Throughout SPONSORPALOOZA we are sharing stories of what sponsorship means to students, their families, and their sponsors. Supporters can share their stories and videos on social media using the hashtag #SponsorshipMeans. We received the following #SponsorshipMeans Story from Wendy Vezzozi, a longtime sponsor and volunteer: This beautiful poster was written by our sponsor child Rutilia and hung on her wall when our daughter Lauren and I visited her home. We had sponsored her brother Saulo for 10 years until he proudly graduated from high school. We had the opportunity to get to know Rutilia on several occasions when we visited Guatemala. She has always lovingly referred to us as her padrinos (sponsors) even though she wasn’t affiliated. She so badly wanted to have sponsors and we are now blessed to be her sponsors. Her gift to us speaks volumes as to what it means to be a sponsor. If you would like to share your #SponsorshipMeans story or video with us, simply post on Facebook using the hashtag #SponsorshipMeans. Please be sure to tag @Common Hope and make your post Public so we can see it! You can also email your story or video to sponsorpalooza@commonhope.org and we will share it with our wonderful network of supporters! Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

Greetings Common Hope friends! It is with great pleasure that I can say that I am officially part of the Common Hope/Familias de Esperanza team. I kicked off my days with orientation and training, as well as embarking on planning for 2017. It has been incredible to be exposed to the work of my colleagues here in Guatemala. In the library, I was able to see the supportive healthy space that is created for kids ages 2-18 and their families. In a Nurturing Parenting session, I heard parents talk about their most memorable meal from childhood and reflect on how important it is to make meal time a time when families come together. During my visit with the Sponsorship team I saw how carefully and patiently they receive applications from hopeful families who would like to become part of Familias de Esperanza. I greeted a Vision Team with my hospitality colleagues and said then goodbye to them alongside small children from the Antigua Day Care Center. I learned more about the new communities where we work; specifically the challenges that small farmers’ families face in trying to create a more dignified life. I was able to attend the 10 year anniversary of our school building at New Hope, as well as, witness the graduation of three schools from Phase 1 of our Partnership School Program. I witnessed the amazing experience of coming on a Vision Team and the wonderful collaboration between our visitors, families and staff. Every place I went I learned from my new colleagues just how caring they are and how important it is to them to ensure that students dream andfamilies are united. Since my arrival at Common Hope/Familias de Esperanza I have been shown an unconditional hope for the future and a fundamental commitment to caring and giving. In the coming weeks we will be preparing to receive a volunteer dental team, a visit from the Board of Directors, continue planning for 2017, and finalizing the 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. We are getting ready to kick off Sponsorpalooza next month, getting ready to receive the shipping container filled with school supplies and, most importantly, we will be preparing to celebrate the graduation of 168 students in November. This is the most exciting time of year for all of us to watch students reach this milestone and we can recognize all of our collective hard work! I am looking forward to working with this team toward 30 more years! And to watching the acceptance, patience and support that make up this Common Hope/Familias de Esperanza community! Sincerely, Rebecca Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

A natural leader, Pratiksha Tonpe is a State Director for the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), a nationwide honors organization that invites high school students from around the country to use their knowledge for the betterment of the global community. As a State Director, one of Pratiksha’s responsibilities is to execute a NSHSS statewide initiative and engage other student ambassadors in the project. Pratiksha, along with her co-state directors, created a very impactful initiative that focuses on collecting school supplies for Guatemalan students. Her goal is to engage all 208 Texas state ambassadors in the project and collect a total of 5,000 supplies! Why school supplies for Guatemala? The idea for the project came about after Pratiksha’s co-state director, Maricarmen Pedroza, volunteered at a school in Guatemala. There, she saw how often students lacked the necessary, every-day supplies to complete assignments. This left an impact on Maricarmen, who shared the idea with Pratiksha and Kyra Thomas, a fellow co-state director. “In my school specifically, you find pencils on the ground everywhere so it’s hard to think that other kids around the world only have one pencil a year. I feel like it’s our moral responsibility since we are so blessed with fortunate lives to help these schools in need of supplies,” said Pratiksha. Once the initiative was off the ground, Pratiksha explained one of the biggest issues to resolve was how to get the supplies to Guatemala. That’s