My Journey to a Healthy New Beginning

Saturday evening I was invited to attend a Spring Party with Keys to the Universe and on top of the party they offered to hold a 50/50 raffle draw to help raise funds for Fiji. I was so touched by their offer and asked how they felt if I held a silent auction, which they happily agreed to and I have to report that it was an AMAZING success!

My friends, school professors and network through my Mastermind group came together in order to help raise items for the silent auction and did they ever come through and in such an incredible short time! Although the event wasn’t marketed, I feel the event was a true success and gave me the opportunity to speak about what is happening in Fiji and what I will be doing to help in May. Everyone welcomed me with open arms and really came out to support the cause. It was a really fun time and I met so many new people that are some of the kindess people out there.

I am happy to report that we raised quite a bit of money and I will be able to report on the final numbers at the end of this week when I receive all the cheques from the silent auction. I am estimating it to be close to $500! How amazing is that?!

Special Thanks to:

Shane and Marie McInnes - Keys to the Universe (www.keystotheuniverse.com)

Jill Reeves- Community Development Professor @ Algonquin College

Cindy Bradley- Special Events Professor @ Algonquin College

Chris Leger- Undercover Wear (http://sensualparties.ca/)

Kristine Belchamber- PartyLite Fundraiser (www.partylite.biz/kristineb)

Nicole Simard- wonderful spa products gift baskets

I’d also like to thank everyone that donated money and helped support the 50/50 draw! It was your kind words of encouragement and monetary donations that are making Fiji a true reality! When we can continue to look outside of our own realm of reality and give to others, we work together to truly make a difference in the world around us and it benefits all of us in the end!

Yours in Abundance!

Xoxo

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This week on Thursday March 18th a devestation category 4 cyclone hit the island of Fiji, flatenning homes and leaving an estimated 17,000 people without shelter or access to water. Here is the crazy thing… did any of us hear about this in the evening news? Nope! It was on a search for some pictures for my fundraising efforts that I ran across the story in the Fiji Times. Aid is starting to arrive from Australia and New Zealand but now more than ever and I happy that I will be there to help in the fresh water department at least.

It angers me that the media chooses what we should know about and support- we can’t be on the look out for which country is in need, but all I can say is that I am happy that I will be there in May to help. Please still help me with this fundraising effort- if you have any questions please let me know.

For more of the story, please do a google search or check out the Fiji Times here for the full story.

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Last year this time, I was in Ireland with an amazing bunch of people and miss them all dearly… I look back on those memories with such fondess and the memories are still so vivid a year later! I am also sad and feel a sense of homesickness which really doesn’t make much sense.

Well, on a good note, I had a couple of Guiness to bring in St. Paddy’s Day a wee bit early as I will be in a mid term tomorrow.

So… a toast to old friends and new ones with the hope of an abundant future for all! I love all of you and wish you all the best. May you be with your loved ones and family tomorrow and share in the joy of fun, laughter and good times! I know that I will be, even with the impending mid-term looming near!

Happy St. Patricks Day to all!

Xoxo

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Today has come and went and it was special, and thanks to a select few. This morning I was wakened with the love of my son and daughter saying congratulations on being 3 years cancer free. Today, was a special day and it was the people in my life that love and care for me that helped me celebrate. I am so blessed by the caliper of people that I have surrounding me. Today, started out as a normal day and ended  with a day of true rememberance and gratitude. One of my newest friends, a classmate who I carpool into school with and will be journeying to Fiji with, organized for the whole class to sign a card for such a special day for me today. She presented it to me right before our report writing midterm and I have to say I was ‘for the first time ever’ truly surprized and actually (yes, believe it!) SPEECHLESS! All I had was the words of “thank you” to say to my classmates as the presented me with the cards.

After class, I celebrated my success at the bowling alley joined by my Mom and her friend Barb, my two amazing munchkins, Hannah and Nicholas, Laura and her brother Andrew and then after with Laura’s boyfriend Kyle and his brother Kevin. It was such a fun night of bowling, fun and stories! The emphasis was on fun as it should be and I am so thankful to be here with all of you!

So as this day passes, I want to thank Our Lord for working in your mysterious ways. I am so truly blessed for this life I have and I promise to be the best I can be and do all I can do! I understand that we live such a blessed and abundant life and I look forward to spending my next 80 years living life to it’s absolute fullest with the promise of giving back to the people around me!

I love you! Goodnight!

xoxo

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I received a call from my daughter’s daycare on Tuesday. They had seen the article that came out in the Stittsville Newspaper and asked if I would be OK if they helped me fundraise. Well, of course I was very excited and delighted that they would help the villagers in Fiji.

I am going in to see the students today at 3:30PM after they get out of school to talk with them about what I am doing in Fiji and I am really excited; so is my daughter!

They sent out the following letter to the parents, asking for their support. It goes to show that little ideas and taking ACTION truly makes a difference.  Again, today I am INSPIRED and this time from ages 5-10 today!

