But first, let me take an #UNselfie

In 2013, the Oxford Dictionary declared the world selfie as the Word of the Year 2013. Made popular by a recent song, selfies have really become a generational phenomenon. Parents will take selfies with families at holiday parties, friends will take selfies at happy hours -- even presenters and teachers will take selfies with their participants!

Now, what's the buzz about an #UNselfie, you ask? Well, the term #unselfie was coined in 2013 (the same year selfie was declared Word of the Year, remember?) to show the world why YOU unselfishly support the efforts of #GivingTuesday. Still wondering what #GivingTuesday is? From the official #GivingTuesday website, "We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, December 1, 2015, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give."

So, here is my #unselfie for you:

This #GivingTuesday, I give because I believe in #educationforall, and I support the good work that our @starfishchange Scholars have accomplished! #UNselfie

I recognize that education is a privilege, and it's one that has given me the opportunity to advance in my career and service in ways I never could have achieved otherwise. I am grateful for my Villanova undergraduate and Loyola graduate experiences, as well as my public school foundation in Baltimore County, MD (go Dulaney!). 

This week, there are events all over the country to support our Scholars! Want to hang out with like-minded people while raising funds for a great cause?? Join us in Baltimore MD, Washington DC, Hoboken NJ, Manchester CT, Wilmington DE (twice!), San Francisco CA, and Villanova PA for some awesome events. 

Not in one of those cities? Have plans on Tuesday, December 1 (some events are on 11/30 or 12/2 - check the events page to be sure)? You can always give online in honor of #GivingTuesday. Just add #GivingTuesday to the memo of your donation!

Another way to help is by sharing YOUR #UNselfie! Tag us @starfishchange (Twitter and Instagram) -- we can't wait to see what you share. If you aren't yet convinced, here's a sneak peek at some fun Starfish selfies :) Enjoy!

Genesis and me during the trip this summer. She asked to send this to her pen pal, David G.!

Anna and I at the talent show in August. We were SO EXCITED that you all supported our fundraising campaign to the level where we could get glow sticks for the kids! I'm not sure who was more excited, in fact. ;) It was a great night!

Jenn and I at the Olympics on Sunday morning. She brought so many shirts so she could join a number of teams! (Don't worry though -- she wasn't a fair-weathered teammate. I think she ended up timing most of the activities!)

Itaty and I - I hadn't spent much time with her before this trip in August, but she is queen of the soccer field. Luckily, I was assigned to her team (the white team!) for Olympics. We didn't win overall, but we did place well in the soccer tournament!

The Top 5 Reasons We Started Starfish

Happy fourth birthday, Starfish! I'm so excited to celebrate this day - I remember when Jenn and I began, I had the thought, "It might last one year, and that's great! Or, it could last 5, and that's awesome. Or maybe even 10 or 20!" Look - just one year out from my next 'mile-marker' -- we've come so far!

I thought it might be fun to share with you a little bit about why Jenn and I decided to start Starfish.

1. We knew we had to give back to those we love, who had given us so much. We had just returned from a powerful year serving in Guayaquil, Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo. We had met these incredible families that had opened their homes to us through offering us food, love, hugs, a listening ear, and so much more. Even if we weren't in this neighborhood specifically (which Starfish isn't), we wanted to support that beautiful culture of hospitality, faith and service.

Some of the children from some of my favorite families, in a neighborhood behind the one where I lived, called Elsa. 

2. Carpe diem. We had to sieze the day! What a better time to do something really crazy then when you just finished doing something else really crazy?! In all seriousness, Jenn and I both knew it was a little nuts -- we were told we shouldn't make any big life decisions during such a powerful transition, but ya know... sometimes your heart just speaks louder than your head. Neither of us had many serious commitments at the time, so it seemed like a reasonable time to take a leap of faith.

3. To put our faith into action. Jenn and I are both dedicated to our faith. We are both Catholic, but we're on the same page that faith is faith -- and it means doing good works when you are able to serve those most in need. We both love the Jesuit traditions (Jenn having gone to Fairfield - me now studying at Loyola, plus spending time at a Jesuit parish in Baltimore). The notions of serving those most in need rings loudly in our hearts, and it's something we take seriously.

