By Michael J Quinn | Co-founder
Greetings from Guatemala.
In writing this, our first news update of 2022, I got to thinking… what is our purpose? What do we offer? What have we achieved? Not only over these last, rather trying two years, but since Integral Heart Family was first founded back in 2011.
Then, as if Facebook knew what I was mulling, up popped this memory. In the top photo above is my lovely wife Debora, and fellow IHF co-founder, standing with a family we met through an organization we had volunteered with in 2010.
Their situation was dire, just look at the expression on the mom’s face…
And the photo underneath this is one I asked this very same family to take it for me when they visited where they used to live for their Christmas celebrations. Mari is seen with her two sons and her daughter.
Mari, the mom, is now the director of our school. She started working for us in 2011 cleaning our house and over the years proved herself to be determined and tenacious. When we needed someone to guide us around the slums where she used live, we turned to Mari. When we needed someone to help us build our roster of families, it was Mari. She now has a personal relationship with each one of our 80 children and each of their families and caretakers.
Mari is a living example and vivid answer to my questions. Our purpose is to help people pull themselves out of generational poverty which we achieve through our educational programs at the school, with English, Spanish, Homework Help and Human Right classes. We offer support and love, and a safe place for their children to grow and develop.
And we can do all of this only with your help! So, thank you very, very much!!
Moving forward; We are looking forward to the re-opening of our school starting in February 2022 (considering all current health regulations). Everybody is super-excited! We are happy and looking forward to feeling our hearts and souls with the laughter and love that our kids deliver by their presence.
All our love and best wishes to you all your loved ones,
The Integral Heart Family in Guatemala
About us:
Mick Quinn and Debora Prieto founded Integral Heart back in 2011. They vacationed in Guatemala in 2009 and we drawn to its beauty but also felt compelled to respond directly to the potential they saw in the younger generations. They both live year-round in Guatemala.
The Integral Heart Family School is 100% crowdfunded. We currently have 235 individuals whose monthly and annual donations support our work. The core team of Sustaining Sponsors raises about one half of the total funds needed to operate our school and programs.
Education is the heart of our work. Our school is home to 80 children receiving classes in Spanish, English, Psychology, Human Rights, Homework Help, Art and serves 1,500 meals monthly. Since 2011, our programs have delivered classes and support to over 1,200 students and their families in Guatemala. We have also provided over 2,500 food baskets to our 40 sponsored families.
Photo updates of our work:
We update our photo albums twice per month here:
https://www.facebook.com/integralheartfamily
With love and respect,
Mick, Debora and all the students and staff
of Integral Heart School Guatemala
By Michael Quinn | Co-Founder
By Mick Quinn and Debora Prieto | Co-Founders
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