Para
leer las
noticias en español, haga
click aquí.
|
Notes from the Field
Check out the latest posts on our blog.
|
Did You Know?
Last year, Common Hope's first graders advanced to the next grade at a rate of 78 percent, beating the national average of 66 percent by a wide margin.
|
| Most Needed Supplies |
OCTOBER
12-pack colored pencils
NOVEMBER
glue (8 oz bottles),
scissors
DECEMBER
rulers (12-in),
calculators
See details
| |
Greetings!
A school in Santa Catarina raises funds for a new stove, six-year-old Julio needs a Sponsor, the Donor Impact Report 2008 is now online, a group from Boston travels to Guatemala, pencil bag sewing volunteers surpass their goal, the Combined Federal Campaign is underway, colored pencils are being collected in October ... Read on to learn more about the latest news from Common Hope.
We are happy to offer our eNews in Spanish. Para leer las noticias en español, haga click aqui.
|
|
|
School in Santa Catarina receives a new stove for their school lunch program
 On October 1, the students and staff of Common Hope and Santa
Catarina School celebrated the inauguration of a new stove at the school. Common Hope's health promoter Cecilia Berduo had noticed
some time ago that the women in the Santa Catarina school were cooking on the
floor over an open fire. The classroom
that was next to the kitchen filled with smoke, and Cecilia knew there were children in the school
suffering from asthma.
Cecilia asked Jake, a long-term volunteer doctor with Common Hope who specialized in
asthma, to give a presentation for Santa Catarina teachers and parents about
the importance of hygienic cooking and the health risks of cooking over an open
fire. A short time later, the school began
to hold various fundraisers, with the help of Common Hope clinic staff and
volunteers, to raise money for a stove. When they had received enough donations (about Q3000 / $359), Common Hope construction staff installed the stove in the
school's kitchen.
Photo Caption: Santa Catarina mothers serve lunch that they
made on the new stove. For more pictures
of the festivities and the new stove, click here.
|
Julio, son of bean growers, needs a Sponsor
 Julio Raxón is six years old and lives in the village of San Rafael with his parents and two younger brothers. His family lives in a small concrete block home with a dirt floor on land they do not own. The family grows beans and raises chickens for income. Julio currently studies in the first grade. If you can help ensure that Julio has access to school and many other opportunities by becoming his Sponsor, please contact Jessie, sponsorship coordinator, via email or at (651) 917-1045. Thank you! Photo: Six-year-old Julio Raxón is in need of a Sponsor. |
Donor Impact Report 2008 online now, in mailboxes soon
 Our Donor Impact Report for 2008 is completed and arriving in mailboxes soon. The report contains promising data on Common Hope's student promotion rates, as well as activities, accomplishments, and financials for 2008. You can also view an online version now, along with additional stories and photos not seen in the print edition. To view the online version, click here.
|
Boston group brings many creative ideas to their Vision Team trip
 The first Vision Team from First Parish in Cohasset, MA arrived in Antigua on October 6th. The group of nine
volunteers led by Steve and Margie Brown were hard at work for Common Hope even
before leaving home. Members of the church and Cohasset community helped the
team collect new school shoes for the kids in Guatemala. Team members planned
many activities, from computer trainings to math skills games, to share with
the students.
Check out the team's photo diary
for pictures of their week at Common Hope. If you would like to join or
organize a team for next year, contact Kristin Henderson, Vision Team coordinator,via email or at (651) 917-0250.
Photo: Steve Brown, Vision Team member, uploads photos that kids in the Youth Program took for a class on digital photography.
|
Pencil bag drive surpasses goal
During our pilot pencil bag drive, we initially set a goal of
collecting 1,000 handmade pencil bags for affiliated elementary students in Guatemala. Since setting the goal,  dedicated sewing volunteers from all over the country have collected more than 1,600 pencil
bags to date.
Due to the success of the drive, we plan to collect more bags for the 2010 school year. If you would like sewing instructions or if you are interested in organizing a sewing event, please contact Louise Lundgren via email. We also have extra donated fabric swatches in the
warehouse that are the perfect size for pencil bags. Please contact Louise if you would like to pick some up for your pencil bag sewing project.
Photo: Sara Kennedy was one of the volunteers who contributed to the pencil bag drive, sewing more than 140 bags this summer!
|
|
Join a Vision Team in 2010
Our Vision Team
calendar has a number of openings in January, February, and March of 2010. This can be an great
time to travel to Guatemala, when the new schoolyear is just beginning. (Schools open in Guatemala for the new schoolyear in late January, early February). This time of year, students are receiving their school supplies, starting a new grade, and making new strides toward their educational goals. If you are interested in joining or
organizing a team, please contact Kristin Henderson via email or at 651-917-0250. |
|
Combined Federal Campaign Begins
 For federal employees who give through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), Common Hope is a participating charity again this year. The CFC allows federal employees to give monthly by a convenient payroll deduction. Our CFC Number is 10995, and our Federal Tax ID is 41-1560297. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Gautschi, Common Hope's development manager, via email or at (651) 917-0243.
|
|
Colored pencils needed in October
Our October need of the month is 2,700 12-packs of colored pencils. You have gotten us almost half-way to our goal for colored pencils -- so far this year, you have collected 1,000 packs. Thank you! If you can help any more, we need another 1,700. Please help us reach our goal!
An update on our other monthly school
supply drives: With your help, we have surpassed our 2009 goal for regular (#2) pencils -- thank you! You have collect hundreds of erasers, black pens, and rulers, getting us half-way to those goals. We still
need hundreds more glue bottles (8 oz.), pencil sharpeners, blue and red pens,
scissors, and water color paints.
Your supply collections help Common Hope to provide opportunities for students in Guatemala while saving thousands of dollars, which can be directed to other pressing program needs, like medicine, roofing materials, and textbooks. Thank you! Please help us reach our goal. | |
|
|
|
