News from GRACES

Video: On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Escuela Integrada celebrated graduations for first and sixth grade. After diplomas were awarded, first grade students released balloons into the sky, each one carrying a small piece of paper with their dreams and wishes for the future. On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Bradler Santos, principal, and Hernan Garcia, project director, presented a “Status of the School” update and identified areas of need at the annual Supporters…

The Quetzal Gala, Fiesta Guatemala, increased social media presence and new partnerships are just a few of the successes board members and supporters celebrated on the first day of the annual Supporters Gathering. Concurrently, a group of seven potential supporters visited Escuela Integrada to meet the teachers and staff as part of a vision trip. This is the first year the Supporters Gathering includes two tracks—vision and planning— designed to…

It took Ana Gabriela Lara Morales 11 years to finish 7th grade. The oldest of six, Morales was often responsible for her siblings, and cleaned and cooked for her family. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother worked various jobs. The whole family, plagued with poverty, lived in one room. With few resources, education was not a priority, and Morales’ parents relied on her to help out around the…

From The Salisbury Post: Oprah Winfrey has donated two items for auction at an upcoming gala next month in Salisbury. A pair of Nicholas Kirkwood pumps and a pair of Dita designer sunglasses will be up for grabs during the Quetzal Gala on Sept. 16 at the Country Club of Salisbury. This event raises money for the students of Escuela Integrada, a school in Antigua, Guatemala. GRACES is the Salisbury-based non-profit organization…

On Sunday, August 6, eleven volunteers accompanied an Escuela Integrada family on the long, slow, steady walk from the funeral of their mother to her burial site. Maria, 37 at the time of her death, leaves behind four girls—Maria Fernanda, 11, Evelyn, 9, Norma, 8, and Anita, 4. The three older girls are students at Escuela Integrada, and Anita will join them when she is old enough. Each girl, dressed…

This week, volunteers from Northview Bible Church built a bathroom, complete with a toilet and shower facilities, for an Escuela Integrada family. The family lives high on the hill in San Felipe and previously relied on a neighbor’s bathroom. “It’s an issue of dignity,” said Kendall Noller, a volunteer with Northview Bible Church. “They won’t have to go to next door to use such a simple thing as a bathroom…