RUN ACROSS MAY RUNNER PROFILES: Carmen Wilson
Carmen Wilson
Carmen Wilson participated in the 2021 Run Across May and completed the challenge by committing to a mix of mile-based activities, including running 115, biking 73, and hiking 15! Carmen raised over $1,000 to support our families to financial independence. Carmen first got involved with WORK through Koreatown Run Club, who has been involved with the organization for several years. After getting inspired by Run Across Haiti alums and other members of the WORK community, Carmen decided to join the RAM community.
Although pushing herself to complete her 200 miles was challenging, Carmen relied on the momentum and support of her run club, friends, and the WORK community. Running is a huge part of Carmen’s life. Her involvement with WORK has allowed her to run for something bigger than herself, a cause that is close to her heart: breaking the cycle of poverty.
In our interview, Carmen passionately discussed how important it is for people to have access to necessities like water, education, and livable wages. She appreciated how WORK starts from the bottom in order to ensure our families are provided with the necessary resources and tools to help themselves.
“I believe in the work that WORK does. They provide help to families by teaching them skills and placing them in dignified jobs and continue to help until the family is self-sufficient. That is humanity.”
Carmen is proud to be a part of an organization that values humanity as much as WORK does. Through her involvement, she hopes to raise awareness to show that every human is deserving of our help and that Haiti is not a place to be feared.
As she ran the last leg of her running-based miles, Carmen had a ton of people on the track and on the sidelines cheering her on and running alongside her. She considers her running community family and used their support not only to help her push through mental and physical blocks but also as motivation throughout her RAM campaign.
“Committing to something bigger than myself was a great push that I needed in this moment of my life... but also truly seeing how much of you believe in me and support me like family... is the epitome of love.”
In these blogs, we aim to highlight members of the community that emphasize the meaning of the work. Carmen’s story exemplifies the pure value and strength that a community can have. WORK continues to recognize how essential community is in the fight against poverty, whether in Haiti or within our supporter base.