School of Joy Needs YOUR help – Please Donate Today
In November, my mom and I were fortunate enough to stumble across an amazing school just outside the city of Siem Reap, on our long awaited trip to Cambodia. The humble school was started by a local Cambodian man named Sovannara Yang who is attending University while working two jobs and uses his own salary to run the school.
Located in the outskirts of the city, the school is nestled in the middle an impoverished neighborhood, where the resident children have no means of transportation to travel to the public school provided by the government. Having only been open for a short time, the children in this community are, for the first time, receiving an education and are eager to learn.
The biggest educational need for these children is for them to learn English. The native language, Khmer, is only spoken in Cambodia by Cambodians. Since tourism is a large source of employment for Cambodians, speaking English is a must to ensure a future for these children.
These beautiful children are excited and thankful for the opportunity to learn.
In addition to free education for this community’s impoverished children. The school of peace offers a way to make a living for several Cambodian women that are HIV positive. These women have the opportunity to make wallets, purses and jewelry from recycled newspaper and are able to support themselves and their families in this way.
Sovannara and his staff are doing a wonderful job in starting and running this school with the limited resources that they have. We had such an amazing time volunteering at this school, falling in love with the children and having Sovannara share his vision with us.
Here’s where you come in: The school is in need of a website for donations and a presence for prospective volunteers to find when planning their travels to Siem Reap. I have asked Sovannara if I could use my resources in the U.S. to build this site and he accepted with excitement. It will cost $500.00 to build this website the proper way and I am asking for donations to finance the site and help the School of Peace grow to an entirely new level. Any amount is much appreciated and know that you are helping each and every one of these children have a better today and an even better tomorrow.
Thank you so much for your time and god bless.
To make a donation, please click on the PayPal Donate button at the top of this blog.
Amazing all the things you are doing with your life, keep it up Lauren you truly are an inspiration!!!
Thank you, Jon. That means the world to me. I hope you’re doing fantastic!
Im good just started school again, still Coaching baseball. Thanks for asking keep in touch I know you are a busy girl but would love to get coffee sometime and catch up one of these days. Hope your family is doing well!!
You are really taking this giving back thing BEYOND your days as a Broncos Cheerleader and Mammoth Wild Bunch Dancer. That is, community service events, which are sponsored by the Broncos and Mammoth cheerleading squads.
As an added bonus, there are two groups of celebrities giving back. One group gives back as a publicity stunt to make a star look good. Second group of celebrities give back out of the kindness of their hearts. YOU are in that second group. HIGHLY COMMENDABLE.
Exceptional work OUTSIDE both organizations (Broncos and Mammoth) and the national fame world; KEEP IT UP!!!!!!!
Thank you, Scoop. I really appreciate the kind words.
I feel like doing a story about you and your mom giving back FOR YEARS.
1) One act of giving back BEFORE you became a Mammoth Wild Bunch Dancer, including in Todd Civin’s piece about your trip to Ecuador.
2) Second act of giving back BEFORE you were a Broncos cheerleader, with a mention of going to Africa on a volunteer trip (from your profile (2007 and 2008))
3) Third act of giving back BEFORE you became a local sports reporter with Altitude
4) Forth act of giving back BEFORE you became an LFL sideline reporter
Now that would be an EVEN-BETTER Lauren Gardner piece, which would top all the rest (South Stand Denver, Todd Civin, Avalanche Guild).
Professional cheer squads, and national celebrities, who give back to the world and the community; all just for a PR stunt to make themselves LOOK good. But, Lauren is the exception, especially with one part of her family (her mom).
Giving back to the community, especially since it has done so much for her.
Making this giving back experience extra special is when doing it with family, especially with her mom.
Doing so out of the kindness of her heart
Making a celebrity FEEL good ON THE INSIDE is much better than LOOK good for the press.
Scoop Nemeth, reporting.