Main fundraiser photo

Emerging Leaders Peace Summit in Bangkok, Thailand

Donation protected
Today I was fortunate enough to be selected and offered an invitation to participate in the 2nd Peace Summit of Emerging Leaders at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand (occurs February 5th-7th, 2020). 

This was all made possible due to a current tenure as a 2nd yr (of 3 yrs) Part-Time Graduate Student at The University of Chicago; of which I was forwarded an email, as was a 100+ other graduate students, and was encouraged to apply due to a current cgpa standing of a 3.71. That was done, & despite the odds, the opportunity has been awarded. However, to officially accept the Humanitarian Affairs Asia's invitation I am mandated to make a $890 payment before Saturday, December 28th (that covers room and board & flight fees but does not include extra fees such as the Bank Remittance Fee & others that totals to ~$1,000), which if you can imagine, is a very short turnaround for me to be able to save for in hopes of taking advantage of this opportunity while I can.

Even though I am an employee working in the economically disadvantaged Chicago communities of Austin and North Lawndale as a Professional Mentor for eight 1st grade at-risk Hispanic and African American males ( all of whom remind me of a younger me in Englewood), I also reside in the Hyde Park community of south Chicago (for school-home commute convenience) which entails yearly monthly rent increases and I also am a Graduate Student making personal financial contributions to my own Graduate School education (books mainly after loans applied) at a very expensive Private University (The U of C) in addition to being a son who financially cares for both his parents on a monthly basis.

I would not have made it as far as I have in anything I have accomplished if not for the many people who have supported me from my early days in Englewood, to my formative yrs at West Michigan College of Barbering and Beauty, to my 4 yrs of undergraduate schooling at Western Michigan University or my National Service days as an AmeriCorps VISTA within Tucson, AZ in addition to my previous tenure in Chicago as a Community Organizer intern with Community Renewal Society and current tenure as a Community Liaison intern  in the 21st Ward to Alderman Howard B. Brookins Jr.; all of whom I continue pushing forward for in life to repay my debts through continued progress towards the ultimate goal of establishing a career as a local public servant within Chicago's City Council.  

I am asking for any financial support possible in hopes of making this opportunity achievable, as I am %100 certain that this opportunity will be necessary for continued personal & professional growth; of which I vow will ultimately culminate into an end result that benefits the many people and families I currently serve and will someday soon publicly serve as a Local City Alderman, in a City in which I have loved from the day I was birthed into it.  

Thank you in advance for any financial contributions you can assist with and I assure you that your investment in me will not be forgotten; neither will it go to waste.  

Yours Truly,
Maurice Leroy Washington Jr. 
https://hpherald.com/2019/12/24/from-gang-member-to-mentor/
https://citizennewspapergroup.com/news/2019/dec/11/once-homeless-hyde-park-man-now-university-chicago/ 
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2015/08/kalamazoo_promise_scholars_unl.html 
https://compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship/the-2014-newman-civic-fellows/maurice-washington-western-michigan-university/ 

Organiser

Maurice L. Washington Jr.
Organiser
Chicago, IL

Your easy, powerful and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help straight to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.