Our Volunteers

Search for International Volunteers

In our search for two international volunteers we have met a number of very enthusiastic individuals willing to spend six months working with San Francisco in Peru. This year we have selected two fantastic individuals each bringing their own talents and experiences to help support the youth as they take on their first community project. Keep up with our volunteers on their journey by visiting our MEJOR Communities Blog Site. You can also reach this site in our left navigation page.

Volunteer profiles:

2010 Volunteers

Monica Melgar

Growing up in Southern California, Monica had the opportunity to begin traveling early on, which contributed to her love of South America and great interest in human rights. In 2007, she moved to Portland where she is currently studying Social Work and Latin American Studies at Portland State University. She started interning with MEJOR Communities this year and has become very passionate about the goals of the organization. Monica’s father is from Peru and after visiting family many times, she holds a special place in her heart for the country and it's people. She is very excited to work with MEJORC to pursue her passions and spend time with the community of San Francisco!

James Bellamy

James loves and cherishes different, and challenging experiences. He has a desire to connect with others, and believes that genuine relationships with people are the most important aspects of life. James has spent the last 8 years of his life exploring how his passions and abilities could best contribute to the world. That has consisted of traveling, volunteering, interning, and studying in various locations around the globe. The opportunity to live in Peru and work in rural village concentrating on youth empowerment, health and education, is directly line with James’s future goals and ambitions. He looks forward to a long-standing relationship with Mejor Communities.

2009 Volunteers:

Valerie Scott

Born in 1985 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Valerie Scott grew up in Matthews, North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and English Literature.

While in college she researched and wrote a senior thesis dealing with the impact of HIV/AIDS on a rural community in Swaziland. This work sparked her passion for working with communities to improve public health. Following her graduation, Valerie traveled throughout South America and studied Spanish in Argentina. She is excited to work with MEJOR Communities to create opportunities and improve health in her new community in Peru!

Curtis Fox (and Carly Kellogg)

Curtis grew up in the gorgeous Green Mountain State-Vermont. Soon after high school he discovered his taste for exploring and spent the next year traveling and working abroad. Upon returning, Curtis moved to California where he received his BA in Political Science from the University of San Francisco.

During school, Curtis spent every dollar and free minute traveling wherever possible, from New Delhi to New Zealand. Most recently he returned from a 3 month stint in Central America to Portland OR, to be with the long-time love of his life Carly Kellogg. The two now live happily together in Portland, where Carly recently graduated with a BFA in metal from the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, and Curtis spends his days interning at both Idealist.org and Mercy Corps. Both Curtis and Carly are extremely excited to have found Mejor and to have the opportunity to touch lives in rural Peru.