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Former Grand Forks resident making a difference in Mexico

Kate Russell, a former Grand Forks resident, will lead a one-week volunteer and adventure trip to Mexico.
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Kate Russell playing with a red thread with a little girl at an orphanage during her first volunteer trip in Nepal.

Former Grand Forks resident Kate Russell is leading a group for a one-week volunteer and adventure trip to Mexico in April.

In part with The Humanity Exchange, Russell is the group leader and will be in charge of roughly 12 people and will take them through various volunteer and adventure activities.

Now 22, this will be Russell’s second trip to Mexico as a group leader.

Russell’s first volunteering trip abroad was to Nepal, where she spent three months working at various schools in 2007.

“As part of the trip, I became a little bit more familiar with the whole volunteer industry and exchanges and oversees work,” she said. “Through that, I (became) interested more in a program that would give back to the community that was legitimate and who knew what the local priorities and needs were.”

It was through her volunteering that The Humanity Exchange, an organization that focuses on international development through the help of volunteers, internships and language learning programs, approached Russell.

“They asked me if I wanted to be the group leader and because of their particular endeavors towards locally-based tourism, I was drawn into it,” explained Russell.

Through paying-to-volunteer programs, volunteer positions that require the person to pay for the opportunity to volunteer, the fee covers all your costs and makes sure you’re not taking money away from any organization you’re working with, she pointed out.

“So basically if you’re painting an orphanage, all the supplies would be paid for through your fee,” Russell said. “Versus a situation we wouldn’t want to see happening where the orphanage would be taking money out of their own savings.”

The volunteer program is $890.

“It covers your accommodations, most of your meals and all of your gear supplies,” she said. “There are also a couple of adventure activities and kayaking etc.”

Those interested in this one-week venture can find out more at thehumanityexchange.org or contact Russell at 250-649-9935.