4. "She who sees is responsible." Taken from the motto of Notre Dame Preparatory School, we knew we had to do something about what we had witnessed. We had seen (and still see) so many families struggle to make ends meet with food and shelter alone, that education seemed to be a daunting task for our loved ones. We had seen the challenges with finding income, maintaining health, and working for justice - and we knew we couldn't sit still.

5. Because of Hugh, and Dr. Albert Schweitzer, and Villanova. Hugh O'Brian started the famous HOBY Leadership organization, one that I'm quite involved in. Dr. Albert Schweitzer inspired Hugh to start HOBY after a trip to Africa, where Schweitzer asked, "Hugh, what are you going to do about it?"

My family and I with Hugh O'Brian himself!

Around the same time we returned from our year in Ecuador, Villanova (my alma mater) had just started their Ignite Change, Go Nova campaign. The entire campaign focuses on supporting Villanova community members to do things just like this. What perfect timing! I remember visiting campus for the first time after I returned back to the U.S., telling professors and friends that I wanted to start a nonprofit. No one even doubted it -- the common answer was, "Great! Tell me more."

So, Jenn and I decided to ignite some change... and look where we are today. :)

The banner that really inspired my passion to go forth with this project.

We hope you enjoy celebrating this 200th blog post and this 4th birthday with us today -- and here's to many more!

Con cariño,
Beth

Meet our newest volunteer, Danny!

This week we hear from Danny - a recent Villanova graduate and Starfish's newest volunteer. Danny has worked with Starfish at Villanova through Business Without Borders and a class where he helped design a Salesforce database specifically designed for Starfish's unique needs. Now Danny personally gets to see the Foundation that he has worked so hard to help over the past year or so!

Danny with Starfish volunteer Andrew, helping Yesenia and Yamileth with their homework.

Wednesday, June 12

"This past week has been a bit of a whirlwind of learning new things, meeting new people, and going to new places. I have never taken a Spanish class and know very little Spanish, so using and learning Spanish was definitely a worry of mine before coming here. It has been kind of fun communicating with students using English, Spanish, hand motions, etc. I have been quickly trying to pick up the most important questions and phrases in Spanish. Most importantly, the first question that the students always asked me during my introductions involved “Barcelona or Emelec?”(The two soccer teams in Guayaquil).

Danny's first day with the kids. (Jenn's note - Danny chose Barcelona for his Guayaquil team!)

Communication with me usually involves a student saying a sentence to me in seemingly very fast and mumbled Spanish, me have a confused blank stare on my face, the student changing the sentence to a few key words, me understanding a couple words, another person helping with translation, and finally unanimous jubilation after comprehension is reached!

Danny helping André with some English homework.

I have enjoyed helping students with their English homework. English is not an easy language to learn! It has also been a lot of fun playing games (Uno is my personal favorite) and sharing knowledge of English and Spanish with each other.

Danny & Andrew playing Uno with Starfish Employees Marcos, Yuliana and Valeria during the break!

In the four days that I have been with the students, I can already see their talent, potential, and leadership skills. Quick story: For Solange’s birthday today, we had cake. Once the cake came, a couple curious very young children came and quietly watched us eat. Without being asked, some of the Starfish students went out and offered their cake to the children. I was very impressed with the servant leadership qualities displayed here. Ecuador, and the rest of the world, needs places like Starfish to provide environments for talented and caring leaders like the girls mentioned above to flourish. I am excited to continue to learn and help where I can during the rest of my time here!"

The afternoon crew in Guasmo!

A sneak peak of June at Starfish

At Starfish we try to keep the kids engaged in their learning by doing many different activities.  Today, Abraham and Santiago both finished their work early and decided to show us their drawing talents.  Check it out!

       

                                                     



Beth came to visit us this past week, and we have yet another new volunteer - Danny!