when she decided to research online and found Common Hope, which she described as a perfect fit. “Common Hope was already sending a shipment to Guatemala so we knew that our supplies would definitely be in the right hands,” she said. A way to make a difference Aside from collecting supplies, Pratiksha said she hopes this initiative will get her fellow Texas high schoolers involved in and excited about a great cause. Personally, she wants to gain and hone her skills for leadership, communication, and organization. She said it’s also an opportunity to give back, “the only thing I hope to take away from this experience is the satisfaction of knowing that I am finally doing something that can truly make a difference in a child’s life. A year ago, I never would have thought that I was capable of handling such a large service project but now I’m confident that this project will be a success!” Common Hope thanks Pratiksha and fellow NSHSS members from across Texas for their efforts and enthusiasm. Every school supply collected will reach the hands of a student in Guatemala–a student who will no longer struggle to find a pencil, pen, or notebook. ¡Gracias por su ayuda Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

This past April, the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Vision Team visited Guatemala and one of their team members, Connie Marty, came ready to share a thoughtful jewelry project with the Antigua Youth Program. Connie founded Strands of Hope, an organization that makes beautiful jewelry featuring a pendent with two hearts woven together. Each piece of jewelry has a specific bead patterning, and there is one unique bead in each design. This unique bead symbolizes that sometimes we have a specific life plan, but there are speed bumps along the way. If there is an obstacle in your path, each person owes it to themselves to overcome that obstacle. In contrast, there can also be wonderful experiences that happen unexpectedly. In either situation, this is what makes life unique and beautiful. The two woven hearts pendent represents that we are all interconnected in one continuous strand, forever. Connie explained that to her personally, the pendent represents her relationship with her sponsored student. For the Mount Olive Vision Team, the pendent represents the team’s relationship with the family they built a new home for. The two groups will forever be interconnected. Connie led an activity with 19 girls and boys making Strands of Hope necklaces. The activity was a great success! Some of the youth kept the necklaces for themselves, while others planned to give them as a gift to their mother or sister. They made necklaces of all kinds of colors and patterns; some followed the design while others were more creative and decided to make their own designs. The final product? Beautiful necklaces and many happy smiles! Connie generously donated beads and pendants, along with the jewelry making tools, so the staff at Common Hope can replicate the activity with other students in the Youth Program. Thank you Connie and everyone from the Mount Olive Lutheran Church Vision Team for sharing your time and your passion with us at Common Hope! Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

When asked what seasons Guatemala has, I’ve often answered, “rainy and dry season and each lasts six months.” I recently decided to reframe my answer. The other day as I drove the road between the neighborhood I have lived most of my life to the place that I have worked for nearly half of my life (16 years), I did what I always do—I noticed the beauty around me. What got to me, again, were tall Jacaranda trees filled with purple blossoms. They decorate the skyline and their falling blossoms immediately make magnificent purple carpets. It was on this day I realized there is another season in Guatemala. Jacaranda Season. I have had the honor of seeing many seasons of change at Common Hope; some difficult and some joyous. Some were spent at a funeral with a mother whose baby just died, going to court with a young victim of violence, or rushing to the city to fill out paperwork at a government office–sometimes all in one day. Oh, and don’t forget a container arriving unannounced at 4:00am.  Some were spent creating processes and controls that would allow us to sustain our mission for the long haul; seasons of adding more people to walk with more people through mudslides, cancer diagnoses and low scores on report cards. All the tough seasons were spent in preparation for the joyful ones—seasons of students graduating, a child getting a prosthetic leg, or a young man being the first in his family to have a professional job. Alma, Tamalyn, Sandra and Lesbia There was a season with Dave, John, and Ana driving people to the hospital or supporting Pat and Karina as they developed a professional team of social workers to build more self-reliance in our communities. There were meetings in the ravine interviewing families, building New Hope, and vetting a qualified local team (way to go Renato and Jeff!) There was the season of naming the first Guatemalan leaders at the Antigua and New Hope sites (Sandra and Mynor, carry on). Watching Lesbia walk the Pathway of Dreams beside the first San Rafael Common Hope graduates and the season we named Alma as leader at San Miguel Milpas Altas. A season that saw Rosalina lead the department so dear to her