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Volume 4 Issue 10 December 2019
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IN THIS ISSUE
  1. TWELVE TEENS AND SEVEN ADULTS BEGIN PREPARING FOR 2020 TRIP TO NEPAL
  2. DEADLINE EXTENDED AND TWO SPOTS STILL OPEN FOR NEPAL TRIP
  3. WATCH "THE FUTURE UNKNOWN" ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
  4. USE AMAZON SMILE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK
  5. THRIVE GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
 
TWELVE TEENS AND SEVEN ADULTS BEGIN PREPARING FOR 2020 TRIP TO NEPAL

Twelve Hudson Valley teens have begun to prepare for the 2020 Heart of Gold Adventures trip to Nepal.  The youth were selected after a rigorous application review, reference checks,  and individual interviews with each applicant.  The teens come from the Rondout Valley School District, Onteora School District, SUNY Ulster, Our Lady of Lourdes in Highland,  and the New Paltz School District, and are a diverse group with a variety of experiences and interests, all bound by a common commitment to service. The first step in the process after formal acceptance is individual meetings with each teen and their parent(s)\guardian(s) to review trip logistics, finances, medical issues, and legal documents.  These took place in early December, and our first full group meeting will take place on January 18.

The 2020 Youth Ambassadors are Alec Trifilo, Charlie Hoolihan, Cleo Verderosa, Dylan Keessen, Emma DiValentino, Harper Branitz, Kaylin Martin, Marcus Tierney, Mia Kline-Dibenedetto, Noah Barrett, Oliver ten Broecke, and Samantha Wong-Pan.

Alec, Charlie, and Emma are returning Youth Ambassadors and will be taking part in a five-day trek in the Himalayan foothills during the trip.  The trek, led by the staff of SASANE, (The Sisterhood of Survivors Network), is designed to support anti-trafficking efforts of both SASANE and the Maya Gold Foundation.  The five day trek will take the teens to remote villages where trafficking is common, and they will be accompanied by Nepali teens from another partner organization, Himalayan Children's Charities.

Joining our teens will be seven Team Leaders.  Acting as guides, chaperones, and teachers, these Team Leaders will be participating in the pre-trip planning process, the trip itself, and will serve as mentors to the teens when they return from Nepal.

Noelle Adamo, Trissa Adams, Carisa Borello, Paul Rubeo, Elise Gold, Mathew Swerdloff, and Amy Weisz are the 2020 Heart of Gold Adventures Team Leaders.

Amy, Noelle, Elise, and Mathew will be returning to Nepal having been Team Leaders in the past.  Noelle and Amy will be co-leading the trek with SASANE for the returning Youth Ambassadors.
DEADLINE EXTENDED AND TWO SPOTS STILL OPEN FOR NEPAL TRIP
Two spots remain for the 2020 Heart of Gold Adventures trip to Nepal and financial aid is available. We encourage interested high school students to apply and find out more about this unique opportunity. 

The deadline to apply has been extended to January 1.


CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO APPLY
 
WATCH "THE FUTURE UNKNOWN' ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
The Maya Gold Foundation offered a seven week long workshop series, "Teen Voices Rising," which six Hudson Valley teen participated in. On December 8, five Hudson Valley teens presented "The Future Unknown" at the Denizen Theater in New Paltz. The teens involved in the workshop created original spoken word pieces for this public performance on topics of relevance to them. Over the course of the workshop the theme of "fear" came into focus, and the notion of moving from fear to hope. The title, “The Future Unknown” emerged as a name for the presentation. The teens shared their written work, art, and music, and reflected on the process following the performance during an audience Q and A session.

Watch the presentation on our YouTube Channel. 


CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO WATCH
 
USE AMAZON SMILE TO SUPPORT OUR WORK
If you plan to do some of your holiday shopping on Amazon, please use Amazon Smile instead.  Your cost is exactly the same, but if you choose the Maya Gold Foundation as a beneficiary, Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to us.  The process is simple and seamless on your end, and we have received hundreds of dollars in donations using this approach.

To access Amazon Smile go to smile.amazon.com.
Thank you in advance for your support.


CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO ACCESS AMAZON SMILE
THRIVE GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED
The Maya Gold Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of funding through the THRIVE: Grants for Youth Programs initiative.  The application deadline for the current funding cycle  is December 21, 2019.

The Maya Gold Foundation has funded over twenty programs for teens in previous funding cycles, and local youth have benefited from music lessons, empowerment groups, art programs, wilderness activities, reading programs, and theatre games.  THRIVE Grants are available to support existing programs and fund individuals who want to develop new programs for teens in New Paltz and the surrounding area. 

We strongly encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented communities and innovative programs that provide unique opportunities for youth.


CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO APPLY
We are now rated as a Platinum Charity on the Guidestar platform.

Click the image to the right to find out more.
We have been awarded the "Top Rated Nonprofit" Designation by Great Nonprofits.

Click the image to the left to find out more and share your feedback.
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Copyright © 2019 The Maya Gold Foundation, All rights reserved.


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The Maya Gold Foundation · 5 Wawarsing Road · New Paltz, NY 12561 · USA

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