We’re as fatigued with hearing it as you are, but it’s impossible not to acknowledge that 2020 was a year unlike any other. But thanks to you — each sponsorship, each small business grant given, each t-shirt purchased, each food basket bought, each donation large and small — we were able to carry out our promise of creating opportunities for the people of Guatemala. This year, 178 people, families, and companies joined our family to help impact lives. We’re a small non-profit, so this number is simply astonishing to us, and we cannot express our gratitude adequately enough.

The numbers above show all the good you helped do, but we’d also like to highlight a few accomplishments that we’re most proud of in 2020.

In a year of completely virtual schooling, your sponsorships allowed students to receive take-home work and enough food each month for their entire family. Most of our families do not have access to the internet, so ensuring they could still get their work done while not in the building was vital. We are so proud of our partner, the Education for the Children Foundation (EFTC), for making this happen. For some of the older students who need more in-depth teaching, we were able to give 15 technology kits via our teacher/classroom sponsorships to ensure virtual learning was possible.

On our employment side, you helped create 7 new jobs. Our initial business launch, a bakery called Bread Bros, not only survived but thrived. They were able to purchase a motorcycle for the main baker that helped not only get him to and from work, but also make necessary deliveries. We also launched our Entrepreneurship Program in partnership with the EFTC. The first grant was awarded to Kimberly, a fashion and design student, who launched her own clothing company and began turning a profit within 3 months by making beautiful protective masks for her community. We are so proud of her and so excited for the future of this program. We recently gave a sneak peek on social media of the second grant that was awarded, and funding has been secured for multiple grants in 2021.

And outside of our normal endeavors, we knew this year that we had to do more. So when asked, you stepped up and gave an extra 12,697 meals for families who needed them the most during the roughest times of the pandemic. We owe big-time thanks to our partners at Provee for distributing these baskets of love.

So where do we go from here? We know 2021 is going to be a massive year thanks to your support. If you’re not a sponsor and would like to be one, we have just two more kindergartners who need you! If you are a student or teacher sponsor, please ensure your sponsorships are up-to-date. If you’re interested in helping entrepreneurs launch small businesses, let’s chat!

Through these educational and employment opportunities, you are helping to break the cycle of poverty. You are helping to change lives. And for that, we thank the Lord for each of you and your incredible generosity.

– Ty New, Co-Founder