The Lift Initiative: One Heart, Two Schools, Double the Blessing

My name is Gabi Rivera for the past five years, I’ve been baking cookies and giving them out on a donation basis to help fund Christian education for students in Colombia. By God’s grace and the support of my Tierrasanta Seventh-Day Adventist Church family, that simple act turned into something much bigger — providing 15 full scholarships for students at Colegio Adventista Los Andes.

Now, I’m inviting you to join the next movement!

In just 30 days, we aim to raise $7,000 to bless two schools in two countries:

Why “The Lift Initiative”? Because we are not just lifting weights, we are lifting each other up.

Organized by San Diego Academy ( Principal Thomas) with me, Gabi Rivera, as Founder and leader of The Lift Initiative.

Why We’re Doing This:

At 13 years old, after hearing my grandmother share about students in Colombia who couldn’t afford school, I asked a simple question in the car: “What if I bake cookies and gather donations?”

That small act of faith became a movement. Batch after batch, God multiplied it into over 15 scholarships for students in Colombia. Now, with The Lift Initiative, I’m inviting you to help expand this mission — blessing two schools at once.

First goal: $7,000 in 30 days.

After we reach it, every extra dollar will be split 50/50 for both schools’ needs.

Families in Colombia: You can donate with a credit card (note that your bank may charge a small international fee).

Local San Diego donors: I will be visiting local churches with my cookies to collect donations (dates to come), and I’ll keep the GoFundMe updated so everyone can see our progress.

We’d love to hear from you! When you donate, feel free to share who you are, where you’re from, or just say hello. We want to celebrate our donors and create a connected, global community.

I’ve seen how God can use something as small as a cookie to change lives. My dream is that this project reminds every student — in San Diego and Colombia — that with God’s help, nothing is impossible.

I also wanted to share what I heard on K-LOVE last week:

“Sometimes we are the answer to someone’s prayer, and sometimes we are the receivers.”

Join The Lift movement, be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Transparency Note:

All funds raised will go directly into the San Diego Academy account and will be distributed exactly as outlined above — ensuring full accountability and transparency.

Donate & Share:

Thank you for lifting with us! Together, we can bless students in Colombia and San Diego, honor 40 years of God’s faithfulness, and show what happens when one heart says "Yes!" to serving.

✨ We’re lifting up two schools at once — will you join the movement today?