heart. A season to watch Josué build the Antigua covered ball court and a season to bring on Pablo to stabilize our IT. Tamalyn and Josué Throughout all of these seasons, we have helped our employees in Guatemala go from junior high education, to high school completion to securing a bachelor’s or master’s degree. There was a season for engaging public schools, improving classroom management, and building a reading culture; earning us the respect of the Board of Education and a platform to accelerate our results over the coming years. Next up? Yet another season, one that will bear the fruit of a third rural community. We could not have weathered it all without your trust, the dedication of the Guatemalans who do this important work, and the committed staff and long-term volunteers who work in the U.S. office and in Guatemala (many of whom forfeited profitable careers to dedicate a chunk of their lives to our families). You know who you are, and I am so blessed to have known you, worked with you, and learned from you. For all of you who have invested or have yet to invest, the season coming is a good one. The changes in Guatemala are phenomenal. Roads, telecommunications and education opportunities are better. Guatemalans are fighting corruption. We are serving more people than ever and Common Hope is learning how to achieve even better results. Our work is not done. There is still a lot to do and we have to keep at it. After almost 30 years of watching the towns that Common Hope serves grow and develop, I am a witness to the power of hope and opportunity in real ways in towns like San Pedro Las Huertas or San Juan del Obispo; towns where one family from Minnesota got us to believe something really good was possible then let us go and make it happen. Today, in all of the towns around the Antigua Site, it is normal for parents to send their kids to school. We propelled that change. We walked beside families, did what it took to remove barriers, and got them in. Then, we took what we learned in Antigua and New Hope and began to serve rural indigenous communities. Today, I have the rewarding challenge of trying to go throughout my day and not run into one of our students—a student who has made it over the hump of extreme poverty and improved their life through education. Just last month while I was at church, Miguel walked up to me and told me he is almost done with his engineering degree. He shared that he has kept a good job in a corporate bank headquarters for 3 years. Let me be clear, there is not a single day that goes by that I do not run into one of your ROIs. I am blessed to see these living testimonies every day and to have been part of this beautiful work for all these years. Ian, Olivia, Tamalyn and Sam Jacaranda season is drawing to a close. I soak it up with my kids, playing in the fallen blossoms. Soon it will end and another season will come to water the earth and provide refreshment. As I turn over the reins to a new Country Director, for me, too, a season is ending. It’s a season that has been awe-inspiring. It has grown and stretched me, all with love, integrity, and passion. It was always a calling and a gift. My new season is with my precious family, still in Guatemala, still watching the impact Common Hope has on the people and nation I walk alongside. This new season will bring refreshment and newness for me and it will do the same for Common Hope. If you are in Guatemala, I hope we bump into one another at the park or the market, and that I can personally introduce you to the living, breathing, successes you have invested in so faithfully. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. John was kind to let this kid tag along, and then brave to entrust me with his baby to steward for a season. We’re bigger now, the work is great, and the next 30 years are going to be incredible. For all the hundreds of you who have not only loved the families we serve, but have loved our kids Samuel, Olivia and Ian, Felipe and I are grateful for your example of generosity and service. Felices TREINTA Common Hope, Tamalyn Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

Early childhood education is virtually non-existent in Guatemala, a country where half of the population lives below the poverty line. Books are a luxury that many cannot afford and for some children, their first year of school is the first time they have a story read to them. Knowing that the most crucial and influential years of education occur very early on in a child’s life (ages 2-4 years old), Common Hope’s Early Childhood Reading Program Addresses the need for early childhood education. Started in 2011 with only three families, the program has grown to serve 52 families from Antigua and the village of San Miguel Milpas Atlas in 2015. A program evaluation done in 2014 showed an increase in the frequency of parents reading to their children – parents went from reading with their childrentwo times per month to two-four times per week. In addition, the program evaluation showed that parents are: more likely to have a regularly scheduled reading time with their child more likely to be able to name their child’s favorite book more likely to have an affective bond twice as likely to ask their child to look for a figure in the illustration or predict what might happen next (rather than just reading the story) increase their use of the seven techniques