Whitney Wahlers
Whitney Wahlers of Grand Marais is preparing for a trip to Antigua, Guatemala in May. She will be a volunteer with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ), working alongside other volunteers from all over the world to provide individual attention and assistance to children from poor homes and communities in the area.
IVHQ is an international organization that sends thousands of volunteers abroad to volunteer in more than 30 countries annually. Established in 2007, IVHQ matches volunteers with projects in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe and Latin America.
Wahlers, an online college student who graduated from Cook County High School in 2013, learned about IVHQ from her CCHS classmate Maggie McMillan, who worked with IVHQ in Tanzania and plans to participate in another trip to Ecuador this summer.
Wahlers said, “I just feel I am at a point in my life where I have enough time to do this and have always wanted to travel and help others in need.”
Wahlers said she considered a number of IVHQ opportunities, such as an after-school program in Italy; a sports development program in Brazil; wildlife conservation in Victoria Falls or forest conservation in Madagascar. But when she heard about the Guatemala childcare program, she felt that was the best fit and she applied for that.
She was happy to be accepted, but is a bit nervous. She is the only person going from Cook County. “That is kind of nerve-wracking, but it is very exciting to do something on my own and to travel alone out of the country for the first time,” Wahlers said.
In addition to working with children of families affected by drug and alcohol abuse and/or in an orphanage, Wahlers will have the chance to do some sightseeing in Antigua at places such as the Mayan city of Iximche, the Pacaya Volcano, Lake Atitlan and more. She said she is looking forward to exploring the area which “holds many stories and animals you don’t see every day.”
Hannah Hill-Parker, IVHQ program manager said, “The decision to volunteer abroad is not an easy one to make and Whitney has been working hard to ensure she can raise sufficient funds for her program fees, airfares, travel insurance and vaccinations.”
In addition to fundraising to meet travel expenses, Wahlers is raising money to bring small gifts and educational materials to share with the children.
Wahlers has set up a fundraising webpage. Anyone who would like to help her meet expenses for her volunteer trip can do so at www.gofundme.com/kyn8eo.
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