News from GRACES
Follow us to stay updated about the school, students and families we serve in Guatemala.
For media inquiries and related requests, please contact our Director of Communications.
Onetime school dropout returns, becomes leader of girls program Proyecto Capaz
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…
Oprah Donates Shoes, Sunglasses for Quetzal Gala Auction
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…
Escuela Integrada family loses mother to illness, needs prayers and support
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…
Northview team builds bathroom for Escuela Integrada family
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…
Northview volunteers teach health workshops at Escuela Integrada
Fourteen volunteers from Northview Bible Church in Spokane, Washington, are helping the children of Escuela Integrada learn about health and fitness this week. The children rotate through small group stations with their grade-level classroom for an hour of instruction and fun with the volunteers. “I think it’s important to remember to move,” said Krystal Roach, 25, who teaches dance in Washington. “If we teach health and movement at a young…
Mom, daughters serve together, grow in support for Escuela Integrada
Ann Faller and her daughters, Faith and Grace, spent a week serving the children and families of Escuela Integrada with a mission team from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, North Carolina. This was the first trip for Grace, 16, and the second for Ann and Faith, 18, who came on a mission trip with St. John’s in 2014. Ann, Faith and Grace played with the children at Escuela Integrada,…