for “reading through images,” from one to three. This year, Common Hope will be making early childhood reading programs available in every community where we work. Not only will this ensure that children begin school with the skills they need, directly increasing first grade promotion rates, but it will also build a culture of reading in Guatemala. The larger picture By encouraging families to visit the Common Hope library and continue reading after they complete the program, Common Hope presents new opportunities to entire families and communities. In 2015, there were more than 2,700 visits to the library and over 3,600 books were borrowed or checked out. Social workers who work very closely with the families are seeing the benefits of this program for the children and the parents. So much so that one mother who participated in the program was inspired to go back to school and is working to finish her primary school education. “The program changes the way our families think about reading from something that is a chore to something that can be fun and creative,” said Alma, a social worker in San Miguel. Ultimately, the program exposes every child and family to a new way of thinking about reading and getting ready for school. It’s MORE THAN just reading a story – families begin to see the world in a different way, creating a deeper, stronger, and more loving bond between them. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

Note: This article was first published in the March 2016 issue of Saint Paul Magazine. The original article was written by Dana Bedingfield and you can find the article online here at saintpaulmag.com. Reprinted with permission from Saint Paul Magazine and Tiger Oak Media. We are happy to share this article on Honorary Board Member, Jim McDonald with our supporters. Jim is a former member of Common Hope’s Executive Board, serving as Board Chair from 2003 to 2007. He has been a regular Common Hope volunteer in both the St. Paul office and in Guatemala. He has hosted a Discovery Team and been part of Vision Teams in 2000 and 2001 Jim McDonald at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a health care clinic in Guatemala. Jim McDonald of McDonald Remodeling Transforms Homes in Minnesota and Lives in Guatemala By: Dana Bedingfield It feels like walking into the middle of modern dance performance. People move briskly in every direction. They all seem to know exactly where they are going. They crisscross in the hallway and side-step each other on the stairs. In the middle of this swirl of energy is Jim McDonald, who answers questions, checks schedules and makes a phone call. He never seems annoyed or hurried, even though these are the last few days of an extensive year-long renovation project in Saint Paul. Everyone working in this house answers up the chain of command to him. That probably explains why no one seems frazzled. The choreographer of this dance knows just where the next steps need to land. Jim McDonald is CEO of McDonald Remodeling, which is based in Inver Grove Heights but works on projects all over the Twin Cities, including Saint Paul. He doesn’t usually take on the role of project manager—he has three full-time project managers on his staff of 18 people—but this project needed a little extra help getting over the finish line, so he’s handling a few last-minute details. Stepping in to get things done is something he’s happy to do—even when it isn’t for his own company. Two to four times year, McDonald travels to Guatemala, where he works with Grace Centre and Common Hope, two Saint Paul-based nonprofits that serve impoverished communities in the Central American country (he also works with a health care project in Central America run by a St. Louis nun). McDonald has aided in the design and construction of health clinics. He also helped with the construction of a village built by Common Hope to provide homes for those displaced by a hurricane. He gives both his time and talents to the long-term commitments the nonprofit organizations have made in Guatemala and speaks with deep feeling about the struggles faced by the people he has met working there. “If they are lucky, they may have a job harvesting cardamom and make about $1,000 a year,” says McDonald. “Milk costs just as much as it does here—the cost of living is the same, they just do without many necessities. Then the price of cardamom falls, and they are out of work altogether.” Seeing people lining up at daybreak to get basic medical care in a clinic he built makes him feel he’s done something positive. “But it’s just what we should all be doing,” McDonald says. There are things that “just should be done” that shape how McDonald does business, too. Many Saint Paul neighborhoods have older homes that have been remodeled to greater and lesser degrees over the years. Many people know firsthand that renovation projects can be disruptive and stressful. “Because most renovations are done with the homeowner living in the house, we are always mindful of the fact that we are a guest in your home,” says McDonald. He makes sure that his employees and subcontractors do everything they can to contain the mess, noise and disruption that accompanies any renovation. “There are two C’s in success,” McDonald likes to say: “Cleanliness and communication.” Communication starts at the beginning of the process, which McDonald says is an opportunity to help homeowners understand what’s possible. McDonald says budget is always a consideration: Not just how much you can spend, but where you should spend it. “I always work to find a balance between the homeowner’s dreams and what is realistic,” says McDonald. McDonald says he loves the challenge of giving an older home “contemporary room relationship” while preserving the character that makes each home unique. According to McDonald, the way we live changes over time; he has a passion for giving houses another century or two of useful life by reshaping them just enough to make the houses comfortable for modern life without losing their sense of history. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

