Giving Tuesday Update

We want to thank YOU for joining the global celebration of generosity during last week’s Giving Tuesday campaign. We are excited to share that with your help we raised $3,600 and GlobalGiving matched your donations, giving a grand total of $4,873 ($1,100 for education, $1,100 for scholarships and $1,400 for nutrition)!

In 2024 we will continue impacting our communities and:

  • expand robotics and STEM education to preschoolers and youth
  • provide more scholarships and graduate low-resource high school students
  • give more eggs to children at risk of malnutrition

In this last month of 2023 we express gratitude for your continued support to Shoulder to Shoulder and the communities we serve. Thank you for sharing your light, passion and kindness.

We wish you all happy holidays and may your wishes for 2024 come true!

Sincerely,

Shoulder to Shoulder team

Equipped to Finish Strong

We are nearing the end of another school year with our students! Our program continues to support each participant as we wish them well in finishing strong.

Our program coordinator, Nelly Milla, conducted a second distribution of supplies to each high school right before Honduran independence day festivities started (September 16th). Students who are in their last year of high school received assistance in professional attire or specialized tools (see image) to complete their internships and be elegible to graduate. Our students expressed being very grateful to receive all of this help. We share with you three students’ words of gratitude:

    • “I want to be a successful professional and I want to say thanks for the support that you are giving me. It has been a tremendous help to my family … infinite thanks to that noble heart of yours.”
    • “This scholarship has been a significant gift for me and my heart is full of happiness for what you do, that is why I wanted to share my gratitude.”
    • “Thanks to your support, I don’t have to spend as much time worrying about the costs for school. Instead I can focus on my studies and take utmost advantage of the opportunity that you have given me.” [Student M – see image of parade]

We will soon declare success as another generations of high school students graduate — thanks to your continued support

Student M during Independence Parade
Electricity Student with Professional Supplies

A Scholarship Helps Two Sisters

By Mariela Rodriguez – Communications Coordinator

During my recent trip to Honduras I was able to talk to some youth from our scholarship program and I wanted to share a story about the impact of your commitment to our student’s education in rural Intibuca, Honduras. 
Meet Eva, she is an eight grade student who was cheery walking into the office where I met her. Eva and her older sister have been raised by a single mother- which has presented her family with many difficulties. However, her mother has made the education of her daughters a priority.
Eva's brightening smile

Eva’s older sister is in high school, which means that there are more educational expenses (books, supplies, transportation, etc) for the family. If Eva was not receiving help from the Shoulder to Shoulder scholarship program, her mother would only be able to afford to keep one of her daughters in school.  Instead, the added financial support from Eva’s scholarship allows two sisters the ability to study.

Eva also shared how she experienced trauma early in her young life which has left her with emotional scars. She also suffers from a respiratory illness which often lands her in the clinic for the day – causing her to miss school. Despite all of these obstacles Eva has been able to maintain good grades and is motivated to keep studying just like her sister. She thanks the donors who are able to make her scholarship a reality and allow her and her sister to study, helping them come closer to graduating. 

Thank you for your time and commitment to our project!