My Latest Project

I’d been having a really hard time being back in The Gambia after going to America in July. To make matters worse, all my friends seemed to be having a rough time too, and tensions were high.
All I wished for were the simple days of Gunnison or the fire crew, and Oreo Thursday. From my early days as a mascot through my time at the Sheriffs Dept. I’ve always wanted to make those around me happy. At Nederland and CSU it was the fans, and then my crews at work, not to mention all my friends, classmates and mentors!
That’s a lot harder to do here! Most of my contact with my friends is through text message, not face to face, or even on the phone.
My difficulties coupled with those of my friends and colleagues got me to thinking about what I can do here and now about it, with the resources I have.
I used to bring in Oreos every Thursday, to boost morale and share a delicious snack with my crew at the end of a hard week of work (Forester Friday!). My crew loved it so much that Oreo Thursday turned into Swiss Cake Roll Thursday, Ice Cream Thursday, and once, Guinness Thursday! Everyone chipped in and it made Thursdays a day to look forward to.
I continued the tradition with my new crew in Boulder the next summer. They loved it too, and joined in with muffins and other delicious snax! And it helped make our crew into a family, that shared and cared (awwww) about each other. They would brag to other crews about Oreo Thursday.
Which brings me to The Gambia… I can’t do Oreo Thursday. Everyone is spread out across the country, and Oreos are expensive! But I want to work to create that positive attitude and weekly uplift. So I came up with Oreo Thursday, Gambia Style. Every week I send out an inspirational, funny or uplifting quote to Peace Corps Volunteers as a reminder that they are appreciated and to keep up the good work.
So far the response has been favorable, and I’m excited to have found an outlet that I can support my new crew through! I think trying to find something to encourage Volunteers helps me as much as it could help them.
If you come across any hilarious, inspirational or just good quotes please e-mail them to me! You never know what will make a person’s day or week!