Jose Israel is 13 years old and was born with Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome, a neurological disorder caused by tissue attachments that limit the movement of the spinal cord. When Jose was 4 months old he received an operation to repair the spinal cord, but this caused secondary symptoms of other neurological issues, including deformations in his legs and feet. When Jose was five years old, he became affiliated with Common Hope and was able to receive support from our medical clinic. Specifically, Jose needed special leg braces called ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) to help him walk. Jose’s mother said that these AFOs were very expensive and without medical support from Common Hope’s Healthcare Program, they would not have been able to get them. In the fall of 2015, Jose came to the Antigua medical clinic for a checkup and the doctors realized that he had grown out of his AFOs and was having trouble walking as a result. Common Hope helped get Jose fitted for new AFOs and ordered special shoes tailored specifically for his condition. Now Jose is walking without any problems. Dr. Walter Estrada, the Antigua Clinic Director, described the day Jose received his new AFOs; “It was indescribable to see the happiness on Jose’s face now that he can walk well again, and Jose’s response of gratitude was to give me a big hug. These are the priceless moments.” Jose’s new AFO The medical care Jose has received is helping to remove a barrier that might otherwise have kept him from staying in school. Jose has been affiliated with Common Hope for eight years and just started 7th grade in January. Jose’s favorite subject is math and he wants to be an agricultural engineer when he grows up. Thanks to new AFOs, he’s well on his way to achieving his goal. Donations from supporters like you make it possible for Common Hope’s Healthcare Program to provide MORE THAN routine checkups and medications. You have allowed us to go beyond, providing specialized medical care for students like Jose. Thank you for helping students and their family members stay on the path to reach their dreams for the last 30 years. If you would like to give a $30 gift in honor of Common Hope’s 30 years of service, you can do so by clicking here. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

“And it all started by accident,” she says. Using her skills to enhance and fortify the Healthcare Program In 1991, Kathie was in Guatemala visiting her son, who was touring Antigua and had recently found out about Common Hope through a friend with whom he connected fortuitously. Kathie was then exposed to Common Hope’s work and took great interest in learning more about the mission. She met with John Huebsch to talk about the needs of families in Guatemala, specifically in the area of healthcare. Learning about the limited access to healthcare in Guatemala fueled Kathie’s desire to use her medical skills to help those in need. After Kathie retired from the Minneapolis Health Department in 2000, she and her husband traveled to and from Guatemala for the next 12 years, staying 3 months at a time to volunteer numerous hours in the clinic and pharmacy at our Antigua site. They sorted medicines, helped setup and organize the clinic and pharmacy, handled in-kind donations, labeled medical instruments, created a reference book of medicines for staff in Guatemala, and aided in setting up protocol for certain medical situations. Kathie also worked directly with patients in the clinic and helped them get on the road to recovery. When Kathie was in Minnesota, she spread the word about the great healthcare need in Guatemala amongst her colleagues and received support for our families in the form of in-kind donations. She also volunteered many hours in our St. Paul office. “There was always plenty of work to do,” she affirms. Kathie says that her belief in the organization is what compelled her to volunteer all these years, she continues to explain, “The fact that I had some skills that I could offer that made a difference— that was important [to me.] The people were very, very important, as well: those I worked with, the people I got to know personally, the staff, and the patients. Of course, it didn’t hurt getting out of Minnesota in the winter, either. That was an added bonus!” Recognition for her charitable work In 2011, Kathie was one of seven St. Catherine University alumni who received an award of recognition for their involvement in charitable work. Upon receiving her award, Kathie gave a speech to her peers, explaining the reality of people who live without the opportunity to access  healthcare, seizing the opportunity to promote awareness rather than receive credit. Today, Kathie enjoys retirement and continues to offer her skill volunteering. When reflecting on her time as a volunteer with Common Hope, she affirms, “I’m certainly grateful for having been part of the team at Common Hope. It has been wonderful to meet so many good people. There’s so much loyalty, and it is has enriched my life to have been part of this community.” Thank you, Kathie, for sharing your time, energy and skills with us for so many years. We treasure and appreciate your altruistic acts, and we know that our families and staff in Guatemala do as well. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

