Doña Josefina stands with her husband Luis, their children, and Common Hope staff and volunteers in front of their new home. Her family was the first in San Rafael to finish their sweat equity hours to earn a home.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Tom Joyce - Chair
Pete Regnier - Vice Chair
Sally Westby - Secretary
Dave Heider - Treasurer
Robert Fafinski, Jr.
Ed Flaherty
James Hatch
Bill Huebsch
Kathy Paden
Steve Schmidt
Joan Uselmann
Randi Yoder

HONORARY BOARD

Arizona
Ron Kelly

California
Sandy Smith
Gerry Morrison

Illinois
Gary Doten
Mary Pasquinelli
Joe Shank
Leslie Shank

Minnesota
Stan Amidon
Annette Atkins
Ann Bloomquist
Eric Bloomquist
Kim Culp
Julie Flaherty
Bina Huebsch
Dave Huebsch
John Huebsch
Barbara Kopp
Jim McDonald
Mike Menzel
Dick Palen
Greg Palen
Glen Taylor
John Watson

NewYork
Greg Scherer
Linda Scherer
Dean Vought

U.S. Virgin Islands
Larry Meyer Peggy Meyer

PRIMARY CONTACTS

Shari Blindt - Executive Director
Kathleen Lock - Director of Finance
Peg Fourré - Development Director

 

Dear Friends,

 

You make it possible for more than 2,700 students in Guatemala to beat the odds – progressing through school and finishing high school at significantly higher rates. This culminates in the graduations we celebrate each year but begins with a young child and his or her family.

Our work is not fancy – it is medicine for a sick parent, a roof to keep out the rain, and encouragement to persevere. It is centered on a child’s education but involves their whole family. It is a series of simple opportunities in a place where there are few, and families who leap at the chance to build a better life for themselves and their children.

It makes all the difference in the world.

Imagine losing two children to dehydration because intestinal parasites thrive in dirt floors and in the water available for cooking and drinking. Or living in a house where you can’t lean on the wall because it may topple. It’s wet and muddy inside during the rainy season, and the wind and cold blows through the walls in the winter.

Doña Josefina doesn’t have to imagine how it would feel – she remembers.

We just completed construction of her new home, which she earned preparing and serving school lunches for the kids in San Rafael. Her family is healthier this year because she prepares their food the way she learned while volunteering at the school. Her new floor is made of cement, and that alone reduces parasites by more than 75 percent, keeping her entire family healthier. Her husband helped our volunteers and staff build their new home, and he spoke eloquently about what it meant for his family.

As the roof went on the structure, Josefina was the first to enter her completed home. She has a beautiful smile – and it was even bigger and brighter than usual that afternoon. She pushed against the exterior wall and said, “It’s so secure!”

That security is physical, and it’s emotional.

We celebrate children succeeding in school – progressing from one grade to the next, and ultimately graduating from high school. But it’s our partnership with their families and breadth of opportunities you help us provide that combine to make their education a reality.

You continue to create hope and opportunity in Guatemala despite the difficult economic times, and we are ever grateful for your support.

Mil gracias,

Shari Blindt Executive Director