Thursday, September 1, 2016

JBFC Ambassadors

Our busiest time of the year for volunteers on our campus has come to a close.  Staff in Tanzania said goodbye to our final school group in early August, and are settling in for a quieter fall without many guests on campus.  


Though things are winding down for the year in terms of volunteers in Tanzania, in the U.S. we hope they are just getting started.  Students, families and interns who visit our campus have such a vital role in our mission.  They are the ones who have seen what we do first hand and are most equipped to share their experience, the relationships they made, and the hope that our model brings to the children we serve.  They are the ones who can tell the stories of girls who are coming out of their shell for the first time, or growing into amazing leaders in Girls Government.  We know that they are our very best promoters. 


In fact, we call them ambassadors.  They are the ones who represent JBFC to their families, schools, friends and communities once they return from their visit to our campus.  Our ambassadors have a crucial role, and we’re so grateful for all they do.  From bake sales to school clubs, ambassadors in the past have done so much.  

Students from Bronxville High School did a brick by brick campaign, selling virtual bricks for $250 to build our secondary school.  

Other ambassadors have asked friends and family to support JBFC for their birthday or Christmas gifts.   One ambassador was able to raise enough to purchase a classroom set of tablets for our school.  
It’s so exciting to see what can happen when ambassadors can use their gifts and passions to help our mission. 

We are eager to hear of the plans of our volunteers who just returned from campus.  Many are already talking of forming a club or giving presentations at their school.  We are hoping that this fall many of our summer volunteers will get their friends and family to participate in our virtual Kilimanjaro climb, Trek Tanzania.

We love supporting our ambassadors by sending them materials, pictures, and resources to share JBFC’s mission with their friends and family.  In 2017, we will have three specific projects that we hope past volunteers will help support when they return.  Whether that’s just sharing pictures and stories of their trip to people who don’t know about JBFC, organizing a fundraiser or party, or saving a portion of their allowance, our ambassadors have already done amazing things for JBFC, and we know that they will continue to be our biggest cheerleaders and some of our most creative fundraisers! 


If you visited JBFC this summer and are interested in planning an event or activity as an ambassador, please contact us, we’d love to help and support you!

Guest Blogger, Diana Booren, is JBFC's Volunteer Coordinator.