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Common Hope|Familias de Esperanza, dedicated to a comprehensive and holistic approach to family development, recognized 164 graduates in 2016. This model is unique and one of the main reasons our organization sees this success. In total, Common Hope works in 27 communities delivering EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, HOUSING and FAMILY DEVELOPMENT programming that removes barriers that prevent students from going to and staying in school.
Every one of these core areas includes an extensive, strategic and thoughtful plan for delivery. Take for example only one of our sites, Antigua, and consider just a few of the things that the team accomplished and delivered in the 28 days of February:
- 686 social work visits
- 224 families visited the Antigua Project
- 22 sponsorship visits occurred
- 42 mothers participated in the first Nurturing Parenting session
- 238 visits were made to the library
- 710 visits were made to the clinic
- 172 affiliated students came to the study club
- 77 affiliated students came to the math club
- 85 affiliated students came to the Youth Talent Group
And this represents just a fraction of all of the programs that are a part of our comprehensive
approach. Common Hope does what others break into pieces; some do housing, some do health
care, some do education. We do it all. And, it only happens with the commitment of an
awesome team, amazing donors and sponsors, and one incredible comprehensive model! In each of the next three eNews issues, the FROM THE FIELD column will highlight a different core program area to provide additional insight to all the ways your support makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Saludos,
Rebecca
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Patty de Leon promoted to IT Manager
Patty de Leon has accepted the promotion to IT Manager, a position that is an integral part of the Guatemala country leadership team and manages the organization's information and technology systems.
As IT Manager, Patty is responsible for all internal network systems, databases, homework center technology and telephone systems. De Leon will lead all technological infrastructure plans and provide critical support to sponsorship, generate reports, statistical data and analysis for all users in both countries.
Patty's achievement is deserving of recognition. Patty is a female leader in a male dominated field and culture. Further, Patty's is the first name you will find on Common Hope's
Pathway of Dreams. Since becoming Common Hope's first high school graduate in 1996, she has committed her life to learning and to ending the cycle of poverty for her family. Mission accomplished.
In her early days as the clinic receptionist, she found her calling in the computer sciences and continued her studies through a scholarship from Common Hope. Working at Familias, she got hands-on experience and served as a programmer's assistant on one of the organization's first database projects. The rest is history. In 2012, she received an advanced degree in systems engineering and became the organization's first female, Guatemalan, alumni IT Manager.
As a teenager, Patty would never have imagined being where she is now, a university educated, department manager. She offers this advice to affiliated students, "
Luchen por sus sueños y no se dejan vencer por los obstáculos //
Fight for your dreams and do not let obstacles defeat you."
Next time you visit Guatemala and you want to see HOPE and OPPORTUNITY in action, look no further than the IT office or the
Pathway of Dreams.
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23 participants took part in a special new training developed to expand the capacity of the Nurturing Parenting Program in 2017.
Nurturing Parenting teaches parenting techniques and strategies for more stable home environments for children and families Common Hope serves. Started at the Antigua site and known in Spanish as
Crianza con Cariño
, parents participate in a ten-week workshop to strengthen the parent-child relationship, improve self-esteem of both parent and child, create accountability, and provide a safe environment for children to thrive in at home and at school.
When the program expanded to New Hope and San Miguel Milpas Altpas a few years ago, it was being delivered by the same facilitators as in Antigua. It became evident that, just like the needs of each community are different, so are the challenges of its parents. Further, delivering this valuable program without increasing the number of trained facilitators was difficult, not to mention the program was scheduled to expand to San Rafael el Arado this year.
In order to address these challenges, Familias developed a new training. Earlier this month, 23 individuals attended this training and became instructors of the Crianza con Cariño program. Not only do the new instructors address the delivery needs, but they can adapt curriculum to the unique context of each community. This new model reaches more families and better integrates the Nurturing Parenting Program curriculum into each community's distinct programming.
Besides the training program, new things in store for Crianza con Cariño 2017 include specialized workshops, including a refresher course to those who have already completed the class, and a series of classes that focus on specific family challenges.
