Running Total: $1,411
On May 15th July's husband had a very bad stroke and has been unconscious ever since. He has undergone 15 hour surgeries and the doctors believe he will remain a vegetable. July and her daughters are terribly sad, but trying to stay strong. July sends me almost daily updates on her husband and things unfortunately do not look good right now. He was the only one in the family with a job. I sent money down to them yesterday and although it was not much July said it helps immensely.
Now, more than ever, this family could use your support. If you are inspired, a donation would be greatly appreciated along with prayers and healing thoughts!
On May 15th July's husband had a very bad stroke and has been unconscious ever since. He has undergone 15 hour surgeries and the doctors believe he will remain a vegetable. July and her daughters are terribly sad, but trying to stay strong. July sends me almost daily updates on her husband and things unfortunately do not look good right now. He was the only one in the family with a job. I sent money down to them yesterday and although it was not much July said it helps immensely.
Now, more than ever, this family could use your support. If you are inspired, a donation would be greatly appreciated along with prayers and healing thoughts!
I received a picture of the eldest daughter who is 14 years old. Her name is Karen and she loves playing the guitar. July said that she is getting good grades in school (she is in 9th grade), and that her biggest dream is to own an electric guitar!
4/10
Today I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk at the local Unitarian Universalist congregation about this project and they passed a basket at the offering for the two families. Their donations totaled at $170 and I am very grateful for their support. Now that my race season is over, I am focusing on other areas to raise money for these families. All the profits I make from my woodcarving this summer will go to them and I will also still be accepting donations.
This has been a wonderful learning experience for me and has been extremely fulfilling watching the transformation of these family's lives. Thank you so much for your support. I will continue to post updates here, so check in as I will be soon be receiving more photos and information about the children.
For now, thank you and enjoy your spring!
3/24
Article published in the Stowe Reporter today.
3/22
Julia is sending me photos of her children one by one with a little description. I just got the first one about her eldest daughter Genesis (pronounced hay-nay-sees). Here is the picture and part of the email:
Genesis is the oldest girl and is 9 years old and for being the oldest is our biggest concern. She is very happy and loves eating, and she likes all foods and like all children she likes pizza. She has had hard times in school. It's a pity, she dropped out of school last year for motivations you know. But today with your help she already is in school. And she is very happy. Today she tells me that she wants a pet (a dog) but I tell her that for today we can't, well to care for a pet one needs money and she responded that (if Hannah gives us) hahaha Hannah you definitely changed our lives.
3/22
I had my last four races of this season this past weekend in ME. We had beautiful weather with temperatures in the 60s and the sun shining the whole time. Unfortunately this turned the snow into a nice corny slush that was difficult to ski in at best, but provided the opportunity for some t-shirt racing! I was fifth in the three individual races (5k skate, 1k skate sprint, and 7.5k classic), and disqualified in the relay.... We came in second overall, but had a tag outside the tag zone which d-qued us. Oh well...always a time for firsts! Our Vermont team did very well and we won the Eastern High School Championships by quite a large margin. Here are some photos taken by my mom:
3/16
I have my last four races of the season coming up this weekend. They will be held in Rumford Maine at the Black Mt ski center. These races are the Eastern High School Championships and include the top 40 skiers (boys and girls) from each state in New England. We leave Friday morning, race Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning. It will a very busy three days, but a lot of fun.
3/14
I wired the next $195 to Julia on Friday! We are in touch with each other on a regular bases through email and she is very appreciative of the support. She and her family are very sweet and I am grateful for your support, as well, as this is really making a difference for them.
3/6
I just received another email from Julia with some great news. The $300 we sent down allowed Julia to buy school supplies for the kids and they are back in school! She said that along with school supplies she has been able to buy groceries and other necessities. She also added "I want you to know that you built encouragement, happiness, confidence, and faith such that the difficult situation that we found ourselves in already doesn't exist."
Thank you everyone for your support, it is invaluable.
3/5
Thursday was the second day of States at Mt. Top in Chittenden. The weather was cold and blustery, but luckily the sun came out and helped warm us up. I came in first for D2 and second overall. We did a 2.75k loop twice with skiers being sent off every 15 seconds. This made the course rather congested the second time around and passing was pretty difficult, but it added another element to the race... Our relay team had another fantastic win beating out both the D2 and D1 schools. Our team was also the overall girls D2 state champions and we celebrated on the bus ride home with pints of ice cream!
