September 21, 2008 in San Diego, California

Join 17 year old Iranian-American Nadia Farjood in the Walk for Hope 5K on 21 September 2008 in sunny San Diego for the benefit of the young women at Omid-e-Mehr in Iran. Alternatively you can support Nadia's event by making a donation. Through her grandmother (shown above with Nadia) and aunt, Nadia learned about Omid and its commitment to empowering disadvantaged young women in Iran. As president of the Key Club of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego she suggested a fund-raising walk in support of Omid and its cause to the club's members. Her idea was taken up with enthusiasm and her club teamed up with their sister high school, the Canyon Crest Academy, to organize the fund-raising walk and make a difference in the lives of the young women at Omid.

Nadia and her friends understand that the young women at Omid have the same dreams as all of us and that our contributions can bring them one small step closer to realizing their dreams. Please see below for more information about Omid and its dedication to empowering young women and be sure to check out some of the remarkable stories of these inspiring women available on the Omid web site. Get involved by registering for the walk, or by making a donation.

We sincerely hope that Nadia's initiative will inspire other young persons to start their own Walk for Hope in their own areas, or find other ways to lend a helping hand to the disadvantaged young women in our care and spark an international campaign to support the important goals of Omid. Anyone interested should contact Nadia for guidance and advice.

Let Nadia tell you about this initiative herself. Play video.

Walk for Hope 5K

Come out with your friends and family and walk (or run if you prefer) in the San Diego sunshine starting and ending at Ocean Air Elementary School to support the underprivileged young women at the Omid. Members from women's groups, service organizations and cultural centers are invited to attend as are parents, students and children. The course is 5 kilometers, a little over 3 miles, and will feature live entertainment, activities for children, and refreshments. There will be official race T-shirts, raffles for gift baskets, and business booths promoting their services. The date, time and venue are: - Sunday, 21 September 2008, registration from 8.00 am, run/walk at 9.00 am. - Ocean Air Elementary School, 11444 Center Heights Drive, San Diego, CA 92130.

Registration

• Students: 10 US Dollars (15 US Dollars after 14 Sep)
• Adults: 20 US Dollars (25 US Dollars after 14 Sep)
• Registration fee includes an event T-shirt and pre- and post- run/walk refreshments
• Click here to download the registration form
• Mail the completed registration form with your check to Nadia Farjood, 10638 Amberglades Lane, San Diego CA 92130, USA (issue checks in favor of 'TPHS Key Club')

Donations

• Click here to download the donation form
• Mail the completed donation form with your check or credit card details to Nadia Farjood, 10638 Amberglades Lane, San Diego CA 92130, USA
• Click here to make an online donation for the Walk for Hope 5K through the Omid website

Omid Foundations

The Omid-e-Mehr and Omid Foundations were established in 2004 to strengthen the social, emotional, and economic competencies of disadvantaged young women in Iran (aged from 15 to 25), and provide them with a sense of self-worth and with the opportunities to experience a full range of life options through self-empowerment, education and training. Omid's clients have typically either been put into care from an early age, or run away from abusive homes, or live in extreme poverty. They often suffer from severe mental health and emotional difficulties, mostly stemming from their experiences of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and exposure to drugs and violence. Despite their past difficulties, and the obstacles still facing them, our young clients have dreams. They yearn to participate in life, and to make meaningful contributions to the world around them. Omid's holistic approach provides these young clients with the opportunities to realize such dreams. They are offered the tools, structure and support to help them succeed. And, above all, we offer them the chance to be heard. The cornerstones of this approach are self-empowerment, education and training, supplemented by effective work placement, counselling and assistance. Omid's track record is truly exceptional. More than 80% of its 'graduates' hold secure, well paying jobs in prominent organisations, and can look forward to a future full of promise and opportunities.

• Click here to find out more about Omid and how you could get involved
• Click here to join the Omid Facebook group
• Click here to download Omid's latest annual report
• Contact Omid for a copy of the foundation's audited account

Acknowledgements

A successful event becomes a reality because of the support and dedication of a passionate group of people and it is important to recognize the persons, whose diligent work made the Walk for Hope 5K a reality. Our special thanks go to:

• Sean Engineer, Alden Hozouri, Judy Li, Zoe Katz (Canyon Crest Academy Key Club)
• Michelle Chow, Alice Lay, Kimberly Ha (Torrey Pines High School Key Club)
• Tarlan Zaltash (Iranian Women Group of San Diego)
• Belinda Sztrom (Girls Alliance Club)
• Michael Montgomery (Torrey Pines High School)
• Farhad and Laura Farjood (Nadia's parents)
• Forrough Farjood and Seddigh Bagherzadeh (Nadia's aunt and grandmother)

But most importantly, our gratitude goes to Nadia, who made it all happen. She is a remarkable person who at the age of 17 has already embarked on her journey of community service and in the years beyond, will undoubtedly inspire and lead others to become compassionate, active members of society. She has a keen interest in woman's causes and is planning to create a web site empowering women to learn about financial independence and to fight for feminism. Community service is a way of life for Nadia and it would be impossible to list all of her numerous accomplishments and contributions to worthy causes. She is president of her high school's Key Club, has been recognized as the 'Most Consistently Dedicated Key Club Officer' in the 16-school Key Club region in San Diego, and was selected as a delegate to the California Governor and First Lady's Conference on Women in 2007 and 2008. Her accomplishments include organizing basketball clinics for underprivileged children, raising funds for battered women and children, tutoring a disabled college student, teaching chemistry, biology and general science for grades 1-6 at an accelerated summer school, etc., etc. …….

Enquiries and additional information

• Walk for Hope 5K: Walk4hope@gmail.com, +1 (858) 3429561 (Nadia Farjood), +1 (858) 7759562 (Laura Farjood)
• Omid Foundations: info@omid-e-mehr.org, +44 (20) 75846949

... Payvand News - 09/02/08 ...

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