News from GRACES
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Virtual Vision Trips Provide Way to Connect with Students and Families Amidst Pandemic
Miguel’s house is made up of pieces of corrugated metal, plywood and scrap metal. The home, held up by large sticks of wood, has dirt floors. Miguel sits at the kitchen table with his economical smartphone and connects to his virtual classes every day. His single mother makes tortillas in their doorway and sells them for a living, never leaving the house for fear of leaving Miguel alone in their…
View our 2020 Annual Report
I was in 5th grade the first time I learned how to shift. My dad would take me to basketball practice and teach me how to shift as he drove. After that, I practiced actually driving with my grandpa in a ’72 Ford pickup on old farm roads. Then, in my first year of college, I had to borrow my parents’ manual car to drive to school. Shortly after, I…
A New school year! All students to continue at-home learning
“I am excited to learn new things!” – Oscar, incoming kindergarten student Dear GRACES Community, Happy New Year! January in Guatemala not only brings the start of a new calendar year, but it also is the time of a new school year. Schools in Guatemala begin in January and continue through October, with November and December resembling “summer break.” Students at Escuela Integrada start school tomorrow, Thursday, January 14. The…
A Note of Thanks from the Executive Director
Dear GRACES Community, The year 2020 is just about over, and many people are looking forward to a fresh start. When I became the Executive Director of GRACES last year, I had no idea what this year would bring—I don’t think anyone did. I am not going to lie, my anxiety rose as we faced the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt the weight of the responsibility I held…
Compassion and Solidarity
The first time I truly learned what solidarity meant was from my mother. A family at our church had lost their young girl, and my parents were going to her funeral. I remember I had to babysit for another couple that was going as well, and I told my mom, “I’m glad I have to babysit because going to that funeral would be too hard.” I remember my mother, in…
Racing for GRACES 5K wins supporters; raises more than $12,000 for Escuela Integrada
By Kristin Royce Before diving into the amazing outcomes that resulted from the 1st annual “Racing for GRACES 5K,” it should be known that it was a race that almost never was. Six weeks into a worldwide pandemic that most of the world had never seen or experienced before, a decision was made to no longer sit idle and wait for the prayers to be answered for our children and…