3/2
4/10
Today I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk at the local Unitarian Universalist congregation about this project and they passed a basket at the offering for the two families. Their donations totaled at $170 and I am very grateful for their support. Now that my race season is over, I am focusing on other areas to raise money for these families. All the profits I make from my woodcarving this summer will go to them and I will also still be accepting donations.
This has been a wonderful learning experience for me and has been extremely fulfilling watching the transformation of these family's lives. Thank you so much for your support. I will continue to post updates here, so check in as I will be soon be receiving more photos and information about the children.
For now, thank you and enjoy your spring!
3/24
Article published in the Stowe Reporter today.
Miller uses Nordic racing for good cause
By Lisa McCormack
Not many teenagers would devote themselves to raising money for impoverished families they’ve never met.
But that’s what Hannah Miller of Elmore has been doing this winter.
Miller, 16, who races on the Stowe High School Nordic ski team, asks people to sponsor her and then wires the donations to two families in El Salvador that she helps support.
She documents her ski races, the money she raises, and updates on the families she helps on her blog: http://newsolrising.blogspot.com.
El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. Although it’s undergoing rapid industrialization, the average per-capita income is still only around $6,000 a year.
“At the beginning of this ski season, I was looking for a way to turn my racing into a form of community service,” Miller said. “My reason for choosing a family in El Salvador rests on the fact that I have a friend who works with impoverished families near San Salvador and personally knows families in need. Working with these families has been an invaluable learning experience for me.”
Miller’s help to the families began last fall when she volunteered with Global Work Party for 350.org, an environmental organization that organizes worldwide projects to cut carbon emissions and help develop clean energy.
“I helped create a work party in El Salvador with the help of a woman I met through my French teacher,” Miller said. “I stayed in touch with this woman and, when I began looking for an opportunity to help a family in need, she came to mind as a good resource. She put me in touch with the families and has been an incredible help in setting this up.”
Miller raises money by asking people either to sponsor a race or just give a donation of any amount. She wires the money directly to the families every month.
Both families are using the money for their children’s educations and basic necessities. Though public education is free in El Salvador up to 12th grade, education is badly funded and class size often exceeds 50 students. Additionally, students must pay for their own school supplies, which is difficult for many families.
“One family is saving the money for when their four boys reach university age, while the other family is using the money immediately for school supplies, food, and other necessities,” Miller said. “The four girls of this family had been removed from school due to lack of money and during the month of December the mom was unemployed, which left the family going hungry. Now, the girls are back in school and the father has enough money to buy a train ticket to get to his job.”
Miller recently received an e-mail from the girls’ mother, thanking her for her help and telling her that it had been encouraging.
Miller’s fundraising efforts have sparked an interest in El Salvador and a desire to get to know the families she helps.
“I would love to travel to El Salvador to meet these families and will hopefully find the opportunity to do that soon,” Miller said. “I am in touch with one of the families via e-mail and, now that I know them personally, find myself repeatedly pondering future trips. My first step will be learning Spanish.”
So far, Miller has raised $990, which she has split evenly between the two families.
“I don’t have a goal for how much I want to raise as this is more of a long-term relationship,” Miller said. “After the ski season is over I will be sending the profits I make from my woodcarvings to the families and will still be accepting donations as well.”
She plans to continue helping the families for the foreseeable future.
“This work is very fulfilling and is a wonderful opportunity to give back,” Miller said. “I am very grateful to all the people who have donated. Although I have created the avenue, they have created the amazing change in the lives of these two families.”
This is not the first cause Miller has supported. Last year, she spent more than two weeks walking the 220-mile Coast-to-Coast trail across Great Britain, while raising money for two nonprofit organizations, Heifer International and 350.org. Heifer International works with families and communities to end hunger and poverty; with gifts of livestock and training, it helps families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways.