Sandra Ortiz, Director of Antigua Programs, who helped design the program in 2006, says, "It has been wonderful to see the program grow and reach more families over the years and it continues to be an important part of Common Hope's family development work."
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Michon Weeks, art professor at St. Olaf College, tries her hand at woodworking with Don Hugo. Michon was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Vision Team who joined us in Guatemala last week.
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Tickets are on sale now! Come experience a
noche en Antigua as we celebrate the children and families of Guatemala.
NOCHE DE COLORES
MAY 19, 2017 | RADISSON BLU
5:30pm PRIVATE RECEPTION
6:30pm REGISTRATION BEGINS
$125 Individual Ticket
$200 Platinum Ticket (includes private reception)
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ANTIGUA TABLE SPONSORS
Charlie & Rose McMurray
Tim & Kim Scanlan
LEADING TABLE SPONSORS
Snap Fitness
Tom & Katie Sullivan
The Page Foundation
GUIDING TABLE SPONSORS
Flourish Wealth Management
BUEN VIAJE SUITCASE SPONSOR
Canetani Vacation Properties
MARKETPLACE SPONSOR
McDonald Remodeling
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Common Hope|Familias de Esperanza is pleased to announce the appointment of Danielle Draack as Chief Financial Officer.
Danielle has a broad base of experience in nonprofit accounting and leadership. She comes to us most recently from the public accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen. In her 10 years at CLA she spent two years in nonprofit audit before transitioning into the firm's nonprofit outsourcing division. Danielle spent the last eight years as an outsourced CFO/Controller for multiple nonprofits, leading their finance, audit and accounting functions.
Danielle is thrilled to join Common Hope and grateful for the opportunity to blend her professional expertise with her passion to help others.
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Here's what's coming up from Common Hope | Familias de Esperanza.
- Deerfield Lutheran Church from Deerfield, WI will be joining us on a Vision Team. Follow their trip here.
- In April we welcome Sheboygan Rotary/Interact to Guatemala!
- Tickets for Noche de Colores are now on sale! You can purchase your tickets here.
- Our Spring Newsletter hits mailboxes in April!
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- Vision Teams from Brookfield, WI, Canada, and Northfield, MN made their mark in Guatemala. Check out their photo diaries!
- Michon Weeks, art professor at St. Olaf College, captured her Vision Team experience through these unique illustrations! Thanks for sharing your talents with us, Michon!
- Renato Westby, Director of New Programs, celebrated 21 years with Common Hope.
- Volunteer Marilyn Brown taught a six-week sewing class to women at the Antigua site.
- Common Hope made the Classy100 list as a result of our growth in 2016.
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It's not just a volunteer abroad trip. It's a life-changing cultural immersion experience.
Check the 2018 Trip Calendar for open Vision Team trip dates!
2017 DISCOUNT TRIP DATES!
September 3-10, 2017
DATES RESERVED FOR FAMILY TEAMS
July 30-August 6, 2017
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Ann Didier was a dedicated volunteer at Common Hope for many years. She and her husband Joe made multiple trips to Guatemala in the early years of the organization.
Later in life, Ann used her excellent knack for finding a good deal to save Common Hope money on school supplies. If there was a great deal on pencils, Ann would buy everything in stock. She also managed our clip-and-save programs, counting and submitting countless Box Tops on our behalf. She helped Common Hope receive thousands of dollars from these programs.
Ann passed away in January and her warm smile and fiery personality are very missed by our St. Paul staff. We send our condolences to the Didier family.
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WE ARE LOOKING FOR
A VOLUNTEER
Did you know that Common Hope can use your Box Tops, Milk Moola, Loaves for Learning, and other clip-and-save program UPCs? Drop them off or mail them to our St. Paul office!
If you would like to volunteer to facilitate our clip-and-save programs, please call 651-917-0917. It's an easy and flexible way to volunteer with us!
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EDUCATING
CHILDREN
EMPOWERING
FAMILIES
Common Hope
was established in 1986 to bring hope and opportunity to families living in poverty in Guatemala. Since then we have grown to serve more than 14,000 children and adults as they work toward their goals of a better life.
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