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Greetings!
Your support has made it possible for Common Hope to make a broader impact in Guatemala. This February, we began work in a new community, San Miguel Milpas Altas. About 20 minutes by car from Antigua, the community places a high priority on education but struggles to afford it, and they also have limited health care. Common Hope will increase education access and quality, and will also expand health care opportunities in the community. With the new students from San Miguel, Common Hope will send more than 3,000 students to school in 2011. We hope you enjoy the latest news on how your support is making a difference for children and families in Guatemala.
Para leer en espaņol, haga click aqui.
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Children in San Miguel Milpas Altas wait to learn about Common Hope
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Families sign up in our newest community, San Miguel Milpas Altas | |
Last month, 157 new families started their partnerships Common Hope. All of them are from the new village of San Miguel Milpas Altas. On a Sunday morning in late February, the newly affiliated families came to the public elementary school to learn in detail about our mission and programs. Sponsorship staff explained what sponsorship is about and how it works. After receiving all the necessary information, students received their bags of school supplies for the 2011 school year.
Getting to know the community
Our staff are getting to know the particulars of the community, its needs, and its individual community members. Health care is a major need for the community, says Rosi Ramos, sponsorship director. The community has a government health post, but it is open only once a month. Families usually need to go all the way to the public hospital in Antigua, which is about 20 minutes away if traveling by car, which families do not have. There is a clinic in Magdalena, the closest town, but it offers just 10 spaces each day for clinic visits, so families are often turned away. Common Hope will work with a local health NGO to provide more regular service. Continue reading...
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Join us for our 25th anniversary Noche de Colores celebration and benefit
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Please join us on April 30th, 2011 for our biennial benefit, Noche de Colores. At this lively event, we'll celebrate 25 years of hope made real in Guatemala. Enjoy a colorful Guatemalan market and authentic Guatemalan cuisine. You'll also hear the latest developments of our work in Guatemala, and meet some of our Guatemala staff. Through a live benefit auction, we'll join together to start building a solid financial footing for the next 25 years of creating hope and opportunity for children and families in Guatemala.
The event will be held at the beautiful Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis. Space is limited, so visit our website for more information and purchase your tickets today.
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 Rodrigo Alejandro needs a Sponsor | |
Meet Rodrigo, a preschooler from our newest community, San Miguel Milpas Altas. He lives with his single mother, brother, and sister, in a household that obviously places a high importance on education. Rodrigo's mother attended school through 12th grade -- pretty unusual for a woman of her generation in Guatemala. Rodrigo's sister is in 12th grade this year, and his brother is in 8th grade. It is a challenge to afford, however, on their single parent income.
Your sponsorship will help pay for Rodrigo's educational expenses and ensure he has all the school supplies he needs. It will also provide Rodrigo and his family with access to our health care and housing programs.
If you can help ensure Rodrigo can stay in school, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email, call (651) 917-0917, or sponsor him online. |
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Volunteer dentists in our Antigua clinic
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Volunteer dentists needed
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Common Hope seeks volunteer dentists to work in the rural village of San Rafael, located about 30 minutes from Antigua, Guatemala. San Rafael is an indigenous community and supports itself with agriculture. The village has a small clinic with medical and dental facilities, but the clinic's only dentist comes just two times each year.
Common Hope also seeks support for our Antigua dental clinic, located a mile from downtown Antigua. Serving approximately 7,000 individuals from 15 neighboring communities, the clinic is fully equipped with three chairs and modern equipment and is open five days a week, 8am to 5pm.
Volunteers could stay on-site at our Family Development Center in Antigua, or they could find a hotel or apartment to rent in Antigua. For more info, click here. Or, contact Leanne Turnquist, volunteer coordinator, at leannet@us.commonhope.org or (651) 917-0250.
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Volunteers on a recent Vision Team.
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Openings for 2011 Vision Teams
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Interested in planning a vacation with a vision yet this year? We have openings for 2011 Vision Teams:
- June 5 - 12
- July 30 - Aug 6
- August 6 - 13 (new opening)
- November 20 - 27
Our 2012 calendar is also up on the website. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers, and start planning your trip of a lifetime.
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More news: Notes from the Field
| A symbol of perseverance in San Rafael · Antigua preschool gets a makeover · Celebrating International Women's Day.
See these stories and more on our blog, Notes from the field.
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