(Just so you don't think I'm starting right off by asking for money, be sure to scroll down and read my introduction in the first post. Then feel free to come back and read this one.)
OK, here's the deal. I've never asked you for anything. I probably haven't told you what my birthday is because I feel as though the day is just unwarranted attention for something that I had little to do with. My relatives hate Christmas shopping for me because my list usually "nothing." So I feel as though I've earned this one opportunity to ask for your help. Since the WorldTeach program is a volunteer one, I won't be making any money over the next year. I'm OK with that, except that there are a ton of expenses that go in to living in a foreign country for a year. My host family needs to get paid to house and feed me for the year. I need to pay for my training. I need to be insured, just in case I eat a sketchy tamale. International flights are sorta expensive.
Because of all this, I'm asking you to make a donation in my name to WorldTeach. I have a $5000 program fee to cover all the costs of living and volunteering in Costa Rica for the year, and I'm hoping that some of you can help me out with it.
There's two ways you can donate:
1. Give online in my name through this link at Universal Giving. This will go directly to WorldTeach, and you can print out the confirmation page to use as a receipt for a tax deduction. Be sure to write in "Daniel Perkins - Costa Rica 2009" in the "Who are you giving on behalf of?" box.
2. If you don't want to go the online route, you can send a check with the memo line of "Daniel Perkins - Costa Rica 2009" directly to WorldTeach at:
WorldTeach
c/o Center for International Development
Harvard University
79 John F. Kennedy St. Box 122
Cambridge, MA 02138
If you want a receipt for your check in order to make it tax-deductible, please be sure to include a quick note and your return address.
Either way you donate, please be sure to include "Daniel Perkins - Costa Rica 2009" as the person to donate on behalf of/in the memo line of your check. Otherwise, it will go to their general fund and not to me. Which, I mean, isn't a bad thing, but my guess is that you'll sleep a lot better at night knowing that you're generous donation is helping me directly.
So please... as the holiday season approaches, think about donating to this worthy cause. Instead of getting someone another gift they don't need, tell them you made a donation in their honor. Thinking about getting me a birthday or Christmas gift? Donate instead. If you donate now, I'll sing your praises and make you famous all over this blog. If you don't, well, I'll probably still call you for a donation anyways, and things will probably get pretty awkward between us. I'm good at that sort of thing. And plus, are you really gonna say no to these kids...
... cause you'd be a pretty terrible person if you did. Just saying.
