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Woman Climbing More Than 50 Mountains In Western U.S. To Help Santa Barbara County Non-Profit

(ShelterBox photo)
Brittney Woodrum on her 58 mountain peak journey in Colorado

Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties have hundreds of non-profit agencies trying to improve the lives of people, and the world around us.

There are tens of thousands of volunteers.  Some deliver food to those who need it.  Others take time to help in less glamorous ways, like stuffing envelopes. But, one woman is literally climbing mountains to raise money and awareness for a Santa Barbara C ounty based non-profit which provides help to those impacted by disaster.

Brittney Woodrum is nearing the end of a six month project to climb 58 Colorado mountain peaks.  The 27 year old Masters student is a volunteer ambassador with “ShelterBox,” the Santa Barbara organization known for getting boxes of critical supplies to those hit by disaster.

The Kentucky native now lives in Denver.  She connected with “ShelterBox,” and began talking to Rotary clubs in Colorado about the organization, which was founded some two decades ago by Rotarians in Great Britain.

She got the ambitious idea to climb the 58 peaks, carrying a “ShelterBox” on her back.  Rotary clubs, other organizations, or individuals could sponsor each of the 58 climbs, with a goal of raising $80,000.  The non-profit ships the boxes to disaster zones around the world, filling them with things like tents, blankets, lighting gear and water filteration systems.

Woodrum says she had the idea in April, started planning in May, and preparations in June.  She wanted to be self-sufficent:  It’s just her, her car, and a lot of freeze dried food.

The ShelterBox volunteer says the effort is going well. She got ahead of schedule, which is a good thing.  Colorado had some crazy weather going from temperatures of around 100 degrees to snow in a 48 hour period last week.

Woodrum says the ambitious, 540 mile hiking project has left some people scratching their heads.  It’s a lot of work when she could be spending time before starting her master’s degree on a sunny beach.  But, she says she loves being able to mix her love of nature with helping others.

Woodrum is working on getting a Masters in international relations, and hopes to work for an global non-profit aid group.  You can see pictures of her on her “58 Peaks For Charity” adventure, and read more ShelterBox at www.shelterboxusa.org/fourteeners

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.