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Costumes were part of the fun on Family Day.
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Parents and teens have great fun at Family Day |
Our staff are continually striving to involve parents more deeply in their children's education and development. This can be a challenge, because parents and kids don't often get to spend a lot of time together. Parents are busy working, and it's rare that they have a day to just play and enjoy their kids.
Enter the Family Day on July 21, put on by youth group and library staff Jovita Tay and Jacqueline Figueroa. The carnival-like activities gave families a space to communicate, play, have fun, and spend quality time together.
Eight stations with games were set up, and each family went from station to station to play. They collected tickets at each, which could be redeemed for prizes. In addition to the games, families spent time in the library and enjoyed a snack together. Youth helped prepare the snack: tostadas with beans, fruit, and juice.
Jovita and Jacqueline were enthusiastic about the success of the event. Most families were shy about playing the games when they first got there, says Jovita, but eventually, they got more comfortable, opened up, and had a great time. They cheered each other on and enjoyed each others' company. Staff hope to invite more families and have a higher attendance next year.
Another way that parents are being involved in their kids' education and development is through an important event series going on right now for youth: career planning workshops which are being held weekly now through the end of September.
Two of the sessions are with parents, during which kids can discuss their interests and career goals, and parents can learn more about how their child can best discern a fitting career path. Jovita says the goal of the workshops is to help youth identify a career that aligns well with their skills and interests, so there is less changing of majors during high school, making kids all the more likely to graduate.
For more photos of the event, click here.
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 | | Lia Huber taught the youth group several recipes that featured lots of vegetables. |
Youth group learns to love vegetables, and cook them, with Chef Lia Huber
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One of the best things that can happen during a Vision Team is when people find ways to share their skills and talents with Common Hope children and families.
Lia Huber is a well-respected chef from California, so we were very pleased when she offered to teach a cooking class for our youth program's regular cooking and baking group. While the kids most often bake cakes and other desserts, Lia was interested in teaching ways to incorporate more vegetables into their diet.
Lia's goal with all of her cooking is to find recipes that are healthy and also delicious, so people eat vegetables because they enjoy them. Lia found that the barriers to eating nutritious foods in Guatemala don't differ much from those she encounters in the U.S. These include limited time to cook, inability to afford fresh foods, and her personal favorite, the impression that kids don't like vegetables. Still, she was determined to show that vegetables can be delicious and not too complicated to prepare.
During the class, Lia gave a mini lecture on being mindful of diet ("do you feel energized after you eat a bag of chips?") and basic nutrition ("the micronutrients that make vegetables look so beautiful and smell so strong and taste so wonderful are exactly what make them so good for you too"). Then, she worked with the kids to make caramelized squash and onions and saut�ed Swiss chard with toasted garlic.
To Lia's joy, the kids loved the food -- they polished off every last bite. One teen said he didn't like onions at the beginning of the class. By the end, he was eating the caramelized onions out of the pan.
The following day, it was even more clear Lia's class had made an impression. At the Vision Team's farewell ceremony, one of the boys who was clearly a leader gave a moving speech as he thanked Lia for teaching them. Another girl who Lia says was quite shy during the class approached her and proudly declared she used her new knife skills cutting potatoes that morning. Many thanks to Lia for sharing her skills and passion with us!
For more photos and Lia's recipe for melted squash, visit our blog...
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 | | Michelle Barnes was one of 18 new sponsors at the Denver event. |
Denver Gallery event a great success
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Our July 20 gallery event in Denver, Colorado was a great success. More than 100 people attended, and 18 new sponsors signed up at the event. Plus, a number of people offered to take photos and help find sponsors after the event; Columbine United Church alone committed to finding sponsors for 12 more children.
"There was a buzz in the air, a feel-good energy, and a great response," says Louise LeGrand, event planner. She describes one existing sponsor who hadn't planned on sponsoring another child but was inspired to take an eighth grader who is well over-age thus at high risk of dropping out. Another couple who already sponsor brought a family friend of theirs along, and together they decided to team up and sponsor another child.
Perhaps most indicative of the enthusiasm that night was a young girl adopted from Guatemala, all dressed up in her white satin dress with a big black bow. Says, Louise, "I saw her grab the gallery tag from a large photo of a boy and run all the way across the room to sign up as his sponsor!"
Thanks to everyone who brought their enthusiasm, ideas, and generosity to this event. Special thanks to all who helped to plan this event, including event hosts Verlee and Ellis Copeland, Jody Randall and Pat Smatla of Columbine United Church, Buck Holzemer and Patti Petrich. If you are interested in planning a gallery event in your area, contact Louise LeGrand via email or at 651.917.0243.
For more photos of the event, visit our blog.
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 Help us sponsor all 20 dreams before Labor Day | We have a ways to go---3 dreams have been sponsored, but 17 more children are still waiting. Future chefs, bankers, painters, pilots---they have so much to offer Guatemala, if they can only have the chance. Meet the 17 remaining children and help find their sponsors!
If you can sponsor a child and help them reach their goal, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email, call (651) 917-0917, or sponsor him or her online. You could also share the webpage with your Facebook and Twitter friends, send family, friends, and co-workers an email, or give the pilot or chef in your life a call. Thank you for helping us meet this goal! |
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 Notes from the Field | | Want to have a closer look at what's happening in Guatemala? Check out our blog, Notes from the Field, where recent stories include a tale of two teachers, a celebration of the ConstruCasa housing partnership, and more. |
 Openings for Vision Teams | Interested in planning a vacation with a vision? In 2012, we have the following openings:
You can check out the trip calendar on our website. Talk to your friends, family, and co-workers, and start planning your trip of a lifetime. |
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