I’ve been remiss in welcoming a member to our board of directors — Cole Smith. Cole actually joined the board more than a year ago, and has quickly become a central part of our work. In fact, in January Cole was elected as Mali Rising’s Treasurer. We are grateful to have someone with Cole’s skills and eye for detail in this key role. Although we are late, we want to take a minute to have our supporters get to know Cole. I asked Cole a few questions about his board service and background. Read on for more from Cole…

We do a lot with a little here at Mali Rising, and much of that is possible because of our great volunteers. Today, I want to feature a new volunteer — Lawrence Long — who has stepped up to help us with all kinds of critical, behind-the-scenes work as our Volunteer Operations Coordinator. We are so glad to have Lawrence’s help, and hope you’ll enjoy getting to know him through a little recent Q and A!

Do you ever think “I wish I had the time to volunteer” or “I would love to do that, but I don’t think I can anymore”? Volunteer Nancy wants to tell you “Do what you can when you can. Every little bit helps.” I recently spoke with Nancy about her week-long experience volunteering for Mali Rising. While visiting family in Salt Lake City in March…

For our volunteer spotlight this month, we travel to Mali… virtually. Through email, I interviewed Fatoumata who does volunteer work in the villages where Mali Rising operates.

Our Board of Directors help guide the work of Mali Rising and provide legal and financial insight. I recently interviewed Mali Rising’s Board Vice Chair, Marvin, by email. He is a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer and is happy to share his experience with you.

We asked Katie Boutwell, our new summer intern, to answer a few questions about herself and the work she will be tackling this summer. Get to know Katie…

Our Youth Ambassador project is a great way for high school students to help Mali Rising’s youth while gaining leadership skills and fostering an international understanding. I recently interviewed one of our Youth Ambassadors, Adjo, by email. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer and was excited to share her experience with you.

I recently spoke with Mali Rising volunteer Margie to learn about her work with Mali Rising. Volunteers like Margie (and me) make a small organization like Mali Rising able to achieve much more than you would think with our small staff and budget.

This month we welcomed our volunteer Operations Coordinator, Marie, to Mali Rising. We asked Marie to tell us a little about herself so that the whole Mali Rising community can get to know her. Read on to learn more about Marie and the great work she is tackling at Mali Rising.