An update from MPI Domestic Liaison, Chris Taylor

It's last Tuesday and I'm surrounded by about a hundred frightened tornado evacuees and a few of my close friends. I sit twiddling my thumbs in nervous anticipation of our impending death in the gloomy confines of a Vanderbilt freshman dorm basement. Hilary has commandeered my laptop. She appears unperturbed. I try again quietly and in vain to coax her into refreshing the browser displaying weather radar, hoping to discover that the dark, little red spot has passed over Nashville without flipping my car. She ignores my pleas, grips the computer tighter, and laughs heartily at an email describing her friend's bachelorette party plans, something I find infuriatingly trivial compared to the location of  "God's finger".

Unable to find my reassurance by clicking the "Refresh" button every four seconds, I resign myself to contemplating the events that led up to this mess. What was it that brought me to Tennessee in the first place? After all, I'm a simple domestic liaison from Connecticut, a sensible state that boasts insurance and a hockey team that no longer exists, where tornadoes are about as real as green witches and talking scarecrows.

So what brought me here? The answer of course is Manna Project International. (This is a Manna Mail so you had to know where this was going.) As MPI's Domestic Liaison, I decided that the time had finally arrived for me to set up an office outside of my parents' kitchen. The main reason I chose Nashville was to be close to Vanderbilt University, home of Manna's flagship chapter and where the organization was founded four years ago. The chapter and the university have been increasingly more active and involved with MPI's international activity and the location has seemed more and more ideal for centralizing our administrative efforts such as fundraising, donor relations, publicity, networking, and volunteer recruitment.

There have been some remarkable developments for Manna Project at Vanderbilt. Last semester, a group of students from Professor Cherrie Clark's upper-level marketing class provided us with an outstanding business consultation that is currently helping us to refine our approach towards donor and volunteer relations. This Spring semester, Professor Marshall Eakin and Waldir Sepulveda are undertaking a new service-learning course that will continue into the summer at our Nicaragua site for four weeks of service combined with study. And last Tuesday, shortly before fleeing tornadoes and agitated RAs, Lori, Claire, Hilary, Adam, and I witnessed the largest fundraising event in Manna Project's history. With well over 700 in attendance, an incredible silent auction, and some really impressive speakers, MPI-Vandy's Mannafit raised over $15,000. So, despite the threat of natural disasters, Nashville is clearly an exciting place for Manna Project to be these days.

We survived the tornado. Eventually. After a while when we all ventured outside to explore, a small child pointed out a lawn sign advertising Mannafit - but more than that, the sign was advertising hope. It was still intact, upright and even legible. True to Vanderbilt students' detail oriented nature, the signs had been covered with see-through plastic bags to protect against possible rain and apparently tornadoes. Actually, I sort of suspect the tornado missed us altogether, for which I am thankful. I'm also thankful to be in Nashville and excited about all it means for Manna Project's future.

Happy Valentine's Day!

VOLUNTEER -  Applications are being accepted for Summer Volunteer and yearlong Program Director spots.

 
DONATE - We need funds for a vehicle in Ecuador! Go here for instructions to make a contribution online or by mail. 

 

PICTURES - See pictures from MPI-Vandy's Mannafit.

 

TODAY -  Happy Valentine's Day!

MARCH 20th - Summer volunteer applications due.

APRIL 1st - Yearlong Program Director applications due.