Danny and Beth showing their Villanova pride at the Starfish Integration Day.

Stay tuned for more updates on Beth's visit, Danny's volunteer experience and last Sunday's "Integration Day" where the students from both neighborhoods got together to share in a special day as one big Starfish family.  Here's a sneak peak!

Starfish students, new & old at the first "Integration Day" of 2013 in Flor de Bastión.

An Evening for the Stars!

Two weeks ago, a dream became a reality. Dr. Klingler's Social Entrepreneuship class had come up with the idea of "An Evening for the Stars" last spring -- a benefit dinner, hosted at Villanova, for our Starfish Scholars. Lo and behold, one year later, it was a major success!

The event was incredible. People came from far and wide -- some even traveling from Connecticut and New Jersey! In total, there were about 40 guests in attendance, plus the wonderful Business Without Borders (BWB) team, who staffed the event.

Highlights of the night included:

A beautiful table of raffle prizes, including a purse donated by Profugo, and incredible silent auction items, like picture frames (handmade by Kaitlyn Dormer, a BWB member and co-organizer of An Evening for the Stars), Ecuadorian crafts and photos of our Scholars.

The a cappella performance by Minor Problem -- and the "outstanding" cheer from some HOBY volunteers!

Martin Garcia's speech -- Martin was Starfish's first volunteer intern in Ecuador, and his words eloquently described how much of an impact the Starfish Scholars have on his life.

The extraordinary array of food, including beans and rice and fried plantains -- so Ecuadorian!

So many of our supporters coming together -- Jenn's and Beth's family, Dr. Klingler and Dr. Arvanites from VSB, past and present BWB members (including BWB co-founder and Starfish Accountant Dave Grady and current BWB president Danny Newell), HOBY friends, Villanova alum and more.


In total, we raised:

• $1,641.50 from ticket sales
• $1,190 from the silent auction
• $270 from the raffle
• $3,320 from other donations

Overall, that's $6,421.50! This doesn't include a few expenses that we are still reconciling, but overall, the event was a huge success in both 'fund-raising' and 'friend-raising.'

We owe a huge thank you to quite a few people.

Firstly, gracias to Kaitlyn Dormer and Erin Digan, who organized the entire event. From soliciting donations at the Villanova Print Center to negiotiating with the great staff at Dining Services, they worked their charm around VU to have the greatest impact possible for the Scholars. Kaitlyn's graphic design skills are impressive, and their ideas to make recycled craft centerpieces was truly a hit. We cannot thank you both enough!

Additionally, we'd like to thank Dr. Jim Klingler (pictured here, with wife) and Dr. Deb Arvanites (not pictured) and for their generous advice, support and enthusiasm for Starfish.

To Business Without Borders, we are so grateful for your constant energy for Starfish projects.

VU Dining Services did a fantastic job at catering the event, Minor Problem provided excellent entertainment, the DJ provided great music, and VU Print Center made the materials possible.

Our most heartfelt gratitude to Martin Garcia, for the ripple effect he's created at Villanova for Starfish. We're impressed by you, Martin, and we are so happy to have you as a part of the Starfish family.

Last, but certainly not least, we thank our families for all the support and assistance with this project. It was great to have you be a part of this event, and we couldn't do Starfish without your support!

Gracias a todos, por todo.
Con carino,
Beth and Jenn

Martin's journey with Starfish

Hi, my name is Martin Garcia and I am excited to be interning for Starfish this summer. I will be a senior at Villanova University. It was at Villanova that I first learned about Starfish. I was taking Professor Klingler’s Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship class and we were asked to work with Starfish to help raise funds. 

Martin and his group presenting their semester's worth of ideas on fundraising for Starfish.

Our group decided a Benefit Dinner at Villanova would be a great idea because Starfish was Co-founded by Villanova’s own Beth Awalt. The Villanova community is always looking to help support their own. 

