Today (Feb 22) is my birthday and my only wish today is to share my love for Foundation Escalera and the work they do with you.  This past Christmas break, I went on my second school building expedition with Foundation Escalera. (You can read about it here.)

Please take a moment and watch the video above, it’s a snippet from the expedition video and in it I talk about the stove project and it’s importance to improving health and education. Your donations along with the donations from Live Nation/Ticketmaster last year paid for 18 of the 40 stoves we installed in December in Nichnamtic. 

If you would like to help me celebrate my birthday (you are too kind!), all I am asking for is one of 3 things, pick and choose what you’d like to do.

1.) Like Foundation Escalera on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/escalerafund 

or better yet Take the Pledge to stand with Students without Schools
http://www.causes.com/causes/635109-build-a-school-in-mexico/actions/1592345

2.) Share this video with friends on your facebook page and help me spread the word about the work Foundation Escalera is doing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAdQOHbnWk4 

3.) Consider a small donation to help us do more to improve education for students without schools: http://www.crowdrise.com/stoves 

Thank you for all the support and kind wishes over the past 2 years. You are simply the best people I know!

October Featured Charity: Foundation Escalera

Last year I donated to an organization called Foundation Escalera, one of their programs involves expeditions to the neediest villages in Mexico to build schools as a way to combat poverty through access to education.  So last December I volunteered my time during the holidays to go to Chiapas, Mexico to build a school for some kids in need.

This year I am considering going back for Round 2! A new school, a new village, 200 more kids in need!

If you want to help me go build another school this year, please consider a contribution to Foundation Escalera. The first $1,000 in donations to crowdrise team page will be matched by Living Philanthropic’s amazing anonymous donor CYPHER! Also, the Mexican Government is matching dollar for dollar the amount raised for Foundation Escalera!

Foundation Escalera is a leader in providing educational infrastructure to indigenous villages in Mexico. This summer Escalera will embark on a new project to investigate the secondary education system and finalize an improvement plan for the local government. To this end Escalera is interested in recruiting highly motivated individuals to help support ground level operations in Chiapas, Mexico as a part of the Escalera Internship Program.

Make a contribution here: http://crowdrise.com/lp-dec

How you can help!
$10 Student school kit (part of the ‘Incentives to Learn’ program)
$25 Back pack (for ‘Incentives to Learn’ program)
$75 Buys a bike for a student to commute to school
$100 Classroom school kits (for ‘Incentives to Learn’ program)
$250 Elementary school scholarship $500 Technical training scholarship
$850 High school tuition, room and board
$10,000 Build one junior high school classroom

Want to be a guest blogger on Living Philanthropic?
Join the team and donate to Foundation Escalera at http://www.crowdrise.com/LP-DEC & submit your blog post about why you made a contribution here: http://bit.ly/lp-blogger

Living Philanthropic was founded in April 2010 as one man’s mission to give to charity everyday for a year. This mission is built on a belief that you don’t have to be rich in dollars to make a difference; you only need to be rich in spirit. After completing his 365 day mission, the spirit of giving everyday carries on through his friends and in his mission to continue his micro-philanthropy for a second year. For more information, please visit: www.livingphilanthropic.com

Journal Entry #4: Expedition Escalera

I’ve compiled an abridged journal of my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico building a school with Foundation Escalera. I decided to share my experiences to offer a small glimpse at the work we did and the people we met.

Chiapas 2010 School building expedition with Foundation Escalera Journal Entry #4

Tuesday, December 28th - La Virginia


Photo By Zachary Byron Taylor

“Boy, you gotta carry that weight a long time.”

The next morning, we awoke to sounds of multiple roosters crowing. I looked up at the roof and noticed a hornet’s nest in the rafters and Mark had a hornet on his sleeping bag. I also noticed in the light of day that walls did not go up to the roof, which was pitched. I assume to let air and light in, Marcos had no electricity, no running water, he cooked his meals over an open fire. He lives a modest life.

Most families in this village, collect coffee beans and dry them in the sun. They make about $4 per kilo, roughly $800 per year, if they sell four 50 kilo bags a year. We thanked Marcos for his hospitality, he shook our hands and said “Buenos Dias” as the women next door came running over to say hello. She offered us coffee and milk and breakfast, to come see her cocina. We politely declined, because we had to get to work. The welcoming and giving spirit of the people of La Virginia was overwhelming. Their willingness to share what little food and shelter they have with strangers is something we can all strive for.


