erinoglesbyyoga

Hello Friends, Family and Supporters,

I can hardly believe it but the 2011, Global Seva Challenge for Haiti is over! While I was only a participant for the last quarter of the challenge, it was a short but wild ride. The final totals have come in and I with your support, encouragement and positivity, together we were able to raise $7,473!! The best news is that from all 60 Global Seva Challenge participants 12 were able to raise the $20,000 goal, and will be traveling to Haiti, and will be delivering a total of $375,000 in funds to grassroots groups on the ground.  I feel honored to have been able to contribute to this magnificent total, and blessed to be a a position that allowed me the time and energy it took to collect these funds. Each and everyone of you played a role in this, and I can’t thank you enough!

From the 3 film screenings, 6 yoga classes, 2 silent auctions, 1 virtual raffle and over 75 individual donors, in just 3 months, this was definitely not a small undertaking and not one that I could have or even would have wanted to do alone. Although I will not be traveling to Haiti with Off The Mat, I will be taking away some of the most valuable lessons life has had to teach me so far. I learned to follow my intuition, trust my passion, learn my truth, then speak it, ask for help, let go of expectations, and most importantly I gained a stronger understanding of myself and my place in this life. It wasn’t easy, and I surely have not mastered these life teachings, but I will open myself up to service in the future, know the gifts and joys it brings to get out of myself and do for others.

Looking ahead, Off The Mat, Into The World is already launching the 2012 Global Seva Challenge. This year OTM has chosen to put their efforts towards raising awareness and supporting victims of sex trafficking in India. In case anyone is curious, yes, I will be joining the 2012 challenge! Please join me in this new journey, full of the mysterious twist and turns of life as I start from the beginning this year and do my best to be of service and take action in 2012.

Thank you and have a glorious and abundant New Year!

Erin

Dear Friends, Family and Supporters,

Thank you so much for standing with me in these final days of the challenge. Over and over I am blow away by the amazing support, encouragement and love that has surrounded me on this journey. To date we have raised over $7,000 and the money is still rolling in. Overall, Off The Mat will be sending nearly $350,000 to the grassroots partners in Haiti and 12 Global Seva Challenge participants on the service trip to bear witness to their amazing work! Every dollar counts, and there is still time to help me make my ultimate goal of $20,000 in order to join the Off The Mat group in Haiti and participate in the service projects that your dollars are funding.

As 2011 and the Off The Mat, Global Seva Challenge for Haiti draws to a close I urge you to make a tax-deductible year end donation  to support Off The Mat,Into The World and their grassroots partners in Haiti.

Your support will benefit Off The Mat, Into the World programs as well as the following project in Haiti:

Partners and Projects in Haiti (Click the Link for detailed descriptions)

I am grateful for your support and wish you a new year full of abundance and peace.

Dear Friends, Family and Supporters,

The fundraising deadline has been extended!

Off The Mat, Into The World just announced that the deadline for the 2011 Global Seva Challenge for Haiti has been extended until December 31st. So far, with your help I have raised over $6,000. This means I will need to raise another $14,000 in 14 days in order to meet the $20,000 goal and go on the service trip to Haiti with the Off The Mat group. Do you think it can be done?

It has been my experience along this ride that anything is possible. In the past week alone I have raised over $2,000 from two amazing events, screening Yogawoman both at Square One Yoga Collective and the Global Fund for Women(a big Thank You to Marquesa at Mamma Chia for providing delicious and nutritious drinks) an impromptu silent auction, and the Virtual Raffle (congrats to the winners Melissa who won the Kindle, Sara who won the stay at the Bohemian Armadillo in New Orleans and Anna who won a group session with Happy Belly Health!) Thank you to all who donated money and silent auction/raffle items, and time to attend events. Most importantly for all those who have supported me in so many ways on this path of service.

With just two weeks left to raise funds, I won’t be putting together any events or raffling off anymore prizes. All I can do now, is  ask for your help. If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation today. If you have given, please let your friends/family/wealthy business partners looking for a tax-deduction, know about my Haiti Seva Challenge, and tell them how good it made you feel to give. All gifts are 100% tax-deductible, and when you give online, you get an instant receipt to your email! In Haiti they say “many hands make light work.” If everyone reading this email were to take just 5 minutes and make a $100 contribution, I will easily make my goal. Maybe you can only make a $25 gift, but if you can rally a few of your friends to do the same. All those many hands will make light work for our Haiti partners.

Please take a moment to watch this video about the Solid Women of Fonkoze, one of the Off The Mat partner organizations in Haiti. These women will be receiving a portion of funds, and if I make my goal I will be able to meet with many of them and see their business thriving. This is just one of the many partners and project supported with your funds. See the full list below.

