2 August 2009

Courtney's Official (as it gets) Hong Kong Letter

Greetings Friends!

My name is Courtney, however, chances are you received this letter
because you know that. I am writing you to let you in on what I am doing
with the next year of my life and how you can be a part of it! I will be
moving to Hong Kong in September to work a fulltime volunteer position
with Crossroads.

If this organization sounds familiar, it might be because I worked with them
6 years ago. In recent months, life has opened up to an opportunity to work with them again,
and I couldn’t be more excited! I am a big believer in the resourceful work
CRI does to alleviate poverty throughout the world and I know the year
commitment I am making with them will bear much fruit!

CRI fights poverty both locally in Hong Kong and in developing nations by
equipping organizations in existence on the field with material goods
necessary to promote the work they are doing in their communities. We are
donated quality excess material goods (from beds to computers to medical
equipment) and match them to organizations that have a need for that
specific equipment in order to carry out the work they are doing. Among the
organizations we have aided are orphanages, job training centers, refugee
centers, schools and clinics to name only a few. Each dollar given to CRI
allows us to move goods worth $7-20 due to the unique model we work with.
This multiplication effect is evident when you look at the thank you letters
and reports we receive back from our consignees; one shipment can transform
an entire community.

Working with CRI was what set my life on a trajectory focused on fighting
poverty and injustice, returning to Hong Kong for this season seems to be a
natural full-circle-cycle. I am eager to bring to CRI what I have learned at
university and with other non-profits.

As I mentioned, this is a full-time volunteer position and along with my
coworkers, I receive no salary. Many have asked how I will manage
financially while I am there. That’s where you come in! I am looking for
people, businesses and organizations to come along side of me and sponsor
the work I am doing at CRI. Primarily, I aim to partner with people willing
to commit to a regular monthly donation that will contribute to my room,
board and other basic costs of living (a detailed budget will be available
for those who want to check it out). My goal is to raise $1,500 per month
and I already have $300 in commitments! One-time donations are needed at the
moment for initial travel expenses associated with starting up a new life on
the other side of the world. We are in this together!

A woman I was talking with the other night raised an excellent point; this
is an opportunity people to participate in the fight against poverty who are
not able to physically go to the front lines themselves. You are an integral
part of this equation! If you know of anybody who would be interested in
this work or the projects CRI is working on, please send them my way! Often
work like this is funded through referrals; so don’t hesitate to spread the
word!

If you are planning on donating, please email me so I
can add you to my growing list of sponsors!
Please don’t hesitate to email me back with any questions or a little good
‘ole fashioned “hi”! I love to hear what you are up to, and it will be
especially nice when I am gone.

You are in my heart,
courtney anne brandt