Staff Spotlight: Reynaldo

For the past six years, Reynaldo has been building hope and dreams through the Housing Program at Common Hope. Now, he is sharing some of his stories with us.

Reynaldo feels motivated by teamwork, solidarity, and the responsibility that comes with his work. Having built 130 houses since he started working at Common Hope, he shares that the value that guides him is responsibility:

“In the housing program, we have the responsibility to build. Some people might look at what we do and think it’s ‘just a room,’ but it’s so much more. We have the responsibility to build HOMES, places where families feel safe and can grow and thrive.”

Housing Challenges

At Common Hope, families face different kinds of challenges when it comes to their housing conditions. A challenge is the prevalence of dirt floors inside homes. In Guatemala, soil composition varies by region, and in the communities we work with, rainwater often accumulates and turns the ground into mud, sometimes even inside the houses. For Reynaldo, his work building cement floors is important, as it allows families to keep their homes cleaner, maintain better hygiene, and ultimately enjoy a higher quality of life.

Another challenge is the lack of space. Reynaldo has seen families living in extremely small spaces. "In a three-meter room, there can be 10-11 people living together. Can you imagine the conditions they live in?"

We embrace change!

From bunk beds and desks to prototypes of kitchens and bathrooms, the housing program team works together to adjust to each family’s needs. Every day, the team looks for new alternatives to improve the living conditions of families.“We embrace change! We’re always exploring new ideas, creating, and transforming”

Thank you, Volunteers!

One of Reynaldo’s favorite stories happened during one of his first house constructions, when he was working together with a group of volunteers, and a heavy rainstorm hit. Reynaldo remembers being moved by how the volunteers continued working without raincoats or boots under the pouring rain to finish the home for the family.

Remembering all that effort and dedication still motivates Reynaldo to this day. He feels proud that his work has such a positive and direct impact on the living conditions of the families, “That’s what inspires me to keep going every day.”