Photo by Zachary Byron Taylor

I filled my water bottle and headed to the school site. Teams were installing windows and doors and I worked on caulking the cracks around the base walls and corners. After a few hours, I was recruited to install some stoves, the first woman was Maria, who lived about 8 long and steep blocks away. I had to carry the stove on my back the whole way there. I have never felt more physically challenged before, but I focused on getting this stove to her house. Hiking these inclines with a stove on my back, I couldn’t help but think about how this 70 year old woman does the same hike every day, sometimes carrying bundles of firewood, water, or supplies. It’s amazing. The installation of the stove was a relatively simple process, that included cutting a hole in the tin roof of her kitchen so the ventilation duct could go directly out of the shelter. Once the job was complete, we told Maria we would be back to cement the gaps around the flue.


Photo by Scott Howard

“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”

We hiked back to the school to grab another stove to install, this one for Rosa (pictured below: far right), an 80 year old woman who had trouble with her sight and also only spoke Tzeltal. She had a large cyst on her eye, which made her eyes water constantly. I couldn’t help but wonder if cooking over an open fire in a smoke filled kitchen had any affect on her sight. After a quick lunch, we finished installing Rosa’s new stove. We had to get her okay to cut the hole in her roof, as it was double thick tiles.


Photo by Zachary Byron Taylor

As I was cutting the hole for the flue, three very curious women entered the kitchen and began to ask me all sorts of questions. They were very intrigued by the whole set up, it was almost as if the gossip circle had come into the room. They asked me where the stove was from, how much it costs, where does the leña (wood) goes, is there one left, how can they get one, on and on. I looked out the door over to Rosa, who was quietly sitting on her stoop with a smile, proud of all the attention her new stove was getting. That made me smile, I knew then these stoves were being installed in the homes of the residents most in need.

After the stove was installed, we lit a fire and explained the benefits of using the new stove. Most importantly, how the humo (smoke) would go out through the vent and would be better for her health. I hope that Rosa uses the stove and her granddaughters who help her cook who be able to do so in a less smoke filled room. We shook Rosa’s hand and she said “gracias”.


Photo by Scott Howard

We made our way back to the camp site for dinner. I sat down outside on the stairs of the primary school and about 30 young boys ran over and sat down next to me. I was surrounded by all these little smiling faces looking up at me with such intrigue and interest. It was overwhelming, I asked a few of them their names and what they like to do, they would smile and giggle. It was one of my favorite moments, it reminded me of my nephews and nieces. After dinner, we played a little soccer and passed out candy to the kids. We had our nightly meeting to discuss the next day’s itinerary, the school was almost ready for inauguration.

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here | Read Part 3 here

Journal Entry #3: Expedition Escalera

I’ve compiled an abridged journal of my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico building a school with Foundation Escalera. I decided to share my experiences to offer a small glimpse at the work we did and the people we met.

Chiapas 2010 School building expedition with Foundation Escalera Journal Entry #3

Photo by Zach Byron Taylor
Photo by Zach Byron Taylor

Monday, December 27th - La Virginia

“It always seems impossible until it’s done”

Bright and early, we hit the bumpy and winding roads, there were more curves in the road than I ever experienced, as if the architect was showing off his skill at designing S curves. A lot of people experienced motion sickness, I made it through the 2 and half hour ride okay on mint gum and Coca Cola. Once we reached Ocosingo, we had to load our supplies, tools, and luggage into a caravan of Nissan trucks to get to the village of La Virginia since it was not accessible by the coach bus. Sitting in the back of pick up trucks, we sped over gravel and dirt roads passing rudimentary housing along the way, mostly wooden shacks with tin roofs.

When we arrive at the secondary school, the site where we were to build our schoolhouse, we were greeted by a village welcome, which included music, speeches, and traditional dances by the school kids. My favorite part was this 5 year old kid, dressed like a cowboy, who sang 2 songs. He was so shy, he was afraid to look at us. Once the presentation was over, we set up camp at the primary school, we set up 2 sleeping areas and a kitchen.

Photo by Scott Howard
Photo by Scott Howard

I went back to the school site to begin helping prep the walls for installation. This 3 room schoolhouse was designed using pre-fabricated insulated wall and roof tiles to expedite construction. The insulated walls also provide excellent temperature controls during summer and winter months. I began removing the protective film covering the tiles, helped align the tracks, and assisted with putting the walls in place. The crew head Miguel and his two sons were amazing at what they do, they worked quickly and extremely hard. By the end of Day 1 of build, all the interior and exterior walls were in place! At dinner, we received our goals for Day 2 and our sleeping assignments.

Photo by Zach Byron Taylor
Photo by Zach Byron Taylor

“Immerse yourself in a unknown world, to better understand your own.”

