There are a number of ways to help the Blue Mountain Project

(click on an item in the following list to go directly there)

Donate
Join Us
Volunteer
Become an Ambassador
Buy a Candle, Sell a Candle
Help with Fun Camp
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Donate

Your generous gifts of money help us to continue our work: bringing clean water to those without, improving access to quality health care, increasing household income, or helping a child read better. Please make your tax-deductable check or money order payable to the Blue Mountain Project and send it to:

Blue Mountain Project
920 Adams Street
Hammond, WI 54015

Donations can also be made on line using Network for Good. Please see the Donate Now button to the left.

Gifts-in-kind also help us to meet our program needs. We accept donations of medical, office and school supplies. Click here for our most recent Wish List. Items that are needed in Jamaica require clearance prior to their arrival to avoid duty. If you would like to send or bring these items to Jamaica, please let us know at least 21 days prior to their expected arrival date in Jamaica.

If you are unable to donate yourself, there are a number of creative and fun ways to raise money for the Blue Mountain Project:

• Have a birthday or anniversary coming up – Don’t need another sweater or kitchen gadget, ask family and friends to donate to the Blue Mountain Project in your name. You can use Facebook to help gather in the donations.
• The holiday season is coming up. Many areas hold alternative gift fairs where people can buy a special gift and donate to a charity (hopefully the Blue Mountain Project) in the name of a loved one. We have a gift fair kit with display materials and items to sell (spices and coffee from Jamaica) if you are interested in running a booth at a fair in your area. Contact ed@bluemountainproject.org for assistance and details.
• Play poker for BMP, for each hand donate $1 of the pot to BMP.
• Work with your kids – Kids have a lot of energy and loads of ideas. One of our board members works with a service group of fourth and fifth graders at Clyde Hill Elementary who participates in monthly service projects benefitting their school, local, and global communities. A long time supporter of the BMP, the service group decided in the spring to raise money and awareness regarding clean water and its impact on your health. The kids designed and distributed informational posters and created and sold over 200 buttons. They raised almost $1000. The kids went door to door, to local shops, to community ball games, etc...
• Make GoodSearch your home page and primary search engine. Be sure to select Blue Mountain Project as your charity and the Blue Mountain Project will receive 1 cent for each search you make.
• Shop for BMP: Simply start your shopping at GoodShop (http://www.goodsearch.com/goodshop.aspx), listing Blue Mountain Project when asked who you will be shopping for. You can shop at Amazon, Staples, Sears, Best Buy, … BMP will earn 0.5 to 30% of each purchase and you will not have to pay anything extra. You can also shop online through GiveBackAmerica.
• Donate your old car or boat to BMP: BMP will sell it, you will earn a tax deduction and you will free up space in your garage for that new bass boat.
• Donate your airline miles to BMP: The miles will be used to support Service Learning Volunteers who may not be able to afford a trip to Hagley Gap.
• Convince your favorite restaurant to contribute a percentage of their gross on a given night. BMP will be glad to advertise this restaurant.

Join Us

Stay informed and get involved

Keep in touch with Blue Mountain Project activities, sucesses, and future events by signing up to receive our emails and newsletters.
(Your privacy is very important to us. Blue Mountain Project does not share your email address with anyone. We do not sell it, rent it, or give it away, period.)

Volunteer

Travel to Jamaica and participate in our Service Learning Program, a short-term volunteer program designed to meet two important needs:

• To provide an opportunity for global citizens to serve others in need while having an authentic Jamaican experience.
• To provide needed resources, services, training and employment opportunities for local community members.

Depending on community needs, volunteers select from a variety of service projects that they would like to work on in Jamaica. Most projects focus on health or education and include working in one of our clinics, tutoring, teaching or performing light construction. Past volunteers have included doctors, teachers, engineers, college students and retirees.

Accommodations

Volunteers live and eat with Jamaican host families. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in daily village life and might experience fetching water from a nearby river, playing dominoes in a shop or attending a local worship service.

