Common Hope News

Greetings! 

As you're reveling in these last beautiful days of summer, we hope you'll enjoy taking a few moments for this special collection of photos from recent volunteer Barbara Wright. It's a great snapshot of the many happenings that occur over a typical two-week span at Common Hope. This and a few more updates below. Thank you for making this important work possible.

Para leer en espa�ol, haga click aqui.
News from Guatemala
Social Work Visit El Hato
Photographer Barbara Wright shadowed many staff during her two weeks.

Two weeks at Common Hope, in photos 

Photographer Barbara Wright spent two weeks volunteering with Common Hope this summer. She spent her afternoons shadowing staff members of various programs to help bring to life what happens during a typical week at Common Hope.  

 

About her trip, Barbara says she would encourage everyone to spend at least a week visiting Antigua and volunteering at Common Hope, to see the depth of the programs and commitment of the staff. One memorable experience she shared was visiting a mother and daughter who had just moved into a new, small house built for them. Says Barbara, "They glowed with hope and happiness because of their new home and the new path it opened up for them. It was unbelievable." 

 

Thanks so much, Barbara, for sharing your time and talents. View a slideshow of what she captured here. 

Supporters in action
Nancy Chirhart
Nancy Chirhart helped build the home of sponsored student Marisol.

Sponsor helps build home for her student and family

Preschool teacher Nancy Chirhart has shown great commitment to children in Guatemala over the years. A sponsor since 1999, Nancy has visited Guatemala every summer since 2009. She divides her time between volunteering in the classroom, building houses, taking Spanish classes, and visiting her sponsored students.

This year, Nancy had an extra special volunteer project -- to help build a new home for her sponsored student, Marisol. She worked alongside Vision Team volunteers and Common Hope construction staff to build the house. "My heart was just dancing the whole time," Nancy said.

One of the most memorable moments was the first tile laid in the new home. Nancy took a picture of Marisol standing on that new solid foundation. "This was an experience that could never be duplicated for me," Nancy said. "And when I'm done, I"ll know that Marisol and her family are going to be safer, drier, and more healthy." Many thanks, Nancy, for your committed support.

Claudia
Claudia would like to be a nurse and a psychologist.

Aspiring medical professional needs a sponsor 

Claudia Molina, age 16, lives with her parents and three siblings in a village near Antigua. She is studying in the 10th grade, working on her last several years of high school and her goal of becoming a nurse and a psychologist. Sponsoring a high school student like Claudia is a shorter commitment, but an important one -- it could be the nudge she needs to make it the rest of the way to graduation.

 
You can sponsor Claudia and help her reach her dream. To do so, contact Jessie Szopinski via email, at 651-917-0917, or sponsor Claudia online
Student Writing Letter
Translators are needed for holiday letters between sponsors and students.

�Habla Espa�ol? Translators needed! 
We will need help over the next couple of months translating nearly 3,000 simple holiday greetings from English-speaking sponsors to their Spanish-speaking students. To learn more about our translation parties taking place in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area in September and October, please contact Jessie Szopinski via email or at 651-287-0727. 

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New Hope Testing

Notes from the Field 

Want to have a closer look at what's happening in Guatemala? Check out our blog, Notes from the Field. Recent stories include a snapshot of New Hope exam day, and a recipe for Guatemalan enchiladas. Read about this and more on our blog.
St. Paul Office

Our St. Paul office is moving 

Common Hope's lease is up this fall, and we have found an affordable, more accessible office space not far from our current office. We will be moving in mid September. Stay tuned for more details!
Fox Hollow

Register Now for Golf Tournament   

Registration is now open for our 4th annual Common Hope Golf Tournament, which will take place on Thursday, September 12 at the Fox Hollow Golf Club in St. Michael, MN. New this year, Bingo. To learn more and purchase tickets, click here
Noche de Colores

Tickets on sale now for Noche Chicago 

Purchase your tickets now for our Chicago Noche de Colores benefit, which will be held on September 27 at the Union League Club. More details and tickets here.
Guatemalan Independence Day

Celebrate Guatemalan Independence  

We invite you to join us in celebrating Guatemalan Independence Day on September 15, by hosting a party to benefit Common Hope. Last year, supporters gathered with neighbors for family picnics or held parties to collect donations and show photos of students in need of sponsors. By gathering with your friends to celebrate, you too can create a very special opportunity to spread the spark of your passion for Common Hope.

To learn more or share ideas, contact Louise LeGrand via email or at 651-917-0243. Families hosting events will receive a special thank you from Guatemala!