“Warehouse Angel”

Diana and SaraWarehouse Angel.

If I had a nickname for all of our advocates, Sara’s would be that. Sara has been serving CGI since the Fall of 2012. She came with a friend, and they would spend hours together in the warehouse organizing and re-organizing to support the CGI staff and the women in Cambodia.

We cannot tell you how many hours she’s invested, but her behind-the-scenes work sets a stable foundation for other advocates and staff members to take the products into the community. Sara says it best, “It is a fun volunteering job, but more than that, it is so meaningful to aid the ladies and girls who sew the beautiful products!  You will be part of the process in getting the items sold in order to make drastic life changes in these ladies’ and girls’ lives.  They not only receive training, education, salary, etc., but they hear about Jesus Christ!”

I love her greater vision. She knows what she enjoys doing, and it melds perfectly with the needs of the CGI warehouse. “I worked in clothing stores as a clerk while in high school and college,” she says. “They were such fun jobs, so I always looked forward to going to work. It is the same for me to go to CGI!  It is great to see what has just arrived from Cambodia, plus I can see my effort when I am done with the unpacking, tagging and hanging. It is very satisfying to know that I have helped in my way to empower the poor.”

It’s women like Sara that make CGI’s work in Cambodia not only possible, but successful. Lives are being changed by the hours that she spends every week. CGI and the women in Cambodia are blessed by Sara. Thank you!

Interested in getting involved? Contact Lindsey, byTavi Advocate Coordinator, at lindsey@centerforglobalimpact.org

 

 

The Heart of an Advocate

IMG_6065Volunteer doesn’t accurately describe those that choose to serve CGI without expecting anything in return.

Advocate may be a better word when you think about how their hours spent truly impact the ladies in Cambodia who are trying to make a better life for themselves.

Today we want to thank one of those advocates, Tonja Talley. She has been an advocate for CGI for four years now, and has spent countless evenings and weekends selling byTavi products and sharing the stories of the ladies in Cambodia. She, like all of our advocates, continues to give a voice to the women in Cambodia and a market to sell their creations so they can keep their children healthy, protected, and educated.

So why does she choose to do what she does? Hear from Tonja’s heart:

What keeps you volunteering with CGI?  

Jesus Christ and His teachings. The Holy Spirit continues to show me where there is injustice, one must stand against it. Where there is suffering, one must be the hands and feet of our Lord. Where there is opportunity for good, one must seize it. As go our words, so must our actions.

What’s your favorite part about volunteering with CGI?

Gathering in fellowship to assist others gives me great joy. Whether telling the story of Tavi at a byTavi event, handing out food samples at the convention center from the Green Mango Cafe & Bakery menu, or teaching teenagers to model the Imprint Collection, I rejoice in how the CGI mission seeks to empower ladies of all ages in Cambodia, and yet the mission is also empowering women here in the United States.

Thank you, Tonja, and all of our byTavi Advocates. Please know that you are truly making a difference and CGI is blessed to have you as part of the team!

Interested in getting involved? Contact Lindsey, byTavi Advocate Coordinator, at lindsey@centerforglobalimpact.org

Hope and Love in Cambodia

photo-20Stephanie Maass is a friend of CGI and has traveled to Cambodia on more than one occasion to volunteer and encourage our Cambodian staff and program participants. She recently accompanied our Designer, Nicole, on a trip to Cambodia and these are the words she wrote when she returned. We are so encouraged by Stephanie’s beautiful insights and wanted to share them with you:

“I want you to know what I saw [at CGI Cambodia]. I saw girls who would now look you in the eye, hold their heads high, and not approach with slumped shoulders & eyes downcast. I received hugs instigated with wide-open arms and smiles. I saw local Cambodians who were encouraged and empowered to use their gifts and talents in leadership roles. I saw freedom to exchange ideas and creativity among the CGI staff, both Cambodian and American. I saw validation of design concepts, invitation of feedback, creative freedom to experiment and freedom to fail and try again.

I saw acceptance.

I saw people working together for the good of the work of CGI and The Kingdom itself. I heard laughter (I love all the giggles and signs of joy!). I saw camaraderie in the workshop. I saw leadership, teaching, and learning taking place. I saw relationships being established there and the Light that CGI represents being taken to the streets and marketplace. I saw people having table fellowship by the meals provided through CGI. I saw healing in the eyes of girls who need to know their identity as a daughter of the King of Kings. I saw dignity being restored. I saw dignity being harnessed, resulting in people walking in confidence. With my own two eyes, I saw HOPE.”

Here at CGI, we LOVE these stories of HOPE that give us the FAITH to keep moving forward. Happy (early) Valentine’s Day and thanks for loving these girls and giving them a hope so evident.

4th CTC Class Officially Starts!

CTCblogOn Monday, the fourth Culinary Training Center class started their 18-month journey in Battambang!

This class is comprised of 14 at-risk girls who will learn not only culinary skills, but also English, Khmer, Math, Bible, Life Skills and Work-Readiness. Each girl received a bike to commute to/from the Culinary Training Center.

The 14 girls in the program were selected with the help of our partner organizations World Vision, SALT and Rapha House. This is an exciting time as they begin a program that will change the direction of their lives and open up doors for them, both now and in the future. We’re reminded as we see photos of these girls in their learning environment that it was YOUR generosity that helped get them here. We hope you feel the excitement and hope that we feel today!

Please pray for a fruitful 18 months for these precious women.