August 5, 2015

Hi, My name is Lambeth Allen and I am now a rising senior at Charlotte Country Day School. I was born and raised in Charlotte, with my parents and older brother who is a rising sophomore at UGA. As the school year came to an end, my excitement was growing! Throughout the past two years, I have done a few projects with TFFT such as working on the Annual Fund cards, the Share the Love Campaign, leading our school club, and helping with the holiday cards. But this summer, I have the opportunity to work with TFFT daily and I am beyond excited!

Although I have never traveled to Africa, I am extremely passionate about TFFT’s work. Ever since I was little, I have had the desire to help others and have had a passion for children. I frequently volunteer at my church’s nursery and love interacting with children and watching them grow as I see them each Sunday. Also, recently traveled to El Salvador to build homes for vulnerable and impoverished families. There I saw first hand how they lived and made personal connections with the family I built for. It was more than just building a home, it was about making an impact. As I have learned from working with TFFT, they aren’t just trying to educate vulnerable children, they are building a connection with children, giving these children a sense of family and an environment to be in everyday where they truly feel at home.

I also love to step out of my comfort zone and experience other places and cultures. This fall, I went to a semester school in Maine, called Chewonki. There I lived in a cabin with a stove as a heater, harvested the food I ate everyday, and worked on the farm and around campus with 40 of some of my now closest friends. There I learned the importance of what we have. I learned I am lucky for what I have, but I also don’t need nearly as much as I have. I learned what is needed and what isn’t. As Meghann was explaining at the beginning of my internship: yes, we can buy dishwashers, but how do we keep paying for them to run? What happens if one breaks? There are certain things in life that are needed like love and education, which is exactly what TFFT is giving to these children.

As soon as I entered the office on my first Monday morning, I was greeted with smiles and open arms. Meghann explained her journey with TFFT, which opened my eyes even more, and then I was put right to work. TFFT works together in a close-knit environment. They had everything planned out for me and knew exactly what I was needed to work on: holiday card and letter, Facebook, Instagram, and RIDETZ. I spent my first few hours here learning the ropes and what all goes into The Foundation For Tomorrow. I was so happy to see that everyone here is beyond happy to be here, and would never dread having to come into the office. This environment is perfect for me. It’s great to know that each day we arrive at the office to benefit the lives of over 100 students. I hope that soon (maybe next summer!), I will be able to visit Tanzania and see what our work has done first hand and meet the people TFFT is impacting.

My summer is now coming to an end, and I have to say this internship exceeded my expectations. Grace and I planned the Holiday Cards and Letter, helped with the SOS Gala, got a start on RIDETZ, and took part in many other tasks. It’s sad that this internship is almost over (this week is my last week) but I am happy that I am able to stay involved with TFFT throughout the school year and throughout my life. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to be here and work with Meghann, Kaitlin, Ray, Maggie, Lucy and Grace in the office this summer.