Dear Parents:

This month for our community and kindness we would like to help one of our parents who is involved with a program at Algonquin College called Volunteer Eco Students Abroad. She is planning to travel to Fiji to help rebuild a school and to provide a fresh water distribution system for the community.

Our school Age Program knows how important it is for all children to have a safe place to get an education and to have safe clean water to drink. We are hoping that with the help from our families we will be able to help our parent get to Fiji to assist with this great cause. We are simply asking for any pocket change, if your child would like to donate their allowance or any amount you feel is appropriate.

The children will become familiar with Fiji over the next month, as we will be starting a project on the country. We will learn about where Fiji is located, the climate, food, culture, economy, animals and their education system. We hope that this will encourage the children to become interested in helping out a very underprivileged community in Fiji.

Thank you for all your help!

All Daycare Staff

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Today I appeared on the local Rogers (channel 22) Daytime Ottawa show at 11am. It aired again at 3:00PM, 5:30PM and 10:30PM tonight. I shared a bit more about what is happening over in Fiji and why it’s so important to help fund this mission!

Donations can be made to tashamaggie@hotmail.com by email money transfer or by paypal (www.paypal.com)

“BULA!” means “cheers, welcome!” Literally translated bula means life.

Fiji’s sugar plantations have historically been the greatest money-spinners with the European markets but with the EU’s decision to cut sugar subsidies it’s had an impact on Fijian trade and the crop that represents a third of the nation’s industry is in for difficult times.

Locals are also being affected by dwindling visitor numbers as tourism was the modern cash cow!

Just on the outskirts of Suva, away from the flashy shops and colonial homes, tens of thousands of people are living in settlements in tiny, thatched huts. These dilapidated settlements have little sanitation and often no water or electricity. In 2008, an estimated 35% of Fijian’s were living BELOW the poverty line.  (For a skilled government worker they earn about $150 week, and for the unskilled they are lucky if they make about $50 week to provide for their entire family.)

Water- After a heavy rainfall, in most villages’ rainwater is collected in tanks but still needs to be boiled before consumed. Can you imagine not having safe drinking water to provide for your family?

How I am helping!

This May, I will be travelling to Fiji, and I will be living in a ‘homestay’ in a traditional Fijian village on the island of Veti Levu. I will be working with the villagers constructing rain water catchment tanks so that the villagers have access to fresh, clean and running water.

*** Each home by the time we leave will have access to fresh water inside their homes!

I will also be helping out in the local school teaching English through basic lessons and games and also restoring the school equipment and buildings.  I will also be helping to run basic workshops demonstrating proper hygiene techniques.

I am travelling with Volunteer Eco Students Abroad (VESA). In Fiji, VESA works closely in conjunction with the PCDF (Partners In Community Development Fiji) The PCDF are a local NGO whom also work with organizations such as UNICEF and the European Union in various environmental and community projects.

Why am I doing this?

I am going to be 33 this year and I am lucky enough to have 2 amazing kids who are 14 and 5 yrs of age. I was going through the Tim Horton’s drive through when my daughter Hannah asked me, “Mommy, when you grow up, what are you going to be?” Well, I didn’t have the best answer and I started to take a really deep look at my life. I realized through a scare with cancer that life is truly precious. I’ve always dreamed of helping others throughout the world and I started to put into effect a plan that would turn those dreams into realties.

I started to stop using words like IMPOSSIBLE and look at the word POSSIBLE. I started following my heart and believing that I too can make a difference.

As a laid off employee, I was accepted into the Ontario Governments program Second Career and I went back to college, taking Recreation and Leisure at Algonquin College- it’s an incredible blessing and I am finally doing what I was meant to do, “and be!” It’s a truly amazing course that teaches up how to be servant leaders in our community. It’s always been my vision to help out globally and in September when I learnt about the VESA program helping out in Fiji my intuition was screaming at me that I needed to go and help make a difference. So I acted upon my intuition and made the decision to go.

My kids and family support me 100% and know the caring and loving person that I am. I’ve always wanted to help everyone and this time I am really going to be making a significant change in the quality of the lives of the villagers in Fiji and I get to do it with my own two hands!

So far I have raised $600 and have another $2900 to raise! I need your help and I need it now! I need to raise the remaining money by the end of March. Money raised goes towards, the materials needed and construction for the school home, equipment and fresh water reserves.

Please email me TODAY at tashamaggie@hotmail.com for information on how to donate! Please follow your own intuition and act now! It is possible to make a difference!

From the bottom of my heart, “Vinaka” (means thank you!)

So as promised I will update you on my fundrasing progress… before I left the show studio today, even before going on the air a fellow guest donated $150! How amazing is that?!

$2900 LEFT TO RAISE by March 31st!!!! Getting closer to Possible each and every minute! Please keep the donations coming in!!!

All my love and abundance!

Tasha Maillet

Xoxo

Donations can be made to tashamaggie@hotmail.com by email money transfer or by paypal (www.paypal.com)

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