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Notes from the Field
Check out the latest posts on our blog.
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| Most Needed Supplies |
NOVEMBER
glue (8 oz bottles),
scissors
DECEMBER
rulers (12-in),
calculators
See details
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Greetings!
We have some very exciting news to share. GiveMN.org, a new online giving portal, will match your gift to Common Hope for one day only on
Tuesday, November 17. That's tomorrow!
With funding from the Bush Foundation, The St. Paul
Foundation and The Minneapolis Foundation, GiveMN.org has $500,000 in matching
funds which will be shared between all gifts given to Minnesota charities
through GiveMN.org on November 17. In addition to this wonderful
gift-matching opportunity, sponsoring foundations have agreed to cover all
credit card fees of gifts through the end of 2009, so 100% of any donation you make before the end of the year through GiveMN.org will go
directly to Common Hope.
Thanks in advance for your support this holiday season!
We are happy to offer our eNews in Spanish. Para leer las noticias en español, haga click aqui.
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High school students graduate and university scholarships awarded
 November 6 was a big day for Common Hope students, with a celebration of the 30 university scholarship winners in the morning, and a ceremony to honor the 119 high school graduates and five San Rafael sixth grade graduates in the afternoon. Many Sponsors of graduates made the trip to Guatemala to be here for the celebration. To see photos from the celebrations, click here.
Photo Caption: Former affiliated student, Jonathan Quintanilla, served as emcee for the graduation ceremony in Antigua.
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Andy Linares needs a Sponsor
 15-year-old Andy lives with his single mother, two older brothers, and younger sister. His family lives in a home without running water, on land they do not own. Andy is studying in the 7th grade and is older than his classmates. Students who are older than their peers are at a higher risk of dropping out of school. In such cases, a Sponsor can be particularly helpful to encourage them and reinforce the importance of education. Sponsoring a student doesn't require as long of a commitment as a younger student, too. If you can help ensure that Andy 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: 15-year-old Andy is in need of a Sponsor. |
Highlights from sponsorship visits  As mentioned above, several staff from the US office traveled to Guatemala for the high school graduation and university scholarship celebrations. Kate Lucas, Communications Coordinator, attended several Sponsor visits and reflected on some highlights here.
Photo: Deb McNally met with Natalie, her sponsored student, in New Hope.
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Best Buy staff volunteer in US office
 On October 20, a group of nine Best Buy employees volunteered in the Common Hope office. The team was part of Best Buy's Women's Leadership Forum, also known as WoLF. The program allows "pack members" to volunteer their time and resources to various non-profits in their local communities.
The
Best Buy volunteers sorted and stuffed mailings for Sponsors and
counted and packed in-kind supplies to be sent down to Guatemala. The WoLF program has supported Common Hope for several years now, having sent Best Buy Vision Teams to Guatemala for the last two years to learn about our work first-hand. Thank you to the staff of Best Buy for volunteering your time and talents!
Photo: The Best Buy team volunteered at the Common Hope site on October 20.
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Give to the Max on November 17
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 17, is Give to the Max Day sponsored by GiveMN.org. All donations made to nonprofits through GiveMN.org on November 17 (between 8:00 a.m. on November 17 and 8:00 a.m. on November 18) will receive a share of $500,000 in matching funds. The three nonprofits that receive
donations from the most individuals on Give to the Max Day will
receive a cash prize: $5,000 for first prize, $2,500 for second, and $1,000
for third. What's more, GiveMN.org will waive all credit card fees on gifts given through December 31, 2009. Click here to make your donation. |
Lab equipment needed in Antigua clinic
Our clinic in Antigua needs to replace the equipment used for blood chemistry screenings. The total cost will be $20,000. If you can help with this need, please consider giving your gift to health care through giveMN.org on Give to the Max Day. See the above article for more information. Click here to make your donation. |
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The Gift Catalog 2009 is here
 The online Gift Catalog is ready for your holiday shopping, and the hard copy will be in mailboxes in the next week. Click here to shop online. If you would like to organize a holiday party for Common Hope or an alternative gift fair, please contact Mary Gautschi via email or at (651) 917-0243. |
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Glue and scissors needed in November
Our November need of the month is 3,000 pairs of scissors and 8 oz. bottles of glue. The 2009 school  year in Guatemala just finished, so we have about two months to collect the rest of the supplies need for the 2010 school year, which begins in early February.
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. | |
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