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Greetings! We need your help this summer. Maybe the sunshine has us feeling extra ambitious, or maybe the heat has gone to our heads. In any case, we have set a goal of finding 25 sponsors for 25 first graders -- in the next 25 days. Scroll down for more info, or click here.
Many of you give of yourselves so generously, and for this we are grateful. But maybe there's someone else in your life who might have a little space in his or her heart and pocketbook, for a first grader with a dream. If so, please forward this email on. And, as always, we hope you enjoy seeing the latest ways your support is making a difference for children and families in Guatemala.
Para leer en espa�ol, haga click aqu�. |
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 We have 25 students, and 25 days | |
We need your help this June. We're trying our best to sponsor the entire first grade class in our newest community, San Miguel Milpas Altas. You can help make these students' hopes real by sponsoring them, or by passing this email on to someone who can, to give them the best chance at a solid education. A sponsorship can change not only the life of a child in Guatemala, but yours as well. With your support, a child and his or her family will receive needed services from Common Hope to ensure he or she can get an education, have a stable home, and be healthy.
Meet all 25 students on our website here. If you can sponsor one, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email, call (651) 917-0917, or sponsor a student online today. Please help us fill this classroom by July 14!
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Karla is a ninth grader in San Miguel Milpas Altas who will benefit from the vocational workshop series starting on June 16.
Vocational workshop series planned for junior high students in San Miguel Milpas Altas | |
Common Hope will launch a workshop series this June on vocational discernment and career planning. The eight sessions, for ninth graders in San Miguel Milpas Altas, our newest community, will explore students' dreams for the future, steps for different career paths, the realities of the job market, personal strengths and weaknesses, and more. Parents will be invited to two sessions, when the group will talk about how parents can support the students' dreams and encourage students' dedication to their studies.
Says Margarita D�az, one of the workshop leaders, "I am excited to see how the students participate, to hear what their dreams are, and to see how they are going to take advantage of Common Hope's support." Says Alma Marroquin, San Miguel Milpas Altas Coordinator, "These workshops will help us to have a better idea about students' academic and professional interests. As this is our first year in San Miguel, I am especially excited to see what career paths they choose."
Common Hope has coordinated the session with the junior high school director and a parent committee. It was agreed that we would work with all 21 ninth graders, to expand our reach beyond the eight affiliated students and build our relationship with the school.
Common Hope staff involved are Sofy D�az, social worker; Margarita D�az, who runs our employment and university scholarship programs; and Rigoberto Garc�a, who leads our youth support activities in Antigua. We are grateful to the Antigua program staff for sharing their experience with our new community, and to the San Miguel Milpas Altas school staff and parents, for helping to plan ths important workshop series!
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L to R: Ascension School Principal Mary Jo Burns, Fr. Larry McNally, Common Hope Honorary Board Member Gary Doten, and Religious Education Director Christine Ondrla.
Got a Dollar for Guatemala campaign raises $16,000
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Members of Ascension School and Parish in Oak Park, IL presented a check this May for $16,084 to Common Hope honorary board members Gary Doten and Mary Pasquinelli. With the encouragement and help of supporter Dottie Hetzel and Religious Education Director, Christine Ondrla, Ascension students and families chose Common Hope for their Lenten Project. The school and parish came up with a number of creative and insightful ways to raise money for Common Hope. "Instead of thinking about what we can buy for ourselves," wrote Christine, "we are challenged to change our thinking. Students were invited to think about using their money to buy something for the children of Guatemala." Postings in the church bulletin encouraged students to contribute 5� for each book in their homes so a child in Guatemala could have just one, or to count the number of shoes in their family and contribute a dime for each pair.
Many other stories about families in Guatemala were shared with Ascension students through Lent, and they responded whole-heartedly with their generosity. Thank you, Ascension School and Parish! |
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Learn more about recent graduate and budding film maker Carlos Robles
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You may remember the article about Carlos Robles, a recent graduate and budding film maker, in our Winter Newsletter. Since then, he has finished a short film that tells his story of pursuing his dream, with the help of Common Hope. Watch Carlos's video here.
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Register today for the Drive Out Poverty Golf Tournament
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Registration is open for our second annual Drive Out Poverty Golf Tournament, a benefit for Common Hope sponsored by AbeTech. The event will be held on September 22, 2011 at the Fox Hollow Golf Club in St. Michael, MN. Shotgun start will be at 12:30 p.m.
To register or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, click here.
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More news: Notes from the Field
| Check out the following new stories on our blog: � 6 moments of change in San Rafael � Meet Heidy, future flight attendant and avid reader � Snapshot of Santa Catarina by Guardian photographer Andy Duckworth � Get to know families in San Miguel Milpas Altas � A mother gains leadership skills through community service �
See these stories and more on our blog, Notes from the field.
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 Openings for 2011 Vision Teams | |
Interested in planning a vacation with a vision yet this year? We have openings for 2011 Vision Teams:
- July 30 - Aug 6
- Aug 6 - 13
- Sep 3 - 10
- Nov 12 - 19*
- Nov 19 - 26
- Nov 26 - Dec 3
* Graduation trip; Space for individuals
Our 2012 calendar is also up on our website. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers, and start planning your trip of a lifetime. |
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