Dear Friends, Family & Colleagues,

In August 2008, we will embark on a mission and dedicate approximately two months of our lives to alleviate poverty and ignorance in Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia.  We will have the opportunity to improve the lives of orphans, vulnerable children, and disadvantaged peoples through a variety of educational projects and vocational opportunities.  We will be joining United Planet, an international educational, humanitarian, and peace-building non-profit charity on our mission in Cambodia. This is the chance of a lifetime for us to be able to make a difference in this world; however we cannot do it without your support.

All United Planet programs are run solely through donations; each volunteer must self-fund their own expenses.  We currently have a combined fundraising goal of $7,700 to cover solely our quest fee to United Planet and our airfare.

United Planet’s mission is to foster cross-cultural understanding and friendship while helping communities in need worldwide.  CNN has recognized UP’s creative and diverse range of innovative initiatives such as volunteer-based multicultural school presentations and an online interactive cultural exchange.  In addition to these educational programs, United Planet recognizes the importance of real life exposure to other cultures through actual in-country experiences. 

United Planet also recognizes that one of the most valuable ways to understand and build cross-cultural friendships is through reaching out, working together, and helping one another.

Beyond making a difference in communities in need, we will broaden our global perspectives and cross-cultural understanding; improve our foreign language skills; work in international teams; develop leadership skills; and build lifelong friendships.

We are seeking your support to allow us to make a difference in Cambodia while growing personally through this special experience.  United Planet is a 501(c) 3 non-profit public charity and your donations are completely tax-deductible.  Also, kindly ask your employer If your firm participates in firm matching, because as a 501(c) 3, they will match your donation. Please take a look into your firm's matching policy and have them match your donation. Our goal is to have all of our donations complete by July 15, 2008 - one month prior to our departure.

If you would like to help us achieve our goal, you can make a donation on our personal fundraising page by visiting http://www.firstgiving.com/mayrajules. Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts.

 
For more information, please feel free to visit United Planet online at www.unitedplanet.org. Should you have any questions about this program, please call us at (786) 417-3760 (Mayra) or (305) 519-3121 (Juliann), or call United Planet at 1-800-292-2316 or 1-617-267-7763. 

Upon our return from overseas, we will take part in United Planet’s CAP (Cultural Awareness Project) initiative and their online cultural exchange program in order to share our experiences globally through online communication with schools and of course with you, our kind and generous sponsor, whom without your donation, none of this would be possible.

Thank you for your generous support which will allow us to make an invaluable impact on the lives of others.

Sincerely, 

Juliann and Mayra