Our more creative fundraising idea was to start a photo project with our wonderful scholars in Ecuador. Our hope is to emulate what was done in the documentary “Born into Brothels.” We are hoping to help the student’s raise their own funding for school supplies, books, and uniforms by selling photographs of their home-life environment in their own artistic representations of life. I also see this photo project as giving something tangible to the kids. They’ll be keeping their photos and making their own memories. For many of the kids, it’ll be the first camera they have ever used.

Martin, pictured here with The Starfish Foundation co-founder and Villanova University alumna Beth Awalt (front right), along with the rest of the group from the Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship class.

I feel blessed that Villanova’s President, Father Peter Donohue, and the Center for Global Leadership of the School of Business gave me financial support to make this internship possible. 


So I am back from my training in Guayaquil. Jenn prepped me on everything from which busses to take to how to put money on my cell phone. I was lucky to have Jenn training me because she knows everything there is to know about Starfish, its partners, and most importantly the student scholars and their families. Hands down, Jenn is Awesome!! 

I now feel confident about returning to Ecuador on July 5th and being able to get to where I need to go and do what I need to do to make my stay a success! The best part about orientation was meeting all the Starfish Scholars! Walking into their homes, they were instantly friendly offering food and whatever else they could despite their disadvantaged economic conditions. The scholars are also very smart and responsible. I am leaving tomorrow to go back to Ecuador and I am really excited to go back!!

--Martin Garcia, Villanova University Class of 2013

The Starfish Foundation, Inc. summer intern

Social Entrepreneurship at Villanova!

We've been so blessed to have such great support, particularly from Villanova University. As a Villanova alum, this past fall I was able to connect with Dr. Jim Klingler in the Villanova School of Business. Dr. Klingler has been an invaluable resource to Jenn and I, lending insight on multiple occasions from his experience with international non-profits. He reommended I read Forces for Good, by Leslie Crutchfield, to learn some of the most important findings from a study on impactful non-profit organizations. Crutchfield highlights themes such as forming partnerships, advocating for a cause, inspiring evangelists, adapting, sharing leadership and networking.

This past spring, Dr. K offered us the opportunity to propose a project to his Social Entrepreneurship class. Jenn and I first Skyped the class from Guayaquil in January, when I was visiting and Jenn had just arrived. We proposed for a group to design sustainable fund-raising ideas for  our organization. Two weeks later, I met with Martin, Erin, Jay, James, Ayyoub, and Ashia to discuss ideas.

The Starfish team at their final presentation!

Photo by Dr. Jim Klingler

The group spent a semester learning about impactful social entrepreneurship endeavors, culminating in a final presentation about ideas for sustainable funding for Starfish. I don't want to spoil the surprises, but let me say that the four ideas presented were great! One in particular was quite original, and it provides a great avenue for Starfish Scholars to collaborate in our program. Another included some stellar planning for our benefit dinner this fall - appropriately named "Dinner Under the Brightest Stars." The third project detailed ideas for some website revamping, and the fourth project assists in grant research. A HUGE thanks to the Starfish Team for all of their hard work this semester!!

Martin, Peter, Ayyoub, Ashia, Jay, Beth, James and Erin at the final presentation!

Photo by Dr. Jim Klingler

--Beth Awalt, Co-Founder of The Starfish Foundation, Inc.

Villanova Math Department sponsors a Starfish Scholar!

Most people don't think too much of March 14 -- but every math nerd knows that Pi Day is a special holiday! (Starfish's co-founder Beth Awalt was a math major at Villanova.)

This year, Villanova student and Math Club president Jessica Carroll wanted to do something special to commemorate Pi Day. Jessica decided to hold a bake sale for The Starfish Foundation! Check out the bake sale ad and Beth's article in the Math Department newsletter.

In a mere few hours, Jessica and the Villanova Math Department (supported largely by Marie O'Brien and Lorraine McGraw) raised enough money to sponsor a Starfish Scholar for one year! In the days that followed, over $285 was raised. Thank you Jessica, Marie and the VU Math Department!


Want to fundraise for Starfish with your school or organization? Email thestarfishchange@gmail.com for more info!