testimony

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Being with the children and giving them a Christmas doesn’t seem like any step forward in the community, but as the community leader said to us at the end of the trip, “If the children are happy, the parents are happy. While you teach the children the way that you have, their parents can have time to do what they need in order to benefit our community in ways you cannot.”

Every time a community leader spoke to thank us for our time and service, we gained a greater understanding of just how much Nicaragua needed our help. We were able to reflect on our fortunes and blessings before heading home to the Christmas rush and we were very thankful for that.

In the end, it was adventures like these, children who stole our hearts and the family who deserved the world who changed the game and gave us a new perspective on life.

By the end of the week, our hearts, minds and stomachs were full, but we were not finished yet. After our time of working with the children and building the home came to an end, we had the chance to hike up the Cierro Negro Volcano and slide down the side! We also traveled to a local market and then had a chance to relax on the beach at sunset.

Work Hard, Play Harder

Website: AlabamaGreekMissions.com Facebook: Facebook.com/AlabamaGreekMissions Twitter: @UAGreekMissions Instagram: @UAGreekMissions YouTube: Alabama Greek Missions Blog: AlabamaGreekMissions.Tumblr.com Email: [email protected]

“Being a part of Alabama Greek Missions has given me the opportunity to form relationships that I would have never had the chance to make. It is the best decision I’ve ever made and I can’t wait to see the future of AGM and Trapichito!” – Margaret Coats, Founder

ALABAMA GREEK MISSIONS SPRING 2013

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SPRING 2016 THE LOREM IPSUMS ALABAMA GREEK MISSIONS SPRING 2013

The Future of AGM AGM Spirituality Where AGM is nondenominational and not forcefully religious, we still believe in the power of spirituality and the support of peers. Because of this, we want to offer our mission as a kind of retreat for AGM members to get away and think in a way that college may not always allow. If you would like to help in the

devotionals of the mission, email us and let us know!

Fundraising Throughout this year we will be doing bar nights, jambalaya cookouts, percentage nights at local businesses, doughnut sales and letter writing to raise money for AGM and the people of Nicaragua.

We will also be taking donations throughout the year, no matter if that be monetarily or in the form of a toy for the children.

If you would like to help, see page 5.

Toy Drive and The Angel Tree Every year, AGM provides a Christmas to the children of the communities in which we serve. Last year, with your help, we were able to provide over 500 toys for the kids, all delivered by the helpful hand of Santa Clause!

This year, we will be conducting a toy drive as well as an Angel Tree for Greek Members to sponsor a child in Nicaragua. Pictures of the kids (with their age and wish list on the back) will be placed on trees in each house around Christmas Time as a way for everyone to personalize his or her donation.

Greek Row in Trapichito The idea is that we will build one or two houses a year, depending on donations, support, volunteers and sponsorships in order to create a Greek Row in Trapichito. The more each Greek house from Alabama contributes, the further our progress goes. These homes are one room and built using minimal products; so standard that they are only about $2,800 to build. That seems like nothing for us, but doing well for a Nicaraguan is making $100 a month. Please keep that in mind while budgeting this year!

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What Can You Do?

If you want an opportunity like this, join us next year. AGM will be returning to Nicaragua in December of 2013 and we are beginning to prepare for it now. If you cannot make it on the trip, your talents are still needed for AGM in the preparation. Whether you can help in networking, fundraising, recruitment, marketing, or anything else, there is a position for you.

To join AGM or for more information, refer to page 6 or visit us at AlabamaGreekMissions.com.

Join Us Next Year: Join AGM

AGM is a student-run, self-funded missions group and because of that, we ask for any help you can offer. Whether that is through participation in our toy drives and fundraising events or a monetary donation to the group, your help is always needed and appreciated. Make sure to keep an eye out for AGM fundraising events, T-shirt sales and toy drives! Help us make our houses into homes and change your own life while we are at it. There is nothing a community like ours cannot do, so why not change the world while we’re at it?

If you would like to donate to Alabama Greek Missions: Simply make the check out to Alabama Greek Missions and fill the check out as normal. Checks may be mailed to: Sarah Elizabeth Tooker 811 13th Street #302 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Help Us Next Year: Donate to AGM

Join Alabama Greek Missions; Become The Mission.


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Alabama Greek MissionsTaking Greek Row to Trapichito

Learn more at AlabamaGreekMissions .com

Dates: December 14 - 21st, 2013

Price: $525 per person��ÅPNO[

Covers food, all transportation, translatorsBring about $50 for one meal and shopping

Join The Mission

Day 1: Travel To Nicaragua

Day 2: TrapichitoAM: Play With The KidsPM: Work On The House



Day 5: Fun DayAM: Climb A VolcanoPM: Party With El Ayudante Children

Day 6: TrapichitoAM: Christmas Party & House DedicationPM: Dinner At The Beach

Day 7: ManaguaAM: Lagoon For Lunch & ShoppingPM: Check Into Hotel & Formal Dinner

Day 8: Travel Home

Itinerary

Flight: All On The Same Flight

Registration Deadline: October 1st, 2013


811 13th Street Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Thank You

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Thank you to Phi Mu, Pi Beta Phi, Delta Zeta, Beta Theta Pi, Theta Chi and Kappa Alpha for the sponsorship of our first home in Trapachito. With your help, we were able to build this home for such a deserving family; our first of hopefully many houses for this community.

Thank you to Kappa Alpha, Theta Chi and Beta Theta Pi for their donations to our Fall 2012 cookout, which helped us raise over $3,000 for our trip.

Thank you to all of the sorority and fraternities who also donated and participated in our trip. With the help of the Greek community, local businesses, and our family and friends, AGM was able to raise more than $10,000, including the costs of the Trapachito home and over 500 toys for the children of El Ayudante orphanage and the community of Trapichito. Without your support, we would never have been able to make such an amazing impact. We are truly grateful.

Join Alabama Greek Missions; Become The Mission.

Alabama Greek Missions

AGM Supporter


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