Shortly before Christmas in 2006, Amy McLaren turned to her future husband and pitched the ideal of going on a trip over the holidays. Given Amy’s adventurous spirit and fondness for living and working in far-off-places, her fiancée, Stu McLaren, shouldn’t have been surprised when she also suggested that for the trip, they raise some money and education supplies to donate to a vulnerable community in need.
Though Stu had every faith in Amy’s vision, he wasn’t sure that they could organize the details so quickly. But, Amy wouldn’t budge. Recalls Stu, “She told me, you are the business guy, you raise the money and I’ll arrange the trip.”
Together they raised $17,000 and headed to a village in El Salvador, using the donations to buy supplies for a local school.
This experience changed everything—and Village Impact was born.
More than a decade later, this shared vision and heart for making a positive difference in the world has grown into a community-led model of development that, by working through local partners and generous supporters from around the world, helps achieve long-term change for children, families and communities.