Dear Friends,
Five years of Learning House. Wow.
There’s so much to celebrate — test scores improved, colleges attended, careers conceived, etc. — but let me resist the urge to quantify. Instead, I’d like to write the fundraising letter that Michelle never would.
Learning House is not about Michelle Welsch, of course. When I think of my time there (I volunteered in Summer 2016), I remember students’ fierce hope. It pervades every hour of programming: Every workshop, exercise, and example. I was prepared to teach English, but not for what it meant to my students, who infused the place with their dreams of a better life, family, village, and in some cases a better Nepal. Learning House, of course, encourages all this. It is a safe space for dreamers.
But the dreamer who started it all, our beloved Michelle, is not, exactly, in a sanctuary of her own. It’s hard enough to set up a non-profit learning center for underprivileged kids in the United States. Michelle faces a whole slew of challenges — cultural, operational, political, etc. — that many of you never hear about, that I can only begin to appreciate because I spent two months there.
On this special anniversary of the founding of Learning House, I’d like to call attention to the enormous personal sacrifices that Michelle has made, and that she will continue to make, in order to keep a corner of Nepal safe for dreamers. Five years of enormous achievement for Learning House and its students. And five years of great personal sacrifice from its creative, bighearted founder.
From a friend and huge fan, I implore you to show your support for Learning House and Michelle, and make your year-end donation this month. If you have time, do it right now! Your gift will enable some stress-free, long-term planning. And no doubt you’ll help Michelle, and the rest of the staff, feel more supported, celebrated, and energized!
Gratefully yours,
Douglas Faneuil
P.S. If you’re unfamiliar with the day-to-day achievements of Learning House, visit Facebook or its homepage.