PI Overview and History
About PI
Possibilities International (PI) is a registered charitable humanitarian aid organization that exists to help fulfill the simple dreams of the hurting, helpless and hopeless by raising up a nation of everyday philanthropists. Simply put..."We invest in World Changers".
How does this work?
PI has Dream Agents (people that live and work in the field) in several countries around the world and right here in Canada.
Our Dream Agents are on the look-out for people struggling to meet the most basic of needs or the simplest of dreams:
- The child who can’t enroll in school without a uniform (and his family can’t afford to buy one)
- The elderly woman who carries a single light bulb from room to room cause she can’t afford to buy another
- The orphan who has never owned a new pair of shoes
- The bright 15 year old girl who will go blind without an operation that only costs $300
The list goes on. Generally, the needs we identify are too small to be considered for funding from many larger organizations. And that’s where PI comes in. We are able to connect our donors to specific everyday needs and dreams of people all over the world. Everyday philanthropists making a difference one dream at a time - that’s what we’re about.
History
Sam Welten, with the support of his wife Vee and their three sons, founded Possibilities International (PI) in Kitchener, Ontario in September 2005. Sam had a passion to help the hurting, helpless and hopeless around the world - he had visited several third world countries and observed first hand that a little can go a long way toward impacting a life.
He believed therefore, that everyone could be a philanthropist regardless of age or economic status and he set about finding a way to make that happen.
In the Fall of 2009, PI launched the first iam1ru website. iam1ru became PI’s brand as it posed both the statement and question that meant “I am an everyday philanthropist, are you?” The website allowed PI’s donors to see/read profiles of the everyday needs and dreams of people around the world, and choose where they would like their donations to go. The current website was launched in April 2011 in an effort to provide easier navigation and bring another of Sam’s dreams to life - the ability to provide Gift Certificates - allowing recipients to choose which dreams(s) they would like to fulfill - helping to better connect “us” to “them”.
Since it’s inception, PI has facilitated many humanitarian aid trips to countries such as: Kyrgyzstan, Haiti, Ukraine, Guatemala, Ghana, Mexico and El Salvador. Teams have participated in building projects, renovations, shopping sprees for orphans, visiting and encouraging the blind, elderly or handicapped and much more. Trips play play a key role in PI’s goal to create everyday philanthropists. PI not only directs its own humanitarian aid trips but also facilitates trips for other groups such as schools, colleges, churches, and even families. If you are interested in PI facilitating a trip for you, please email us or call the office. 519.577.2389
The opportunities are endless.
As of December 2023, PI has seen countless unique dreams fulfilled via sponsorship through the website. That does not include the countless dreams that are sponsored by caring people while away on trips with PI. The nation of Everyday Philanthropists continues to grow. Will you join us?
We believe "we can do far more together than we can ever do alone".