Natalie Bee's Fundraiser
It's More Than Just Shoes
Join in helping me distribute shoes to those in need in Managua, Nicaragua with UNA Alternative Breaks!
Colleen Scidmore
"I think it’s amazing that you are trying to better the world! Good Luck in Nicaragua. 😊"
$10
I've always strived to make a difference - no matter how small or insignificant it may seem - but this trip with Soles4Souls and the University of North Alabama Alternative Breaks program will allow me to make a difference that is unarguably big. This will also be my last trip with my university.
I've been a part of the Alternative Breaks program for the past two years. Since then I have traveled to several communities to help make a positive impact and have been greatly impacted myself from the experiences it has given me and the people whom I have met.
I started in Maryville, Tennessee with a trip focused on environmentalism and Native American issues, which initially sparked my love for this program. From there I went on to co-lead a trip to Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro, North Carolina which focuses on one of my major values, animal rights. And just a few months after that trip I went to Desab, Haiti and learned of the government corruption that exists there that before I knew little to nothing about. And this month (March 2019), I am leading a trip to Roanoke, Virginia with a group of students to focus heavily on community development and its importance.
The hopes with all these trips is that we will bring back some of these values into our own communities and be more aware of where help is needed and to become active citizens no matter where we are.
The Alternative Breaks program is very dear to me and I can wholeheartedly say has shaped me into the person I am today. I can't imagine my college experience or even my life without it. I love talking about these experiences with others and can't wait to share stories of Nicaragua with others when I come back home.
My hope is that after graduating I still can find a way to take trips such as this because I really feel they are important and it's so rewarding to not only help others but to experience other communities and its people. The world is bigger than it seemed when I was younger and it's simply not enough to be kind to your neighbors. I want to be kind to the world and show I care.