Donations for the families in El Salvador can be written to Hannah Miller and sent to 1425 Churchill Road, Elmore, VT 05661
Julia is sending me photos of her children one by one with a little description. I just got the first one about her eldest daughter Genesis (pronounced hay-nay-sees). Here is the picture and part of the email:
3/22
I had my last four races of this season this past weekend in ME. We had beautiful weather with temperatures in the 60s and the sun shining the whole time. Unfortunately this turned the snow into a nice corny slush that was difficult to ski in at best, but provided the opportunity for some t-shirt racing! I was fifth in the three individual races (5k skate, 1k skate sprint, and 7.5k classic), and disqualified in the relay.... We came in second overall, but had a tag outside the tag zone which d-qued us. Oh well...always a time for firsts! Our Vermont team did very well and we won the Eastern High School Championships by quite a large margin. Here are some photos taken by my mom:
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| Girls mass start classic - I'm off to the left in green |
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| Came in third overall for the weekend |
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| Team VT |
3/16
I have my last four races of the season coming up this weekend. They will be held in Rumford Maine at the Black Mt ski center. These races are the Eastern High School Championships and include the top 40 skiers (boys and girls) from each state in New England. We leave Friday morning, race Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning. It will a very busy three days, but a lot of fun.
3/14
I wired the next $195 to Julia on Friday! We are in touch with each other on a regular bases through email and she is very appreciative of the support. She and her family are very sweet and I am grateful for your support, as well, as this is really making a difference for them.
3/6
I just received another email from Julia with some great news. The $300 we sent down allowed Julia to buy school supplies for the kids and they are back in school! She said that along with school supplies she has been able to buy groceries and other necessities. She also added "I want you to know that you built encouragement, happiness, confidence, and faith such that the difficult situation that we found ourselves in already doesn't exist."
Thank you everyone for your support, it is invaluable.
3/5
Thursday was the second day of States at Mt. Top in Chittenden. The weather was cold and blustery, but luckily the sun came out and helped warm us up. I came in first for D2 and second overall. We did a 2.75k loop twice with skiers being sent off every 15 seconds. This made the course rather congested the second time around and passing was pretty difficult, but it added another element to the race... Our relay team had another fantastic win beating out both the D2 and D1 schools. Our team was also the overall girls D2 state champions and we celebrated on the bus ride home with pints of ice cream!
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| Our winning relay team with coach Carol |
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| The six girls collecting our State Championship plaque |
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| Team Stowe |
Monday was Day1 for States and was held at Craftsbury. The morning was a 6k classic individual start and the afternoon was a 2.5 classic relay. The weather was difficult as it couldn't decide if it wanted to rain, sleet or snow, but we had lots of help with the waxing and it worked perfectly.
I had a very good race in the morning and came in first overall for D1 and D2 teams (Stowe is D2). In the afternoon our relay team dominated both fields again with a solid lead. Our team was composed of myself, Lia Van Dyke, Maggie McGovern, and Colleen McGovern. It was a very fun day with lots of people out cheering.
I also made it on to Channel 3 news! Here's a link to the video clip:
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=14158968
I also made it on to Channel 3 news! Here's a link to the video clip:
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=14158968
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| We took the top 3 spots in D2 (Me, Lia, and Colleen) |
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| Start of the Relay. I'm in the center in green. |
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| Colleen tagging off to Maggie |
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| Lia, Maggie, Colleen, and myself. |
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| Our Team |
2/27
Today was the Stowe Derby which was a blast. Starting at the top of Mt. Mansfield, the race takes you down the Toll Rd, through the cross country ski trails, to the rec path and finishes at the Stowe Community Church. I did the classic race which turned out to be a good decision as the conditions were pretty soft and difficult for skating. I came in first in my age group and won a pair of One Way poles which I am very excited about!
The Derby is special because you have racers of all ages and abilities out there and the whole community joins in shoveling, cheering, and digging people out of the snowbanks...
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| Barely holding on.... |
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| Finishing by the church. |
2/27
I received an email from Julia in Spanish a few days ago thanking me for the money. One line in her email really summed up her gratitude. She said, "Today the faces of my family are filled with happiness, I am very touched, a thousand thanks."
And a thousand thanks to all of you for your support!
I am wiring more money at the beginning of March, so if you feel inspired, please send a check made out to me and we can continue helping these families on the way towards prosperity and happiness.
2/27
The last eastern cup of the year was a bit of a disappointment. Both races went well, but were not exceptional and I just missed qualifying for the Junior National Team. Although I am disappointed, there still remain many races here in NE and I am planning on making the most of them!
Coming up are States and the Eastern High School Championships.