We were given the option of sleeping in the primary school or staying in the home of a family in the village. This was an amazing opportunity to see first hand how the people of La Virginia live, sleep, and work. I stayed with Marcos (pictured above), a 78 year old widower who lived alone. Marcos spoke no Spanish, only Tzeltal which is a Mayan language. He was also a recipient of one of the stoves. Mark, Zach, and I carried his stove from the school site to his home, up and down a few blocks of dirt and rock road. When we arrived at his house, we entered a 8x8’ wooden shack with a large fire pit in the middle of the room which very little room to move around, we put the stove down. Not knowing what to expect I assumed it was is house, until I heard “cocina”, I was relieved to hear this was his kitchen. It’s not uncommon for some families to cook and sleep in the same room, which makes smoke inhalation a major health concern.

We went back to camp to grab our sleeping back and headed back to Marcos house in the dark around 10pm, we find Marcos waiting for us outside. He took us into his house a 10x10’ wooden structure with a tin roof, the walls were slated a with gaping holes revealing the night outside. There was a single thin candle on a tree stump burning in the room, it was the only light. His bed consisted of wooden planks about 2 feet off the ground, no mattress and a few blankets. His other possessions entailed a beautiful, ornate altar with our lady of Guadalupe, a clothesline with his clothes on it, a machete, a hammer, and various wooden planks and firewood. He had cleared an area for us to sleep, we laid down some foam pads and unrolled our sleeping bags. Right by my head, was a huge hole in the wall, I just hoped some kind animal would not find its way into my bag. We tried to talk with Marcos, but his limited Spanish and our limited knowledge of Tzeltal made communication difficult. From non-verbal cues, he asked us if we wanted the light on or off, referring to the thin candle softly illuminating the room, we said it’s your house (“su casa”). He made the sign of the cross and snuffed the candle out with 2 fingers, and proceeded to pray in the darkness in Tzeltal for 20 minutes. In the eerily calming darkness, I feel asleep. (to be continued)

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here | Read Part 3 here | Read Part 4 here

Journal Entry #2: Expedition Escalera

I’ve compiled an abridged journal of my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico building a school with Foundation Escalera. I decided to share my experiences to offer a small glimpse at the work we did and the people we met.

Chiapas 2010 School building expedition with Foundation Escalera Journal Entry #2

Saturday, Dec 26th - San Cristobal

“Preparation is key”

The next morning was a free day before our big dinner meeting, while most of the group went to church, I stuck around and had breakfast at the hotel and had a wonderful conversation with “Mauricio.” We talked about his brief stay in the US, work and his family, and what is what like being deported. I asked him if he ever thought about going back and he said “no”, he was happy living in San Cristobal

with his family. Later, I bought an amber bracelet from him as a gift for my mom. He sells amber jewelry that he and his family make for a living. I spent most of the day walking through the streets of San Cristobal, I made my way through women and children selling all types of artisan crafts from scarves to jewelry to hammocks and other neat handicrafts. It’s amazing to see these very young kids already learning the family business, selling wares in the streets to tourists from Mexico, Europe, and the states. After lunch at Emiliano’s Moustache (that was the name of the restaurant, this is Zapatista country after all), I made my way down a winding corridor of make shift stands and tents filled with merchants selling everything under the sun from fresh fruits and vegetables, dried shrimp, spices, fresh chickens, and more.

Later that night, we had our orientation meeting, where I got to meet the other 40 expeditioners who have all come together for a common purpose to build a school in Chiapas to empower the community by promoting education. During dinner, we were de-briefed on our itinerary for the next day, we received our team assignments and discussed the work that needed to be completed during our stay in La Virginia. We also watched some very moving videos from The Girl Effect campaign. If you haven’t seen these videos by The Girl Effect, please watch them, they are among the top reasons why education is so important. In addition to the school project, there were other projects to do including assembling school supply student kits, infant kits (for mothers), and installing 20 wood burning stoves in the homes of those villagers deemed the most in need. After dinner, it was packing and then off to bed. (To be continued… Parts 3, 4, 5 is when it gets good. :) )

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here | Read Part 3 here | Read Part 4 here

Journal Entry #1: Expedition Escalera

I’ve compiled an abridged journal of my time spent in Chiapas, Mexico building a school with Foundation Escalera. I decided to share my experiences to offer a small glimpse at the work we did and the people we met.

