Gourmet Grilled Cheese is a Hit!

Hooray for successful fundraising!
Grilled Cheese, Paninis, Cupcakes, & Thai Tea!

If I could describe college life in three words it would be on-the-go. I'm constantly running around, going from class to work to meetings and class again... UCSD runs on an academic quarter system, so I'm always rushing to meet deadlines and finish projects. I'm really lucky if I can fit in a snack break or a lunch date with a friend every now and then.

There is a solution to all of this madness: serving food on-the-go. This week, my AB team coordinated a food fundraiser where we served gourmet grilled cheese, nutella paninis, cupcakes, and thai tea at very affordable prices for students. We propped up a canopy and a table near the center of campus, and tried to reach out to students during lunchtime and passing periods. Our fundraiser was a hit! With the help of Von's Supermarket, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and Cupcakes Squared who generously donated materials for our fundraiser, we were able to raise over $300 for our service project. And that's not all - we're scheduled to continue our fabulous fundraiser tomorrow as well!

I had a lot of fun prepping sandwiches and meeting all of the students that came out to support our cause. Even though our fundraiser required a lot of preparation, the feeling of success and knowing that all of our efforts are going towards a meaningful cause is truly rewarding. I'm so blessed to be a part of this dynamic and enthusiastic team!

This was actually my first experience doing a food fundraiser on-campus. I was so amazed by the turnout and the results. Just because I want to share the love, here are a few tips that worked for our group. I hope your next fundraiser is also a huge success!

Tips for a Successful Fundraiser:
1. Use your resources - See what your neighborhood or network has to offer. Businesses are always looking for opportunities to reach out to the community. Utilize your resources in order to limit your total expenses.
2. Serve with a smile - Customer service is definitely key when working with others. Let them know you appreciate them for taking the time to support your organization. Smile and say "Thank you!".
3. Be creative - Grilled cheese!? Who would have thought? Our fundraising ideas totally came out of the blue. You never know what works until you try.

If you're in the San Diego area or are a UCSD student, the fun isn't over yet! We'll be holding our food fundraiser again tomorrow on-campus. We are also holding a restaurant fundraiser at Souplantation, so come hangout with us!

For more information about our team's fundraisers, check out the links below:
AB Peru's Gourmet Grilled Cheese & Nutella Panini Fundraiser
AB Peru's Restaurant Week

So excited for tomorrow's fundraiser! Be sure to stop by and say hello! :)

In Service,
Jeanie :)

The 411 on Alternative Breaks

Hi everyone!

Officially launched my fundraising page! 

I finally launched my fundraising page last night and began the process of writing letters to my friends and family. Within a few hours I was able to raise over $50! :) Thank you all for your continued support! I intend for this blog to be an interactive project between my friends, family, donors, and anyone that would like to follow my volunteer experience to the Sacred Valley. Really, it's my way of saying "thank you". I am so grateful for the opportunity to volunteer in the Sacred Valley and your support helps this vision come to life. I can't wait to share all of my experiences with you so please follow my blog. I'm updating my blog frequently so don't miss out! 

These upcoming posts are going to talk about the volunteer organizations I will be working: Alternative Breaks @ UCSD and UBELONG. Today, I'm going to talk about Alternative Breaks, or as we refer to it on campus "AB". 

Alternative Breaks @ UCSD 

AB connects students to volunteer opportunities during their academic breaks. For instance, AB@UCSD takes students on volunteer trips during Spring and Summer break. These trips range from national to international. I am doing a Spring break trip to Peru. This year, UC San Diego is sending students to 15 trips - the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Louisiana, and many other locations! 

Each team is made up of 10 students, 2 site leaders, and a faculty advisor. My team meets every Wednesday in order to prepare for our service in the Spring. During our weekly meetings we usually discuss volunteer logistics, plan group fundraisers, and even practice our Spanish! (I know I need to brush up on my Spanish before I go to Peru!) This academic quarter, members facilitated presentations about Peruvian life including the history, government, economy, and other subjects. This gives us a more informed perspective before we head off to Peru. My presentation was on Peruvian culture but I'll write more about that in a later post. AB@UCSD really puts emphasis on getting educated prior to the service project and reflection after the service project. I guess you could say this blog is also a form of personal reflection throughout my volunteer experience.  

AB Peru @ Winter Retreat 

Grabbing lunch before heading off to retreat 

Just a few weeks ago, the entire Alternative Breaks @ UCSD Collaborative hosted its Winter Retreat in Chula Vista. Since our service teams were formed late fall, Retreat allowed us to bond as a group and get to know other UCSD students who were involved with AB. Of course, a service organization can't get together without doing some kind of volunteer work! Groups were designated to various locations throughout Chula Vista to help pick up litter. Although we'd hope our efforts were able to eliminate pollution in San Diego, I realized that pollution encompasses a larger socio-economic issue that cannot be solved just by picking up trash.  

Members of AB Peru, AB Guatemala, and AB Puerto Rico cleaning a creek 

AB is sponsored by an organization called Break Away. (Check them out here). Essentially, the philosophy behind both of these organizations is to inspire life-long active citizens through direct service. At UCSD, these trips use education of social justice issues combined with strong direct service to have a lasting impact on students and the communities they work with. If I wasn't involved with AB, I don't think I'd ever hear about the issue of pollution in San Diego. 

WOW! That's a lot. I could go on to talk more about AB@UCSD, but I'll leave it there for now. :) Check out the links below for more information! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

LINKS 
AB@UCSD | abatucsd.org
Break Away | alternativebreaks.org

In Service,
Jeanie :)

Welcome to my blog!

Hello friends, family, and readers! 

Welcome to my blog! Hooray for first post! 

Welcome to my blog! Here you will find my reflections, thoughts, and updates throughout my volunteer experience in Peru. I can't wait to share my experience with you so please follow me on this journey. It's my first service trip abroad and I am looking forward to all the amazing things I will learn and see. Moreover, I'm really excited to be writing this blog! I have never written a formal blog before (I don't think reblogging pictures on Tumblr counts) so I really hope you enjoy this online project!

If you haven't already please check out my fundraising page at: http://www.youcaring.com/mission-trip-fundraiser/Jeanie-s-Alternative-Break-to-Peru-/40544. I am trying to raise $2,000 to help defray the cost of program fees and airfare. Any amount of support would help and I will be extremely grateful to you.

Also, check out these other pages! My service team has our own Wordpress Blog and Facebook page.
AB Peru Wordpress
AB Peru Facebook Page

Can't wait to get this journey started! Thank you all for your support.


In Service,
Jeanie