For the second consecutive year, Rotary clubs from District 5950 worked together to support education for impoverished students affiliated with Common Hope. This year’s project was focused on the implementation of a new and improved math curriculum, Guatemática, in Guatemalan public schools, as part of Common Hope’s Partner School program. Minneapolis City of Lakes, Buffalo, and St. Cloud Rotary Clubs combined their resources, donating $3,000 which was then matched by Rotary District 5950 for a total of $12,000. Their grant provided math workbooks for 1st – 3rd grade students and instruction guides for teachers in five public primary schools in villages outside of Antigua. During Guatematica’s first year of use, more than 1,500 young students and teachers will benefit from this generous donation. Rotary’s support will also enable teachers to continuously improve math instruction for years to come– a perfectly synchronized endeavor as Common Hope’s Partner Schools begin phase 2 of the Partner School Program, which focuses on enhancing math and reading curriculum. Taking their support a step further, 15 individuals representing the Minneapolis City of Lakes and St. Cloud Rotary clubs traveled to Guatemala on a Vision Team in January. In preparation for their trip, they held a packing party where they filled suitcases full of needed school supplies, and donated their checked luggage space for their trip to carry everything with them. During their week in Guatemala, they connected with their partner club, Guatemala del Este Rotary. Together they delivered workbooks, math activity materials, and supplies to Common Hope partner schools in Santa Catarina and San Miguel Escobar. Each teacher was presented with the materials they would receive, and tears of gratitude were shared with the team. In addition to their time in partner schools, the team also helped to host School Supply Day in Antigua, working with Common Hope staff to organize and distribute school supplies to more than 1,500 students in preschool through high school who live in 17 villages near Antigua. They also built a home for a family who had completed their sweat-equity hours, accompanied social workers on home visits and lent a hand in other volunteer activities. To see photos from their Vision Team trip, click here to visit our Vision Team Photo Diary. Thank you, Minneapolis City of Lakes, St. Cloud, and Buffalo Rotary clubs, for your support on the ground in Guatemala and here in Minnesota. The Rotary motto of “service above self” was exemplified throughout your experience. Your generous contribution and your active participation truly make a difference inside the classroom, and out. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

On this day 30 years ago, the Huebsch Family’s grassroots endeavor to educate children in Guatemala received official Articles of Incorporation. Little did they know that the organization’s destiny was to be MORE THAN they ever dreamed of as they started providing education scholarships to children living in poverty. Now serving tens of thousands of people in Guatemala, you, too, make it possible for families to build a better future for themselves. It’s MORE THAN just another anniversary By 1990, we learned that it’s MORE THAN just getting kids to school. It’s about keeping students and their entire family healthy, safe, and stable. In 1999, we learned that it’s MORE THAN providing emergency assistance after a disaster. It’s about building an entirely new place for families to live and call home. In 2007, we learned that it’s MORE THAN serving families in Antigua and New Hope. It’s about reaching families in new communities too far away to come to us, but close enough for our staff to reach. We now work in San Rafael el Arado, San Miguel Milpas Altas, and will begin work in a third new community in 2016. In 2010, we learned that it’s MORE THAN providing access to education. It’s about partnering with the public schools to train teachers and provide them with the resources they need to make learning effective and fun. By 2012, we had learned that it’s MORE THAN textbooks, school supplies and going to class. It’s about providing Early Education to prepare kids for school before they start 1st grade. These are just a few of the countless lessons Common Hope has learned over the last three decades, paving the way to where we are today; serving more than 13,000 people, working in 26 communities, partnering with 6 public schools, and expanding our reach into yet another new community in 2016. It’s much MORE THAN running an effective, efficient human development organization. It’s about making a REAL DIFFERENCE one child, one family, and one community at a time. Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless

