July 2014. Feeling very honored this week. The Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (YBH) honored Josiah Go, Rick Passo, and me by naming yellow boats after us . . . boats designed to help the remarkable community of Great Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
This particular project on Sta Cruz is a sustainable ecotourism project that aims to provide alternative livelihood to fishermen. By giving livelihood, YBH hopes they will protect their environment as well as improve their income so that their kids can continue going to school.
Here’s what the foundation said (and posted on Facebook), “Our first three Yellow Boat Adventures boats for Sta. Cruz Yellow Boat. community is named in honor of 3 special people who helped YBH at very crucial points and until now are still very active HOPE PADDLERS! The board of YBHF unanimously approved to give them the honor. Our chief rainmaker Josiah Go, our chief connector Rick Passo and our Chief inspiration Judy Simpson Vorfeld! Thank you!”
To be so honored is humbling and exciting. This is a foundation whose volunteers work special kinds of magic on any given day, in order to help Filipino kids get their education and be challenged by what the future holds. I love volunteering for YBH, even though we are separated physically.
One of many blessings given us is technology, so we can not only have worthy goals, but often the means to fulfill them. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been an unsurpassed tool for communication within and outside of the Philippines. It is bringing together many people who love to give with others who love to give, and the results are not just amazing, but sometimes wildly creative. People are finding methods for helping the disadvantaged in ways that encourage education, sustainability, and self-respect.
A shot of the turnover of the boats to the community followed by a shot of much of the community and YBH Volunteers.
And another project underway that has enormous potential, The Yellow Dorm of Hope. It is under construction. Here are some links so you can see what the dorm is all about.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.495963543824683.1073741869.158289907592050&type=1