COMMON HOPE BLOG

Buck and Patti have shot and produced more than 1,000 portraits and eight videos in Guatemala.

by Erin Treinen, Grants & Communications Coordinator

Four years ago, Patti Petrich and Buck Holzemer walked into the Common Hope office in St. Paul and asked if there was anything they could do to help. A few weeks later they were on a plane to Guatemala to photograph our unsponsored students with the goal of finding them sponsors. Since 2009, Buck and Patti have travelled to Guatemala each year, generously taking time off from their busy schedule with Buck Holzemer Productions to work long fun-filled days photographing hundreds of children. “On every trip to Guatemala we fall in love with the people we photograph and meet, and with the country itself.  The staff and volunteers from Common Hope are amazing and wonderful people, inspiring us with all they have done and continue to do. For us, it’s the people of Guatemala and Common Hope who move us to come down every year,” says Patti.

Once they return to Minnesota, they touch up, print, and donate all the portraits to Common Hope so that we may use them in our ongoing quest to find sponsors. Anyone who has seen their photos can attest to their beauty. But there is more to them than that; the photos provoke emotion, giving the viewer a small glimpse into these children’s lives. It is this emotion that moves people to sponsor. Vision Team Coordinator Lauren Ruth said, “ ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ may be a clichéd saying, but there is no situation in which it is better applied than with Buck and Patti’s photos.  I could talk about sponsorship until I’m blue in the face, but when I pull out the photos of our affiliated kids, visitors’ eyes light up.  It’s through their photos that the first connection between sponsor and affiliated child is made and that is truly special.”

Patti and Buck are both sponsors themselves and visit their sponsored children each year they come to Guatemala. Patti was moved to sponsor in honor of her late mother and her niece, who was adopted from Guatemala. “Sponsorship allows me to carry on my mom’s memory and to give back to the country my niece came from by helping two young girls get an education,” says Patti. “Sponsorship also gives me the amazing  opportunity  to develop relationships with the girls and their families. It makes me feel like I am really a part of something so much bigger than myself, and yet it is very personalized and fulfilling.  It is a great feeling to know you are helping  someone else have a better life.”

During the past four years, Buck and Patti have traveled to Guatemala five times, sponsored three students, taken more than 1,000 portraits, and recorded eight videos for Common Hope. We are so grateful to Buck and Patti for their ongoing support! Their most recent photos and videos were shared at our Noche de Colores fundraiser in May and our campaign to spark hope for 25 children this spring.

Lauren with a Common Hope student.

Position: Vision Team Coordinator
Time with Common Hope: 3 months
Favorite Guatemalan Cuisine: Hilachas or caracoles (delicious cream-filled pastries)
Travel Essential: A headlamp

What has surprised you most about working with us?
My favorite aspect of Common Hope is that we are an organization that doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. The best example of that, to me, is orientation for new staff. For two weeks during orientation, I met with someone from every department at Common Hope, from cleaning staff to sponsorship staff, and I spent time doing what they do every day. It just goes to show that from the moment you enter a Common Hope site, you are living the principal that no one is more important than anybody else, no matter your job, house, or education.

What is a new skill you have learned?
There are so many skills I’ve learned while living here, but I think the most fun for me is flagging down buses. To catch a bus in Guatemala, you find any corner where the bus will pass and then you hail it like a taxi. And once you’re on the bus, be prepared to hold on, because you never know if the driver is an aspiring NASCAR racer. It was a tough skill for me to learn, since I’m used to designated stops, but I appreciate that it adds a little adventure to my day.

Has anything happened during your time here that will make your life different?
I am always impacted by the final day of the house build when we get to hear the family’s story. One of my favorites is of 15-year-old Hector, who gave up his two-month school vacation to work at Common Hope every day to earn a house for his family. He took on the task so that his mother could be at home to take care of his brothers. To see his face when he put the final nail into the roof is something that I’ll never forget. It’s not often that a 15 year old teaches an adult the meaning of resilience, hard work, and humility. Hector was a really great teacher for me.

How did you come to volunteer at Common Hope?
I worked in Honduras last year and had the chance to visit Guatemala for two weeks during that time. I fell in love with the kind people and knew I wanted to come back. As I was searching for jobs in Guatemala, I happened upon Common Hope and was immediately drawn to the mission and focus on education. I count myself so lucky to have found it, because I am impressed and inspired every day by the staff and families we work with. I am proud to be a part of Common Hope!

What do you want people back home to know about your experience here?
I’m from Colorado, and since Common Hope began in Minnesota, not many people know about it where I’m from. So above all, I want them to learn about Common Hope and what we do. Hopefully, they’ll get excited to visit and get involved, just like I was.

Maria Antonietta is working her sweat-equity hours at the Antigua Family Development Center.

Maria Antonieta Reyes has already worked 80 sweat-equity hours to earn her two-room home that was installed by a Vision Team in March. Her husband works all day and her oldest child is only 12 years old, so Antonieta is the only member of her family that can come to Common Hope and work the hours. She is very content to do so and smiles as she works, today helping the cleaning staff do laundry.

Last year, Common Hope installed 28 fibrolit homes, and our partner ConstruCasa installed 26 block homes. In total, 54 affiliated families earned homes that are drier, safer, and more dignified.

Nick Henseler, age 8, traveled to Guatemala with his family this March. They all had a great time. One of the highlights was seeing the carpets being made for the Lenten processions, so they decided to do their own to celebrate Nick’s first communion. “We’re clearly not as skilled or artistic as the Guatemalan carpet makers,” said Nick’s dad, Steve Henseler. But we think it is an impressive first attempt, and a very cool project! Steve says they’re already planning a second one.