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About Me:

My name is Lauren Culpepper.  I am a 4th year acting student at the North Carolina School of the Arts.  This summer I have plans to travel to India for two weeks in August.  I will be traveling through an organization called ASTEP:  Artists Striving to End Poverty. 

Why I'm going to India:

As I look back on my acting training over the past several years, I realize that one of the advantages of the profession I am entering into is that it forces one to open their eyes to the world around them. I believe that my purpose as an actor is to present a message to an audience that causes them to view a certain issue or experience differently.  As I have pursued this, I have become increasingly aware of the larger world around me and the needs it is crying for. Over the past year in particular, I have felt a powerful draw—a growing feeling of responsibility—to do something in regards to the ever-increasing poverty and destitution around the world. I consider myself incredibly blessed to have been born in the country I live in and to have had the opportunities I’ve been given, such as a family, home, food, and an education. However, the older I get, the more restless I become in my small, comfortable American bubble. I have never endeavored in humanitarian efforts globally, but I have felt such a draw to this that I can no longer ignore it and I know I must involve myself somehow, no matter how insignificant it may be.

About the Shanti Bhavan School:

Project Shanti Bhavan, launched in August 1997, focuses on children
in their formative years, starting with 4 year olds and seeing them
through age 17. Children who are not physically or mentally
handicapped are selected as it is recognized that caring for the
handicapped requires more funds and expertise than would be available
for this project.

The project started with 48 children and will eventually enroll up to 336
children. The project targets children from the poorest families, and
orphans, who have a reasonable chance for success based on their
level of intelligence. Shanti Bhavan, therefore, is a boarding school for
children of deprived backgrounds. Given proper care, support and
educational opportunities, these children will have a good chance of
being successful in life. It is our belief that only through institutions such
as Shanti Bhavan that the cycle of poverty and social deprivation can be
overcome for most poor people. The multiplicative impact of major
successes for those who are trained in Shanti Bhavan and their families
will be permanent for generations.

The overall goal of the project is to make a positive difference in the lives of poor children and to encourage rural education in the following ways:

•        to break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage, and
•        to enable the children to become well rounded, achieve their full
potential, and become fully productive individuals.

The project is grounded in the belief that the deleterious consequences
of extreme want can be overcome if the problems are tackled in the
early stages of a child's development. It is further believed that children
of poverty are no different than more fortunate children if they are given
a chance to dream and to aspire, and are supported through education
and constant encouragement to realize their full potential.

What my fundraising money will be directed towards:
One of the great things about ASTEP which sets it apart from other volunteer organizations is that it does not charge volunteers to volunteer.  The only cost is the plane ticket.  What your donations will be directed towards is my plane ticket and the possible medical and schooling supplies I hope to take with me as a donation to the Shanti Bhavan school.   ****To all my artistic colleagues:  Please do not feel pressured to give....even though one dollar wiould be well spent and more than welcome!...but even more than that, go to the website www.createsomethinggood.com and learn more about ASTEP and what you can do to make a difference...they even have programs throughout the US*****

To All: Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers August 4-21 and that God would guide me in using my gifts to their fullest potential.  

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!