Thanksgiving in the Invisible Children intern house
Our intern class (myself included) have spent the last 4 months creating a home away from home together here in beautiful San Diego, abode of the Invisible Children Headquarters. We managed to make a feast and have amazing conversation this past week over a unifying turkey, and a festive and undoubtedly perfect playlist. Topics of conversation seemed so perpetual. Imagine 35 of your closest friends happily overcrowding one unpretentious table. For the evening, this table was everything to us. Just one rudimentary table responsible for holding a dozen side conversations of new music we’ve found, past risks we’ve taken, the way we’ve wildly loved others, worldly travels we’ve made, and hopes of our futures.
Our cooks for the evening- Matt (left) is our Graphic Design intern and Nathan is our Artist Relations creative intern
We are undeniably different, but find a common ground in that we are all committed to living everyday gratefully, adventurously, and with wonder. We see the world through an uncommon lens, and this weekend in particular, we saw an opportunity to really get our hands dirty and collaborate as one unit for #zeroLRA.
So we dove in, once again, to prove we will not stop until we see every women, child, and fighter return home. We began on the day before Thanksgiving, AKA the biggest bar night of the year by selling grilled cheese, hot chocolate, pastries, and water in the Gaslamp quarters of downtown San Diego. With everyone headed home for the holidays, we assumed people would be out celebrating with their friends and family- and we were right. A few hours spent downtown resulted in $450.00 dollars.
Caitlin (HR intern) and Tyler (Roadie) selling grilled cheese and baked goods
Excited about the result, we wanted to invest more into the cheerful spirit of the weekend. Especially after our incredible Thanksgiving together, we felt like the luckiest people on earth and we needed to channel that energy and appreciation even further into #zeroLRA.
That Sunday we spent at a San Diego Chargers tailgate and farmers market, again selling grilled cheese and cookies. We totaled $507.00 for #zeroLRA—not too bad for a few hours spent during our very long and gratifying weekend.
Caitlin and Erin selling cookies at a farmers market
Lexie Lamothe, Engagement intern and helpful hand in coordination for intern fundraising, says it all:
“Asking people for their hard earned money is never easy, but it’s so inspiring to go out to fundraise and see people believe in your cause and give you a donation without expecting anything in return. Standing on a corner in the Gaslamp selling mildly warm grilled cheese and bagels isn’t always easy but it works. It’s fun to go out, put everything you have into it and be surprised that people really do want to give when you take the time to talk to them about your cause and why it’s important to you.”
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