Guatemala Giving Opportunities

Celebrate 20 Years of Guatemala Partnership with a Small Gift!

The Guatemala Micro-Loan Project, representing all three partner presbyteries, is encouraging folks to celebrate 20 years of partnership with a gift of $20.  Given the difficult economic situations most Guatemalans face, micro-loans could enable women to supplement income, acquire water filters or fuel efficient stoves, or provide funds for their Presbyterian Women activities. This is not just another giving opportunity but a chance to empower women and change lives.  To participate, make checks payable to PWPWNC and designate them for the Guatemala Micro-loan Fund.  Donations should be sent to Becky Lineberger, PW Treasurer, 1738 Charles Raper Jonas Hwy, Mt Holly, NC 28120.  
  
Guatemala Scholarship donations due October 5 (date change).  At the 2014 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), an anti-poverty initiative called "Educate a Child, Transform the World" was launched.  Here at Grace Covenant we have been doing this for years through the Guatemala Scholarships that people generously provide for a program administered by our partner Jerusalem Church in Coatepeque.  Over the past few years, we have been able to help some 40 children annually.  Please consider donating what you can to help fund school fees, uniforms, supplies, transportation, meals.  A full scholarship is $ 180; any amount you can contribute will be very welcome, however.  ¡MUCHAS GRACIAS!
Jessica's story: A Scholarship Recipient

Sixteen-year-old Jessica is full of illusions, dreams, and goals. She lives with her grandparents in a small village near Coatepeque.  Her aunts, uncles, and cousins live there too.  Her mother, who is raising four other children, is unable to care for her. Jessica’s in an 8^th grade class that meets on weekends, because during the week she needs to work picking coffee on a coffee plantation….when work is available. She’s paid according to the amount of coffee she picks, about 25 quetzales ($ 3.25) per day or less. The money Jessica and other family members earn goes to her grandmother for food and general support of the family.  Any extra money is used for school expenses and occasional treats.

Jessica can’t always work on the coffee plantation because she needs to balance that work with her schoolwork and chores at home. She dreams of finishing her studies so she can be independent and have a better life, though this has been a challenge for her ever since she was a small child.