FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Solana Beach Mom Awarded for International Impact

Plant With Purposes honors Cindy Outlaw at their Planting Hope Gala
SAN DIEGOAugust 25, 2016On October 8, international development organization Plant With
Purpose will honor local advocate Cindy Outlaw at the 32 annual Planting Hope Gala. Outlaw will be
receiving the Adrian Award for Exceptional Service. Outlaws impact on this San Diego-based
organization includes launching the thriving program in Tanzania, serving as treasurer on the board of
directors, and co-chairing the Plant For Tomorrow expansion campaign.
A long-time resident, Outlaw and her husband Ed raised their two children in Solana Beach.
Volunteering in her childrens classrooms and activities such as acting troop leader for the Girl Scouts
and teaching Sunday school, kept this mom busy while her children were young. Still Outlaw, an avid
mountain climber, managed to find time to travel to Tanzania and summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2000.
While trekking, she asked her guide about his children and their schooling. Her guide shared about the
dilapidated state of the school in his village and the lack of opportunities for education. Just three weeks
prior to Tanzania, Outlaw had been hiking and met Fred Schnitzer, who built schools in Africa.
Returning to San Diego, her first call was to Schnitzer followed by a second call to Point Loma Nazarene
University (Outlaws alma mater). One year later she found herself with a group of students from PLNU
constructing a school on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. During the three-week trip, Outlaw was struck by
the malnutrition she saw in the children and the deforestation of the local rainforest.
Back home, once again, Outlaw recalled an organization that addressed the very issues of poverty and
environmental degradation. A meeting was arranged with the executive director, Scott Sabin. Plant
With Purposes board approved an exploratory trip in 2003 and one year later the Tanzanian program
launched. The program provides long-term solutions to the root causes of rural poverty through
activities such as reforestation, sustainable agriculture training, community-based savings groups, and
leadership development.
A stand out moment for Outlaw was visiting with a young Tanzanian mother. During this heart-to-heart
conversation between moms, Outlaw learned that in the past this Tanzanian mother could not feed her
children enough food to keep them nourished. Malnutrition left her children weak. After walking to
school, they would fall asleep lacking the energy to learn. Plant With Purpose taught her how to grow
enough food to feed her family. Her children are now thrivingvibrant and doing well in school.

This mom is just one of the more than 8,000 families who are experiencing a brighter tomorrow
because of Outlaws vision for those living in the shadows of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In Tanzania alone, 7.5
million trees have been planted restoring farms and providing an abundance of food for families in
poverty.

Thirteen years later, Plant With Purpose celebrates the impact that this local hero is having on Africa.
Executive Director Scott Sabin shares, During her service she has been a tireless champion for the
work in Africa and instrumental to its rapid growth. The Tanzania program has acted as the launching
point for country programs in Burundi and most recently the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A
program in Ethiopia is scheduled to start in early 2017.

One trip to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and a genuine interest in the people Outlaw meets
while trekking allowed something extraordinary to happen. Plant With Purpose looks forward to
celebrating Outlaw at the Planting Hope Gala.

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About Plant With Purpose
Plant With Purpose (plantwithpurpose.org) is an international development organization that
transforms lives in rural areas where poverty is caused by deforestation. For more than 30 years, Plant
With Purpose has provided lasting solutions to rural poverty through a community development
approach that integrates reforestation, sustainable agriculture programs, economic opportunity through
microfinance, and local leadership development. Plant With Purpose currently works in more than 495
communities in seven countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, and Thailand. The organization has planted over 18.9 million trees
worldwide.

About the Planting Hope Gala
The Planting Hope Gala is Plant With Purposes largest annual fundraising event. The 2016 gala is taking
place on October 8 at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. The evening consist of a
wine reception, live entertainment, three-course dinner, silent auction, live auction, fund a need
auction, village marketplace, awarding of the Adrian Award for Exceptional Service, and an address from
Executive Director Scott Sabin. Previous events have raised $350,000. The Planting Hope Gala is a
cherished event for Plant With Purpose supporters.

For interviews, inquiries, or additional information on Plant With Purpose, including videos or photos,
please contact Becky Rosaler.

Contact: Becky Rosaler





Marketing and Events Specialist
800.633.5319 Office





760.650.2819 Cell




becky@plantwithpurpose.org
plantwithpurpose.org