Trail: Camino de Santiago     Goal: 170 Miles

Dates: Sep 15 2018 - Oct 002 2018

My name is Lindsey and I am 26 years old. I am originally from Littleton, Colorado but have lived on the west coast, Illinois, and Texas. On September 15th, I will begin hiking El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. I will be on the trail until ... more

My name is Lindsey and I am 26 years old. I am originally from Littleton, Colorado but have lived on the west coast, Illinois, and Texas. On September 15th, I will begin hiking El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. I will be on the trail until October 2nd. Last year, I worked for two incredible organizations (Change Happens and HAUS Project) that transformed my life. I would like to devote this pilgrimage to helping these organizations raise money to continue doing wonderful work for the Houston community. Houston Access to Urban Sustainability (HAUS Project) is a nonprofit housing cooperative devoted to environmental sustainability, as well as democratic and cooperative principles. HAUS Project uses renewable energy, recycling, composting, gardening, and low-impact appliances to reduce their ecological footprint. Each year, HAUS provide affordable housing for over 30 residents of Houston's urban core. Although membership fluctuates, HAUS Project tends to attract young, low-income, and marginalized residents that would face discrimination in housing elsewhere. In 2018 due to damage from Hurricane Harvey and unusual turnover in membership, HAUS Project has fallen on hard financial times and desperately needs outside financial assistance. I lived at HAUS Project for one year, made lifelong friends, and learned a lot about inclusivity, democracy, and conflict resolution. Please help HAUS Project continue providing environmentally sustainable and community-oriented housing. https://www.hausproject.org/ Change Happens is a community-based organization in Houston's Third Ward. Since 1989, Change Happens has been a beacon of hope for vulnerable community members. Change Happens originated as a drug prevention program for youth, but since has expanded to over 18 programs and services. Today, Change Happens provides housing for the chronically homeless population, testing and case management for people living with HIV, sexual health education, after-school care, affordable health care navigation, neighborhood revitalization, and mentoring for youth involved in the criminal justice system. More recently, Change Happens has raised a distributed financial assistance to families displaced by hurricane Harvey. Change Happens was a phenomenal employer and treated me so well. I urge you to help Change Happens continue to empower Houston's most vulnerable residents. https://www.changehappenstx.org/ less

Ken Earl

Oct 12 2018 08:52AM

Mary Earl

Oct 009 2018 7:53PM