Fulfilling a mission of compassion and service, students and faculty from Bergen Charter Arts & Science High School recently spent more than 10 days in Tanzania following the completion of a Group Fundraising program in collaboration with Embrace Relief.
For the second consecutive year, students from Bergen Charter’s Pathway to College (PTC) program committed to a powerful fundraising campaign to support communities in need in Tanzania. Their efforts generated more than $15,000, proceeds of which provided critical humanitarian aid through Embrace Relief’s international programs.
Following the completion of their fundraiser, 17 Bergen Charter students (along with 3 faculty members) had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania and implement their programs directly, seeing firsthand the impact their hard work made on the lives of others. Embrace Relief helped to coordinate the logistics for this trip, as it does for all successful Group Fundraisers who wish to travel to the country they’re supporting.
“It was an amazing trip,” said Chris Mileo, PTC leader and a social studies teacher at Bergen Charter who has organized several Embrace Relief Group Fundraisers. “It’s one thing just to donate money, which is a wonderful thing to do, a selfless thing. But it’s a completely different thing for our kids to give money and then go to a place like Tanzania, to see it with their own eyes, and to see the awesome impact they can have on people. That’s what facilitates a need, a desire for our kids to do more. And we’re very grateful to Embrace Relief for giving us the opportunity to do more. None of this would have been possible without them.”
This unique aspect of Embrace Relief’s Group Fundraisers provides a once-in-a-lifetime chance for students like Jayda, an 11th-grader at Bergen Charter, to travel the world, learn and experience other cultures, and gain a broader perspective on life outside the United States.
“My favorite part of the trip was just interacting with the people we met,” Jayda said. “I just felt this connection with the people in Tanzania, you know, like they’re not different from us at all. We’re all the same, we just live in different parts of the world. Talking to them, seeing how they live, and helping them however we could, it was just so cool.”
During their time in Tanzania, Bergen Charter students and faculty were able to participate several humanitarian projects:
- Clean Water: Pathway to College’s Group Fundraiser covered the construction costs for two water wells in Tanzania, and while in the country, students attended the opening ceremonies and celebrated with the local villagers. These wells will provide their communities with a reliable, safe source of water for drinking, growing food, cooking, cleaning and more.
“I’m more grateful for having clean water, and really more grateful for having easy access to water,” said Julia, a 12th-grade student at Bergen Charter. “The people we met, a lot of them had to travel for miles just to get their water, and it might not even be clean water. In school, students are taking bathroom breaks and drinking breaks all the time. But I realize now that these aren’t things we should take for granted.”
- Hunger Relief: Students drove around several villages in Tanzania going door-to-door in distributing food packages to families in need.
- Orphan Care: Students visited an orphanage in Tanzania and interacted with the children living there, before spending the afternoon building new beds for the children to sleep in.
“We got to meet so many of the kids, and it was just so eye-opening,” said Chanice, a 12th-grade student at Bergen Charter. “It really made me feel more grateful about what we have here in America, and I just felt really happy about what we were doing.”
A Journey of Real Impact
Embrace Relief’s Group Fundraising program aims to engage students with community service and provide them with a global perspective on serving communities, fulfilling their community service requirements, and creating future philanthropists.
Helping others is its own reward, but Group Fundraisers also offer students like Julia and Chanice other tangible benefits as well. Performing volunteer charity work with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit like Embrace Relief can set a students’ college application or resume apart, because it demonstrates initiative, dedication, and ability to follow through on your goals. Additionally, teens and young adults who volunteer for Embrace Relief are also eligible for recognition through the Presidents’ Award for Volunteer Service and the Congressional Award.
Bergen Charter’s humanitarian trip to Tanzania was more than just a visit; it was a transformative journey of compassion, learning, and gratitude. The students and faculty not only contributed financial support but also their time, energy, and empathy. They returned home with hearts full of memories, minds enriched with new perspectives, and a renewed commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
Though their trip may have ended, its ripple effects will continue to resonate within the hearts and minds of all those who participated, reminding them of the power they hold to create a brighter, more compassionate world for all.
About Embrace Relief’s Group Fundraising
Group Fundraising is a program offered by Embrace Relief that invites passionate individuals and their organizations – including school groups, community groups, friends and families, activity clubs, companies, and many more – to come together and support a critical humanitarian cause.
After registering your Group Fundraiser with Embrace Relief, we will work with you to set an achievable target goal, choose the cause(s) you wish to support, and begin to plan for international travel if your group wishes. We will also provide a fundraising webpage for your group, as well as marketing support.
Since 2022 alone, Embrace Relief has helped more than two dozen Group Fundraisers reach their goal and provided logistical support for their travel abroad. Our experience and know-how will help your group succeed – and together, we’ll make a powerful impact on the lives of people in need around the world!
To start your Group Fundraiser today, click here.
About Pathway to College
“Pathway to College” is an extracurricular program offered by schools, including Bergen Arts & Science Charter, to students in grades 7-12 designed to enhance students’ preparation for life after middle and high school. At Bergen Charter, the PTC club is currently composed of more than 40 students, led by six teacher-advisors.
PTC provides a unique opportunity for the students by establishing a long term interactive advisor-student relationship, creating an environment for high achieving students to develop academic, social, leadership and teamwork skills. The program encourages activities such as academic competitions, team building, college trips, and guest speakers.
