• Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • Donate
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
  • Volunteer Portal
  • e-Catalog
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs
      • Aguada – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Groups
      • Corporate Volunteers
      • College Student Volunteers
      • High School Student Volunteers
      • Professional Assocation Volunteers
  • Individuals
      • Retiree Volunteer
      • Solo Traveler Volunteer
      • Family Volunteers
      • Professional Volunteer
  • Projects
    • Community Work Projects
      • Delivering Essential Services
      • Teaching Conversational English
      • Supporting Community Development
      • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
      • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
      • All Service Program Dates
  • Impact
      • How we Measure Impact
      • The Power of Giving Impact
      • One Child at a Time
      • RCP Program Documentary Film
      • Tanzania Food & Nutrition Center’s Impact Evaluation
      • ORG in Action
  • Support
    • Donation Opportunities
      • Donate Now
      • Changemakers Club – Monthly
      • Gift Catalog
      • Matching Gifts
      • More Ways to Give
    • Foundation Opportunities
      • Funding Opportunities for Philanthropic Partners
  • News
  • Request Information
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu
  • Donate
  • Gift Catalog
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
  • –
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs
      • Aguada – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Groups
    • Corporate Volunteers
    • College Student Volunteers
    • High School Student Volunteers
    • Professional Assocation Volunteers
  • Individuals
    • Retiree Volunteer
    • Solo Traveler Volunteer
    • Family Volunteers
    • Professional Volunteer
  • Projects
    • Delivering Essential Services
    • Teaching Conversational English
    • Supporting Community Development
    • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
    • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
    • All Service Program Dates
  • Impact
    • How we Measure Impact
    • The Power of Giving Impact
    • One Child at a Time
    • RCP Program Documentary Film
    • Tanzania Food & Nutrition Center’s Impact Evaluation
    • ORG in Action
  • Support
    • Donate Now
    • Changemakers Club – Monthly
    • Gift Catalog
    • Matching Gifts
    • More Ways to Give
    • Funding Opportunities for Philanthropic Partners
  • News
  • Request Information
  • e-Catalog
  • Volunteer Portal
News and Updates

Because I have been given much, I too must give

Last Christmas break, I was given the opportunity to volunteer at the Puericultorio (P.P.A.) orphanage in Lima, Peru with Global Volunteers. During my time at P.P.A., I was thoroughly trounced by the orphans on the soccer field and learned, first hand, the challenges of holding the attention of 3rd graders for more than 3 seconds. Perhaps the most humbling aspect of my trip, however, was a realization of the gaping chasm that existed between the vast number of opportunities I had been given that others had not. This realization prompted action to at least partially address the imbalance. In this way, the idea for the Great Transversal of Minnesota was born.

Limited Internet and cable access in Peru provided ample opportunity for undisturbed reflection. My thoughts always led back to my arrival, how it was marred by delay after delay and the intense frustration I felt at being a victim of circumstances completely out of my control. I realized the intense frustration I felt during my trip was something the children of the orphanage live with every day of their lives. No one consulted them about being born in a shantytown with a family unable to care for them, or worse, want them. They didn’t choose to live in a walled compound while other children their age got to enjoy unimaginable freedoms: trips to the zoo, the movies, vacations with their families, and the like. It was then I realized that of everything the children lacked, the most glaring was opportunity. At the same time, I learned of Global Volunteer’s academic sponsorship program. The idea is simple: a sponsor provides money to send a qualified student from P.P.A. to college. Yet even though it costs a mere $500 per year to sponsor an individual, the program was forced to turn away several deserving students in 2008 due to a lack of funds.

My conviction to sponsor the children of P.P.A. in their college education was catalyzed by an anonymous quote read by a fellow volunteer: “Because I have been given much, I too must give.” From this conviction, the idea for the Great Transversal of Minnesota slowly crystallized: I would apply my passion for endurance sports towards raising scholarship funds for the orphans and hence transfer some of my abundant opportunity to the underprivileged orphans of P.P.A.

