Hey everyone,
I’m at it again, raising money for my projects in Honduras, but this time I’ve got a new adventure: climbing mountains.
My Story
Honduras is a country the size of Tennessee that lies in Central America. It has long held the title of ‘murder capital of the world’ and 60 percent of the population lives in poverty. For two years of my life, I lived and worked in El Progreso, a small town outside San Pedro Sula – the most dangerous city on earth other than a warzone. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work with five rural communities where 63 percent of people were below the national poverty line. My goal was to bring financial aid to their doorstep. By the time I left, we had provided a curriculum for introductory economics classes to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, built a savings program that incentivized people to save with a bank, and set up a loan program that made $400 loans available to family owned businesses. I had the chance of a lifetime to work with a community of amazing people. Together we achieved some great things, but there is so much more potential for progress.
My Goal DONATE HERE!
My time in Honduras finally expired and now I’m back in the US. But I can’t leave my friends and my projects in the rearview mirror. So, I’ve decided to go on an adventure to raise money for these communities and the 58 clients I served. My goal is to fund each one of my projects mentioned above. Here’s the break down:
Project Description Goal What will this buy?
| Economics Classes | Teaching economics classes as the local school introduces kids to personal finance and gives them a new way of looking at the world using mock markets and games like monopoly. | $500 | Four years of class material, stipend for one teacher to teach the course |
| Savings | We incentivize people with small rewards every time they make a savings deposit. We help them with the paperwork and cover the minimum balance, and for every $1 we’ve contributed, participants have put way $5 of their own money towards child health-care, childhood education, and emergency funds for the family! | $2,000 | Tuition for 15 high school students, 10 doctors visits for sick children, 10 more spaces to bring people into the program |
| Loans | We support a bakery, a convenience store, and a home equity project using large loans, and we seek to continue supporting them into the future so they can earn an income for their families. | $2,500 | Will make $750 loans available to each family, ensure they don’t have to go to a bank or loan shark, and make room for one new participant in the program |
The Challenge
I’ve started One Mountain One Friend One Summer to climb all of Colorado’s 14,000 foot peaks in one summer. There are 58 peaks – one for every client I served in Honduras. The 14ers, as they’re called, present an array of mountaineering challenges and span the better part of Colorado. From July to September 2017, I will dedicate myself to summiting each one. The Colorado Mountaineering Club defines a successful summit as an elevation gain of over 3,000 feet, not including peaks connected by a ridge. I will use this standard to achieve my goal.
How you can help!
$58 – I love climbing and I love my friends in Honduras, but none of it is possible without the generous support of others. Please donate $58 to support this page. For every mountain I climb, $1 of your money will go to someone affected by these projects.
$60+ Donate more, and 5 percent of the added donation will go towards buying food, water, and gear for the climbs. In addition, I will pick up 5 pieces of trash in your name to keep the Colorado Rockies clean and pristine!
Thank you for all your love and support and I look forward to seeing you on the summit!
Jeff Paddock
Jeff Paddock
Suddenly-Human 