Partners and Projects in Haiti (Click the Link for detailed descriptions)

Namaste, and Happy Holidays!
Erin

Hello All,

The December 15th fundraising deadline is quickly approaching. In fact it is tomorrow, and I can hardly belive that the 2011 Off The Mat, Into the World Global Seva Challege for Haiti is coming to an end.  So far we (yes, you are a part of this too!) have raised over $5,500! This to me feels like an incredible achievement. It’s not exactly the $20,000 that will get me to the service trip to Haiti, but it is a mighty sum nonetheless. The best part is that the challenge altough close to over is not over yet. There are still ways to get involved and continue to grow the pot of funds that will go to Off The Mat’s Haiti partners before midnight tomorrow!

Here is what you can do:

Enter the Virtual Raffle for a change at a One-Week stay at the lovely Bohemian Armadillo Guest House in New Orlean’s Marigny/French Quarter Neighborhood, or a Kindle! One ticket for every $25 donation through my Facebook Causes page

Join me at the Global Fund for Women tomorrow December 15th at 5:30pm for a screening of Yogawoman. We will be drawing for the Virtual Raffle after the Yogawoman screening!

December 15, 2011-Thursday-5:30pm

Yogawoman Screening at the Global Fund for Women, SF

Click image to watch the Yogawoman trailer

This event is a fundraiser to support former Global Fund staff member Erin Oglesby. She has taken on a challenge with the yoga/activist organizations Off The Mat, Into The World, to raise $20,000 for groups in working on the ground in Haiti. If she meets her goal by Dec. 15th she will travel to Haiti and bear witness to the work of these amazing groups. Please come out to watch this wonderfully powerful film and support Erin on her journey of service!

This is Erin’s final day of fundraising, so any and all donations are welcomed. There will also be an opportunity to be entered in a raffle for a week stay in New Orleans and a Kindle, with every $25 donation made!

**We will be drawing the raffle after the Yogawoman screening.

Film Description:
Yoga was bought to the west from India by a lineage of male teachers. Now there’s a generation of women who are leading the way. They’re strong they’re inspiring and they’re radically changing peoples lives. From the busy streets of Manhattan to the dusty slums of Kenya YOGAWOMAN uncovers a global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.

Check out the trailer at: www.yogawoman.tv/the-film/watch-the-trailer.

For more information about the event or to learn more about Erin’s Haiti challenge and Off The Mat, Into The World pleae visit www.erinoglesbyyoga.com or contact Erin Oglesby at 559-392-3494 or erinoglesbyyoga@gmail.com.

In Collaboration with:

…to raise funds before the Dec 15th Haiti Seva Challenge deadline!

Hello All,

With just one week left of my journey, I am kicking it up into high gear!

Last Friday we had a TV crew from Fresno’s Great Day morning show at COIL Yoga filming some spots to promote the Fresno Yogawoman for Haiti event. Thanks to Clayton Clark for coming out and supporting the event and learning some new yoga poses. The event was Saturday Dec. 3rd and we had a community yoga class, screened the new documentary Yogawoman, and held a silent auction.  It was a great success, raising over $1,300 for grassroots groups in Haiti! I want to send a big THANK YOU to all who attended and gave so generously, to those who gave their great items and services for the silent auction,  Jenny Rohan, who co-taught the class with me, Steve Sacks from the Social Justice Committee of the UU church for providing the space and support and of course my fellow COIL yoga teachers Tanya Anderson and Jillian Edwards along with my amazing family who were instrumental in putting the event together.  With only 30 minutes (yes, that’s right) to set up the silent auction, donation table, prepare the room for yoga, get the food ready and cue the music and film I really could not have done it without the help of each of them!

This event brings my total dollars raised to $4,200! Yes, still a ways from the $20,000 goal and the trip to Haiti, but in just 3 months and without a budget to speak of. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support that I am receiving and honored to be the channel in which this money can flow from you to Off The Mat’s Haiti partners to bolster the amazing work they are already doing on the ground in Haiti. (Click here to see the list of Off The Mat, Into The World-Haiti Seva Challenge partners and projects).

My primary method of staying inspired and keeping focused on why I took on this challenge is to set time aside to connect with what is going on in Haiti and getting to know the Off The Mat Haiti partners better. Watch this trailer of the short documentary film “The Road to Fondwa.” to learn more about where some of the funds are going. (The Association of Peasants, Fondwa(APF) and Fonkoze.) If you have time I encourage you to watch the full length of the film (just 37 minutes). It was filmed before the earthquake, but the challenges faced and the solutions have not changed. The film is beautifully done and  if full of hope, empowerment and the elements needed for sustainable change. We are all one.

Check out the list of the upcoming events and final opportunities for you to get involved and keep building the pot of funds going to Haiti:

Enter the virtual raffle to win a Kindle or a 1-week stay in New Orleans! One ticket for every $25 donated through Facebook Causes. Raffle will be drawn 12am on Dec. 15th.

December 11, 2011-Sunday

Donation Yoga Class and Screening of YOGAWOMAN