Common Hope (St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American nonprofit organization with a focus on improving the education, health care, housing and family life of Guatemalans living in poverty. The staff in Guatemala includes Guatemalans and volunteers from around the world. Today, Common Hope works together with over 8,000 children and adults living in poverty in Guatemala.

The main focus of Common Hope is on providing educational opportunities for those who otherwise would not have that opportunity. Once that relationship is established, social workers from Common Hope identify specific needs of each family and work to ensure families have ways to meet these needs.

These needs might be paying for tuition, dental check-ups, building a new house, taking literacy classes, providing building materials for home improvements, building stoves and latrines, filling medical prescriptions, and other types of aid. Vocational training is also offered, along with day care centers, to provide a safe place for parents to leave their children during working hours.

Over 56% of the people in Guatemala live below the poverty line. Education is not free, and many families cannot pay for education for their children. There is one doctor for every 1,100 people. Nearly 90% of the farms are too small to provide a decent standard of living.

In Antigua, the Family Development Center serves about 8,000 people.

Near Guatemala City, the New Hope Village has been built and a new primary school is attended by more than 200 students.

In the village of San Rafael, affiliations have been established with over 50 students and their families.

In the Ixcan jungle, a school is attended by over 80 students.

Scholarships are provided to students in other areas, and teachers are being trained.

Information on donating, volunteering, sponsoring a child, collecting supplies, and other program details can be found on Common Hope’s website.