Think back to when you were a teenager. What did it take for you to get to where you are today?
Jot down a few ideas. Did any of these come up? Family and friends. Mentorship. A place to call home. God. Mistakes and lessons learned. An unwavering support system. Teachers.
One year ago, we launched a program—Thinking Outside the Box—with the goal of providing Guatemalan teenage orphans with all of these. Our dream is that one day when they look back on their teenage years, they’ll remember our program and your support as the turning point that started them on a path to success.
We are thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Thinking Outside the Box. And there truly is so much to celebrate! Over the past year, our teens have improved their English, practiced job interviews, learned how to cook healthy meals, built lifelong connections with friends and mentors, grown closer to God, and so much more.
“At first, the teens were shy and apprehensive about what would happen,” says Hefer Beteta, one of the program’s teachers. “But now that they’re in their second year, they have found their identity and have stronger self-esteem. They’re learning how to be independent.”
We can also celebrate that, thanks to your support over the past year, we are now training 61 teens, triple the number we started with a year ago.
More teenagers means that your support is even more critical. We depend on recurring monthly donations to provide a safe community for our teens, teach them English lessons, take them on field trips, feed them healthy meals, and pay our dedicated staff.
As we celebrate this collective accomplishment, please consider becoming a monthly donor to Transforming Futures. Just visit this page and click “Make a Monthly Donation.”
With your partnership and prayers, we will be able to transform many more teens’ futures and celebrate countless anniversaries.