Chiapas 2010 School building expedition with Foundation Escalera Journal Entry #1

Saturday, Dec 25th - Chicago to San Cristobal

“Beginners are many, finishers are few”

I was very nervous, yet anxious to begin work sitting on my five and half hour flights from Chicago to Mexico City to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Transferring terminals in Mexico City is when I first realized I need to work on my Spanish. Landing in Tuxtla, I picked up my checked bag and waited for a ride. I met Paul, Scott, and Lynn (other expeditioners) and we rode around for a hour and a half in a Chiapas government van from Tuxtla to San Cristobal. Looking out the window at the pueblos and driveways we pass in the night, many decorated for Christmas, some alive with music and dancing as someone yells out “Bailar!” over a PA system. The dark sky is illuminated with a vast dusting of stars, definitely the most accumulation of stars I have seen in a long while. We arrive at our hotel in San Cristobal and check in. There was a humorous man, “Mauricio”, selling jewelry in the lobby. We asked him for a good place to eat, he jokingly replied “very good tacos, taco bell”. We laughed and then he gave us directions for El Meson de Taco. We walked through the cobblestone streets of San Cristobal, weaving our way through the town square which was bustling with music and vendors and people enjoying the warm night. When we get to El Meson, it is packed with locals, no touristas in sight, a good sign as to the quality of food. I ordered Tacos Al Pastor, which was shaved off a spit and on homemade tortillas that were rapidly pressed and prepared by one woman behind the grill. These were some of the best tacos I had all trip! After dinner we headed back to the hotel and I studied my Spanish and expedition guide in bed before nodding off. (To be continued…)

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here | Read Part 3 here | Read Part 4 here

All I want for Christmas is…

All I want for Christmas is to build a school in Mexico! In ten days I will be flying to Chiapas, Mexico to build a school with Foundation Escalera! I am so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to volunteer and help combat poverty by promoting education. If anyone would like to contribute to my expedition fund, please visit my chipin page. There are only 5 days left in my fundraiser and every little bit helps.

I will be taking as many photos as I can and keeping a journal, all supporters of my expedition will receive a copy of all of these items as my thank you for helping me achieve my goal.

If you have any questions, drop me a line at livingphilanthropic (at) gmail (dot) com

Happy Thanksgiving!

After 217 days of giving back, there is a lot I am thankful for. I wanted to take this time to give thanks for all the blessings in my life. First and foremost, I am thankful for my family and friends for their ongoing support and love. They help me through each day.

I am thankful for my job and being able to support myself. More importantly, I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to take on this mission and have the resources to give back to charity everyday.

I am thankful for all the people and charities I have met along the way. I thank you for the kind emails and messages of support, those messages have kept me motivated to continue my journey.

I am thankful for the opportunity to go to Mexico to go build a school with Foundation Escalera. My family is a little sad I will be gone for Christmas and New Years, but they know the work I will doing will be worth it. Speaking of the Escalera Expedition, I am so utterly thankful for all the 50+ people who took the time to donate to my Escalera Expedition Fund! You all have a special place in my heart, thank you for your kindness and generosity! Thanks to you I have a flight booked and only have $1,000 more to raise!

I am thankful for having the opportunity to pursue my art and have a certain amount of freedom to explore my talents in an artistic home like Mary-Arrchie. I am thankful for all the company members for their support and friendship.

I am thankful that even through some of the hardest days of this year, I made it through 217 days of giving back. I truly do appreciate your support, keeping this blog has kept me motivated and dedicated to my mission, because I know so many of you are rooting for me. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Escalera Expedition Update

To all my friends and supporters, I thank you so much, we have crossed the half way point on my fundraiser for my Mission: Escalera Expedition. I am so much closer to being able to go to Chiapas and build a school for a village that needs it most. Currently, at 51%, and that’s fantastic! Thank you for your generosity!

If you would like to contribute or help spread the word, the official chipIn page: http://carloescalera.chipin.com/escalera-expedition-2010

And the official eBay Auction: http://shop.ebay.com/res1dca4/m.html

All patrons supporting my mission will receive a copy of my journal with pictures documenting my experience, so you can share in the joy of bringing education to kids in need.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me: livingphilanthropic@gmail.com

Thank you for your time and support.

Much Respect,

Carlo Garcia

www.livingphilanthropic.com

Charity Auction for Escalera Mission

Quick update: So, far I have raised 33% of the funds needed to go to Chiapas with Escalera to personally build a school for students in need. Thanks to the kind support of all you awesome folks! There are 3 days left until the registration fees are due. In an effort to raise more funds to meet my goal, I am selling my favorite possessions on ebay to pay for the expedition!

100% of the proceeds from this auction will go to my Escalera Expedition. Bid now and win some great items:
http://shop.ebay.com/res1dca4/m.html

There are some great concert posters, original artwork by me, Autographed Cubs and White Sox memorabilia, some of my favorite hats, and other weird items. I am going to miss a lot of this stuff, but it will be worth it to be able to build a school for kids in need!

For More Information about my mission or to make a chipin contribution, please visit: http://carloescalera.chipin.com/escalera-expedition-2010

All patrons supporting my mission will receive a copy of my journal with pictures documenting my experience, so you can share in the joy of bringing education to kids in need.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me: livingphilanthropic@gmail.com

Thank you for your time and support.
Much Respect, Carlo Garciawww.livingphilanthropic.com