Fees

Volunteers pay an all-inclusive program fee of $89 per night (7 night minimum) to cover the cost of lodging, meals, training, learning opportunities and in-country transportation. Fees are used to hire locals to host, cook, drive and teach the volunteers during their stay in the Blue Mountains. On average, about three jobs are created for every volunteer who participates in the Service Learning Program. We are proud to be one of the largest contributors to the local economy.
(Although we have been forced to raise our fees, the BMP SLP is still one of the least expensive programs available.)

Discounts are available for volunteers wishing to stay more than 14 nights and for groups of 8 or more. Fees do NOT include airfare. To request an application, please send an e-mail to ed@bluemountainproject.org.

Become an Ambassador

As an Ambassador you will live and work in Hagley Gap for a year in exchange for a smalll stipend and modest room and board. During this time you will gain an in-depth understanding of the people and culture of Jamaica while you provide invaluable technical assistance and program management for one of our programs that will improve the life of the Hagley Gap community.

Ambassadors should have training and/or experience in one of the following areas:

• Health (all aspects including public health)
• Education (at all levels including adult)
• Business development and management
• Civil or water engineering

Ambassadors are paired with Jamaican staff members and SLP volunteers while they work full time on their project and assist others on special events.

While enjoying the beautiful Blue Mountain scenery, Ambassadors live together in a typical Jamaican village house with no running water and rely on their own two feet for transportation.

Simply put: Ambassador life exemplifies simple living along with a twist of adventure, a mountain of work, and a lifetime of memories.

To request an application, please use the Contact Us section or e-mail ed@bluemountainproject.org.

Buy a Candle, Sell a Candle

The Blue Mountain Project has joined with the Ely Candle Company to offer beautiful candles for sale. Each candle comes in a mason jar and has a beautiful scent to calm you after a hectic day. Special scents are offered for this sale, each designed to remind you of Jamaica – mango, hibiscus, coconut and others.

Ely Candle Company uses only the finest ingredients in their products, including clean-burning soy wax, and wicks without a metal core. The candles burn evenly for about 50 hours.

Buy the candles for yourself or organize a sale at school, work or in your neighborhood.

The Blue Mountain Project receives 50% of the sale price.

Please contact vol2@bluemountainproject.org to spoil yourself with a purchase of candles or to organize a sale. (Candles are shipped free for orders of 10 or more to the same address. Smaller orders will be charged the actual shipping rate--you chose the shipping method.)

Help with Fun Camp

Every year The Blue Mountain Project puts together two weeks of fun and educational activities for the children of Hagley Gap and Penlyne Castle in the beautiful Blue Mountains of Jamaica.

The camp is followed by a Back2School Extravaganza during which we provide camp participants with basic school supplies. Many families in the Gap do not have enough money to buy the supplies needed for school. If a child does not have black shoes she cannot go to school. If a child does not have pencils and paper he cannot do his homework.

Please help a child go to school. Donate:

• Backpacks
• Black shoes
• Pencils
• Composition books
• Rulers
• Pencil sharpeners
• Erasers
• Construction Paper
• Children's books
• Reading and Math Flash Cards
• Toothbrushes and Toothpaste

Please contact ed@bluemountainproject.org if you have school supplies or money to donate to this worthwhile project.

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There are a number of other ways you can help:

• Join our Facebook Cause - Blue Mountain Project.
• Buy a beautiful t-shirt for BMP: Capturing the good vibes and spirit of the Reggae and Rastafarian movement, Rastafarian Roots spreads the love through original graphic tees and hoodies. Founded by Roman Vizvary in 2009, Rastafarian Roots brings Rastawear into the 21st century by pairing the iconic red, gold and green of the Rastafarian flag with clean designs and the classic spirit of the laid-back Jamaican lifestyle. Rastafarian Roots donates $1 to BMP for every t-shirt sold.
• Follow us on Twitter.
• Put a link to our web site on all your web sites and blogs.