Being young, idealistic, and impressionable, I kept the idea in the back of my mind. Only months later, when I was brainstorming ways I could raise money for college scholarships for orphans in Lima, Peru, did the idea to use The Great Transversal occur to me. Suddenly everything made so much sense. This crazy little idea, conceived many months ago in the sweltering heat of the Minnesota summer, has finally come to fruition.

On June 6th, I will begin a 400-mile, 7-day trip across Minnesota. Travel from the North Shore of Lake Superior to Rochester will be solely human powered, involving kayaking, swimming, biking, rollerskiing (similar to rollerblading but with ski poles), and running. My goal is to raise $5, 000 dollars in sponsorship. All funds will be donated toward college scholarships for the orphans. More route details will be forthcoming, but the adventure will begin with kayaking in Lake Superior and will finish when I run the final 20 miles into Rochester, my hometown.

– Mike Torchia, Peru volunteer and college student http://www.greattransversalofminnesota.blogspot.com/

 

 

(If you’d like to contribute to Mike’s effort: http://donations.globalvolunteers.org select “fundraising page to view” and click on “Mike Torchia.”)

 

 

http://www.globalvolunteers.org

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
May 4, 2009/by Michele Gran
https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png 0 0 Michele Gran https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Michele Gran2009-05-04 04:34:002016-06-02 16:59:09Because I have been given much, I too must give
1 reply
  1. Lynsi
    Lynsi says:
    May 5, 2009 at 8:25 pm

    This is fantastic, Mike! Thanks for your hard work and good luck!

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Partner Communities

  • China (62)
  • Cook Islands (46)
  • Cuba (119)
  • Greece (75)
  • Italy (59)
  • Malaysia (3)
  • Montana (56)
  • Nepal (22)
  • Peru (120)
  • Poland (97)
  • Puerto Rico (5)
  • St Lucia (62)
  • Tanzania (253)
  • Texas (7)
  • Vietnam (33)

Categories

  • Classroom Assistance (13)
  • Conversational English (97)
  • Cultures and Traditions (125)
  • Development Impact (122)
  • Family Volunteering (54)
  • Free Time Options (63)
  • Group Volunteering (18)
  • Mental Health Projects (15)
  • News and Updates (144)
  • Partners' Stories (18)
  • Projects for Professionals (26)
  • Reaching Children's Potential (246)
  • Ripple Effect (7)
  • Service-Learning (50)
  • Staff Worldwide (27)
  • Volunteer Voices (618)
  • Why I Give (18)

Tags

American Indian culture Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English Cook Islands Volunteer vacaion Cook Island Volunteers Cuba people-to-people Cuba volunteering programs Earthbox gardens Essential Services family volunteer abroad family volunters food insecurity Funding your fee gender equality Health and nutrition healthcare High school groups Island volunteers Labor projects live together in peace nursing retiree volunteers Spring break students volunteer student volunteer summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader volunteer volunteer abroad volunteer benefits Volunteer impact volunteer in Cuba volunteer in the Cook Islands volunteer vacation volunteer with seniors wage peace work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

Get Global Volunteers News Here!

Enter your email address to receive fresh new posts in your inbox.

  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • DEIB policy
  • Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • Volunteer Vacation FAQs
  • News/Media
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements and Accountability
  • Travel Risks
  • Site Map
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

Subscribe to receive updates, new blog posts, and inspiring stories from our work around the world.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Youtube
  • Link to Instagram
  • Link to LinkedIn
  • Link to Mail
  • Global Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. Our tax ID is 36-3352680. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent provided by the law.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Link to: Reaching Out in Uncertain Times Link to: Reaching Out in Uncertain Times Reaching Out in Uncertain Times Link to: Wednesday, May 27th Link to: Wednesday, May 27th Wednesday, May 27th
Scroll to top