2/18
Just got this message from Cristina:
Hi Hannah,
What an amazing gift you made. Julie called around noon time to say that she had received the funds and were on the way with her daughters to buy food. I haven´t had time to check on the details but last year the girls had to be taken out of school and I suspect that may be the case now given the financial crisis they have been in. I´ll try to follow-up and find out whether they can be reinstated.
Wouldn´t it be amazing if the whole world worked this way: when a family fell into crisis, a caring person next door or around the world would step in and help them out.
Julie is simply amazed by your gesture!
Take care,
Chris
What an amazing gift you made. Julie called around noon time to say that she had received the funds and were on the way with her daughters to buy food. I haven´t had time to check on the details but last year the girls had to be taken out of school and I suspect that may be the case now given the financial crisis they have been in. I´ll try to follow-up and find out whether they can be reinstated.
Wouldn´t it be amazing if the whole world worked this way: when a family fell into crisis, a caring person next door or around the world would step in and help them out.
Julie is simply amazed by your gesture!
Take care,
Chris
2/18
Last Sunday I had two Eastern High School Qualifier races at Craftsbury. There was a classic race in the morning and a skate race in the afternoon. Luckily the weather decided to stay cooler than predicted and the waxing turned out to be much easier than anticipated. I was fifth in both races which qualified me for the team. Top twenty are taken.
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| Mixing teams by racing in my Craftsbury tights and Stowe HS top. |
2/16
Just wired the first $300 to Julia's family. They will be receiving it tomorrow! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. You are really making a huge difference for these families.
2/14
Just received an email from the lady who is on touch with the two families I am raising money for. Here is part of her letter:
Dear Hannah,
I am back in El Salvador (for the moment), completely exhausted and for the first time in weeks am in the office at the same time as Julie. I hadn´t wanted to tell Julie in January about your efforts until I was sure that you had been successful, but I just told her and she is in tears.
In the midst of the tears she told me that she thinks she has found a job for her husband Luis. He is supposed to start tomorrow driving to and from work the workers from a car parts repair business. She said I couldn´t imagine how hard the last weeks have been (making me feel guilty that I didn´t arrange this sooner) but that your help would be so useful right now because they don´t have money even for Luis´s bus fare to where he needs to go to work in the days before his first pay check.
We are about to downsize our office and move in with another organization, which is going to mean we probably won´t be able to continue giving Julie two days a week of work, so in that sense as well, this timing is very ideal.
Take care, and thanks so much again for doing this!
Chris
I am back in El Salvador (for the moment), completely exhausted and for the first time in weeks am in the office at the same time as Julie. I hadn´t wanted to tell Julie in January about your efforts until I was sure that you had been successful, but I just told her and she is in tears.
In the midst of the tears she told me that she thinks she has found a job for her husband Luis. He is supposed to start tomorrow driving to and from work the workers from a car parts repair business. She said I couldn´t imagine how hard the last weeks have been (making me feel guilty that I didn´t arrange this sooner) but that your help would be so useful right now because they don´t have money even for Luis´s bus fare to where he needs to go to work in the days before his first pay check.
We are about to downsize our office and move in with another organization, which is going to mean we probably won´t be able to continue giving Julie two days a week of work, so in that sense as well, this timing is very ideal.
Take care, and thanks so much again for doing this!
Chris
2/6/2011
This weekend was the third Eastern Cup of the year. It was held at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe only twenty minutes away from home! The first race was a 5k skate which didn't go very well for me. I went out too fast, bonking about halfway through, but it was a good learning experience! Today's race was a 10k classic which is my favorite discipline and distance and it went very well. The conditions were not the easiest for waxing, but my skis were incredible due to some very good waxing from our coaches!
1/30/2011
Yesterday was the second eastern cup of the season. It was held on a golf course in Weston Mass. and despite the lack of hills, it was an enjoyable course. Usually there is a race on Saturday and a race on Sunday, but this weekend they held both races on Sunday. It was slightly tiring, but over-all not as bad as I was expecting.
On the way to the finish line at the end of the 6k mass start skate.
1/28/2011
Today I raised the first $200 at the Dash for Cash in Craftsbury. It was a fun evening with the races held under the lights on the Craftsbury Common. The top eight women and men were awarded monetary prizes and I was excited to come in first winning the $200 prize. It was a great evening with many people out there volunteering and cheering us on.
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