Appalachian Trail goal

One of my life goals is to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. This means hiking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine, which takes 5-6 months to complete! I will have the opportunity to complete this momentous trek from April - October 2020, after finishing my 27 months of service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia.

In order to fulfill my dream, I need some help.

Firstly, do you have any gear you can donate? I can send the address of a family member in the USA who you can mail the supplies to. Everything should be very light weight.

Items include:

• sleeping pad (about 1 pound), 
• sleeping bag (3 pounds or less), 
• hiking backpack, 50-65L, 3 pounds or less), 
• tent with rain protection (3 pounds or less), 
• hiking poles.

Cooking supplies:

• pocket rocket or other very lightweight camping stove, 
• bear bag or bear canister, 
• small and very light weight cooking pot.

Hygiene/health:

• biodegradable soap and shampoo, 
• permethrin and insect repellent (for tick prevention), 
• cathole sanitation trowl.

Clothing:

• hiking boots or trail runners (womens, size 9), 
• lightweight durable rain jacket, 
• synthetic short and long sleeved fitted t-shirts (womens, M/L), 
• lightweight puffy jacket, 
• Crocs, size 9 (for when resting/camping), 
• sock liners.

Secondly, If you live near the Appalachian Trail, could I stay at your place for a night (April - October 2020)?

Thirdly, If you know anyone who has thru-hiked the trail, could you put me in contact with them?

And, finally, I could use all your encouragement and support to make this dream come true!