December 2022
Our charitable partnership with The Small World sets the bar for all collaborations moving forward
On this past trip to Nepal that ended in December, our group of 10 trekkers (8 of which were women!) brought $7,200, which enabled us to support the hiring of a local agricultural consultant and three field coordinators and provide the materials to build greenhouses and plant a healthy variety of seeds in Tingla, Solukhumbu. We couldn’t have done it without our excellent partnership with a local nonprofit, The Small World, Nepal.
The Small World’s local connections were monumental for the trip's success and supported our desire to emphasize working with local partners. Over the course of the trip, we learned that the impact of this project goes beyond the physical product of greenhouses and their food crops over the years. The Seeds of Hope Program serves as a way to unify a community, under women's leadership, over a shared goal of having healthier foods that are more reliably produced by each household in the midst of changing climate patterns.
To receive the greenhouse materials, the women would meet monthly to receive training and updates - resulting in a more unified community. This program fosters the development of the community’s ability to self-organize, prioritize community needs, and have a reputable track record of being responsible for local and international nonprofit aid.
This project directly addresses one of the most significant problems in rural communities - lack of unification and leadership. The overarching goal of this program is to unify communities and provide the training and credibility to apply for future community grant applications from the government on their own. In the future, they will be able to address other community needs, such as water infrastructure, education, and roads. We are very grateful to have worked with The Small World on this trip and are looking forward to more collaborations in the future.
November 2022
Our Board Members gathered in Los Angeles for our Annual Board Retreat - and threw a beautiful and heart-centered Momo Party with Purpose Fundraiser!
We want to thank all of our wonderful Board Members, friends, and family who came all the way out and made it the beautiful, heart-centered night that it was. From making yummy momos, participating in the silent and art auctions, shopping in our Nepali treasures corner, taking part in our Patagonia giveaway raffle, donating/lending the supplies we needed, coming early/staying late/being a helping hand, and overall just showing generosity on so many levels - everyone contributed to the success of the night. The Trek Relief Board was overjoyed to feel your helpfulness, your love, and your support.
Together, we were able to raise awareness about our work AND $3,554 in that short amount of time for Trek Relief - and have a great time while we were at it!
The BOD was overjoyed to feel the care and generosity shown by those in attendance and from afar. The energy carried over through the rest of the weekend’s discussions, as we orient ourselves toward the next horizons for Trek Relief - making Program Creation easier and more accessible to all.
October 2022
Our Party with Purpose Fundraiser is back - this time, with Momos!
Our Party with Purpose Fundraiser is back - and this time, we’ll be learning how to make this favorite national snack of Nepal. Come out and join us for a hands-on evening of making momos - in other words, traditional Nepalese dumplings.
The experiential, culinary event will also host an art show and auction, silent auction, speaker panels, workshops, music, live performances and more. Please send us a message if you would like to get involved.
This evening is put together by our wonderful Board of Directors and will be held at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge. The goals are to foster community, support local artists, and raise awareness and funds for our heart-centered work.
Come out and see us, and bring a friend - we’d love to make momos with you! Check out the Facebook event page below for more details and to RSVP.
September 2022
Trek Relief Adventurers is hosting a training hike up Mt. San Jacinto
Our 2022 November Nepal trip is fast approaching, and we are prepping ourselves for another round of high-altitude trekking by hosting another big day hike through our Trek Relief Adventurers Facebook group.
Join us bright and early on October 15th, 2022 to ascend the trail to the second-highest peak in Southern California. Our goals are to get in some cardio, test out our gear, and enjoy time in beautiful nature with Trek Relief friends and family.
Wilderness permits are required - please check out the Facebook event below for more details and to RSVP. We hope you can join us!
August 2022
Our Board is growing! Past Nepal alum Wendy Meek joins our team as Board Secretary, and Steven Wong transitions to Board Outreach
“My experience as a Trek Relief volunteer has been a transformative one. This organization has shown me it is possible to unite with others across international borders to provide basic infrastructure and aid in the most geographically isolated regions of the world. It has been a rare gift to travel in a way that gives back to local communities and fortifies international friendships. This experience has also instilled in me a responsibility to protect the beauty and natural resources of the world through conscious, sustainable travel. I am aligned with Trek Relief’s mission to ‘travel with purpose’; it perfectly integrates my passion for travel with my desire to be a force for positive change in the world.” - Wendy Meek
July 2022
Our Founder Candice Young speaks on Powerful Ladies Podcast about how she started Trek Relief
From Powerful Ladies Podcast: "So many people dream of being a global nomad, traveling and working around the world, and breaking free from the hamster wheel we often find ourselves in. The goal is to live a life of purpose and adventure. Today's guest, Candice Young, has mastered both a nomadic lifestyle and a purpose driven lifestyle. She’s the founder and executive director of Trek Relief, a nonprofit that combines adventure travel with giving back to the local communities. Get ready to be inspired and to level up your life!”
June 2022
Trek Relief Alum are now invited to apply for a $1,500 grant and become our next Program Creator
Our projects are created by motivated travelers who want to make a difference, and our mission is to empower individuals to create the impact that they want to see. We are now inviting our past participants who have experienced how we fundraise and run our projects to create a program of their own.
We believe in you - so much, that we have set aside a $1,500 yearly budget to support your endeavors. Interested? Learn more by clicking below!
May 2022
Announcing our newest Nepal program that focuses on climate resiliency
In collaboration with our wonderful partners at The Small World Nepal, we are looking to benefit over 500 families this year, or over 3,000 individuals, by providing more than 10 different kitchen garden seeds and greenhouse tunnels per household, training from an agriculture expert, and developing a unifying leadership program within the community.
We are very excited to be returning to Tingla, a community in the lower Everest region, that we supported with medical equipment and supplies back in 2018. Our work with the community will take place there, and the fundraising trek this time will take us to Amadablam Base Camp, one of the world’s most beautiful mountains.
Join us on another purposeful trek through the Everest region, from November 27-December 11, 2022.
April 2022
Announcing: a new way to give back and earn trip credit
Our Board of Directors has been hard at work governing the finances and policies of Trek Relief. We are pleased to announce that we have established a way for those who are interested in #travelwithpurpose to serve in various ways to accrue trip credit toward a future trip.
Credit can be earned by supporting our organization, helping us out with our social media, creating/editing videos…the list goes on! Click below to see how you might be able to help out and earn trip credit with us.
March 2022
Our Patagonia program runs its second trip, and our educational community garden is looking beautiful!
It’s been a long time coming since Chile had strict travel policies during the pandemic - but we finally ran our second trip to Patagonia! On this trip, we held the launch ceremony of our community garden, located at the same school where we built the region’s first-ever recycling point in 2020.
Workshops were held for children and adults alike to learn how to grow their own food and understand the concept of food sovereignty - a step toward regional self-reliance and with a nod toward the imminence of climate change consequences. We believe that highlighting the importance of projects such as these is paramount to addressing climate-related problems - at the root - rather than just dealing with the symptoms.
February 2022
We thank Will Weber for serving his full 3-year term as Board Secretary, AND heartily welcome Steven Wong as his successor!
We are so appreciative of each person. who chooses to accept a Board of Directors position with us. They provide valuable guidance and oversight on how our organization spends its money and creates its policies, in addition to volunteering hours and providing resources to help make our nonprofit run.
The Secretary's role is no easy task but is so essential to the functionality of our organization. Thank you, Will, for your years of wonderful service with us! We are so thrilled that you will continue to work with our Board as an Emeritus.
And thank you, Steven, for joining our team. We are so lucky to have you with us, and appreciate all of the ways that you have and will contribute to Trek Relief.
