this is what i did last week.

what an incredible, challenging, surreal, transformative experience. mèsi, ayiti! i will be back.

habitat for haiti.

{"home sweet home" photo by jeremy cowart}

tomorrow i leave for haiti to help rebuild houses for 100 families who lost everything during the 2010 earthquake.

it's going to be lots of hard work and i know i'll miss my family and my puppy terribly... but it will all be worth it if i can help get just one family into a new, safe home!

see you in a week.

habitat for humanity + haiti + me = one amazing opportunity.

so, dear readers... my life just got a little bit crazier, and i need your help!

i have been chosen as a volunteer for habitat for humanity's 2011 jimmy & rosalynn carter work project in léogâne, haiti. over the course of a week in november, 400 volunteers will work alongside president and mrs. carter to build 100 earthquake-resistant homes and help families in need.

there's just one catch... i need to raise $5,000 by november 30th in order to participate. yikes! the funding will cover chartered transportation, lodging, food, building materials, and ongoing support for habitat in haiti. most of the other volunteers have had since june to raise the money, but because i was chosen from a waitlist, i am in a bit of a time crunch!

if you can donate anything at all, even just a few dollars, it would mean the world to me... and to the people of haiti, who have had nowhere to live for the past year and eight months.

here is the link to my personal fundraising page:

http://www.habitat.org/cd/cwp/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93531879

if you can't afford to make a donation, i would really appreciate it if you could spread the word by posting my story and fundraising link on your blog, facebook, or twitter.

thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart!

p.s. you can find out more about the 2011 jimmy & rosalynn carter work project here.

we have all heard about the devastating earthquake in haiti and seen images of its people's suffering... the best thing you can do to help right now is to make a donation to help support relief efforts.

any amount you can give is appreciated. according to unicef, just $1 can provide a child safe drinking water for 40 days and a generous gift of $50 can provide 40 packets of high energy protein biscuits.

the unicef u.s. fund is absorbing all administrative costs so that 100% of every dollar donated goes straight toward helping people in haiti.

thank you so much for supporting my fundraising efforts... click here to donate.

xoxo,

lesley