Happy holidays from your friends at Common Hope/Familias de Esperanza! We wish you peace, joy, and all the best this wonderful holiday has to offer. May this incredible time with family and friends bring you joy that lasts throughout the year. If you’re looking for a special dish to serve at your holiday party, here is a special recipe straight from the Common Hope Kitchen in Antigua. Chuchitos are traditional Guatemalan-style tamales, and many families prepare this dish for their holiday celebrations. And another fun fact about chuchitos–the word means “little dog” in English! This recipe makes approximately 25 chuchitos! Photo from: https://farm4.staticflickr.com WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Dough Ingredients  2 pounds of corn flour 1/2 pound (1 cup) of pig lard (can be substituted for butter or shortening) 2 teaspoons of salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon of chicken bullion water (several cups) *Editor’s Note: When we originally  published this recipe, it called for 1 tsp of chicken broth. The correct ingredient is actually chicken bullion (for flavor). The original recipe also did not list water, which you will need several cups of. There isn’t an exact amount of water, so Chef Vinicio recommends adding one cup of water at a time until your masa (dough) is the right consistency. El Recado Ingredients (the condiments/sauce & filling)  12 tomatoes 3 guaque chiles (can substitute guajillo chiles) 3 red chili peppers 4 ounces of pumpkin seeds 2 ounces of sesame seeds 1 pound of pork cut into small pieces (can substitute chicken for pork) 3 large bunches of dry corn husks (can substitute aluminum foil) 1 teaspoon of salt THE PREPARATION: Prep: If you’re using corn husks and purchase them packaged from your local mercado, you will most likely need to soak the husks in hot water (not boiling) for 30-60 minutes. Make sure they are completely  submerged below the water. You want the husks to be very pliable and easy to fold and tie. The longer you soak them, the easier this is! To make the dough: Mix the corn flour with the lard, salt, and chicken bullion. Add a cup of warm water to the mixture for blending, but be sure not to add too much. The dough should be dense, not watered down. Chef Vinicio recommends adding one cup of water at a time until the dough is pliable (you need to be able to fold it over to create a little pocket.) Photo from: vanessabarrington.com To make el recado (sauce): Place tomatoes in 1/2 liter (approx. 2 cups) of water and cook them till soft (approx. 10 minutes). Wash the chiles and take out the veins and seeds. Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a pan on low-medium heat. Make sure not to burn the seeds. Add the chiles in the pan with the toasted seeds and grind together over low heat until the chiles become fragrant (a couple minutes should do the trick). You could also use a food processor to grind the seeds then return to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture has cooled, liquify the tomatoes, chiles, and seeds in a blender.  Add salt to taste.  Now you can prepare “los chuchitos!” *Editor’s Note: There are several ways to make the sauce. Since they are typically dried, some prefer to put the chilis in with the tomatoes as they cook to soften them. Either way is fine, as long as the end result is a sauce with all the ingredients blended together. To make los chuchitos: Take 2 corn husks (or aluminum foil) and place some of the dough mixture on each leaf (or foil sheet). The dough should be in the shape of a round, flat disc but slightly thicker than a typical tortilla. Next, place some of the meat and el recado (the sauce) on top of the dough. Fold the dough over to make a little pouch (similar to an empanada). Next, wrap the leaves (or foil) over the tamale until everything is covered completely. If you are using corn husks, be sure to tie the ends with a strip of leaf so that everything is closed. Photo from: vanessabarrington.com To cook los chuchitos: Steam cook los chuchitos. You will need a steam basket or similar utensil. Place in a large pot, cover with a lid, and let the water boil on low for 90 minutes. If all the water evaporates, pour in more so that it is always boiling. Be sure to check the water level every 30 minutes or so. The tamales are done when the dough is soft, slightly puffy, and easily pulls away from the husk (or foil). Optional: Top los chuchitos with cheese and your favorite salsa. Enjoy! If you need a drink to accompany your chuchitos, here’s a recipe for poncho de frutas, a Guatemalan hot fruit punch that’s typically served on Christmas Eve! Get Involved Donate now Become a partner Sponsor a child Vision teams Accomplishments Our partners Sign up for email updates Sign Up For Email Updates Thanks for signing up to get the latest Common Hope news delivered to your inbox. You'll get 1-2 emails a month with current news and information about upcoming events and activities. Please note that we never share lists of any kind with other parties. If you ever want to be removed from the mailing list, please let us know, and we will respect your wish. Email* First Name* Last Name* How did you hear about us? Found you on the webHeard about you from a friendI'm already involvedNews article or storyOther Careers | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Go Paperless