We welcome people who are interested in joining our effort.
Pam Novak, founder and president of Spirit is blessed to have the following wonderful volunteers to make the Spirit dream a reality.

Pam with Director Ann Hughes in Guatemala. Ann is a terrific director and organizer. She delights in her role as madrina (godmother) to two of our girls and has worked tirelessly with her Woodstock Illinois Rotary Club on projects to get educational equipment and materials to Guatemala in 2005. She and her passion for the projects add tremendously to the program.

Reve and Otto Kiehl joined our team and bring another insite. They have visited the region twice and look forward to their next trip.

New board consultant Marie Jacobs has taken on our dental project. In December 2005, while trying to get a smile out of a becada for her madrina, I realized tooth decay is endemic. Our 17 year old girls had already lost some to many teeth. Future professionals can not be toothless! So the birth of the 2006 dental program addition. The girls now receive complete dental care and semi annual checkups.

Jenny Roberts, board member and one of our madrinas, is fully committed to the idea of Spirit. She brings previous nonprofit board position experience and has been a successful fundraiser. Jenny has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America and has lived in Guatemala.

OUR TEAM IN GUATEMALA

In December 2008, we made a huge switch in team member approach. Based on a recommendation in July 2008, by a respected attorney in Coatepeque, and continuing problems with our existing manager, I decided to take the advice and enlist the poor to help the poor.

This decision was nothing short of brilliant. Problems are communicated and dealt with rapidly, grades are reported on time and our funds are accounted for and monitored. Funds monitoring can be critical in this continuing time of bank failures.
More recently, their skills at applicant need evaluation was very helpful.
The long term goal is to develop a team that can do most of the applicant interviewing and sorting out. They know the people!

Miguel a former hospital and government accountant has brought extreme honesty to the local team. "We are not going to lose one quetzale". His dedication and vigilance are incredible assets we have not had in the past. Miguel feels honored to be part of the team. We are honored to have him.

Sandra is a widow and a strong female image for the girls. She meets the classes and works with the girls to see what the issues are and what we need to do for them. .

Mayling has volunteered to be the Becada's dentist. She brings a lot of enthusiasm and dedication to helping these young women. She will be taking a year off to study asethetic dentistry which will be wonderful for becadas who have lost teeth prior to joining us. We are delighted to have her.

And not least, we are grateful for the many madrinas and padrinos (godparents) currently sponsoring students, as well as our donors who have enriched the program through donations for English language books or equipment or funds for special

While in Australia, I taught hundreds of developing country university students. I saw them and their extended families struggle to provide an education. Since then, I have helped young women in various places in developing countries. The personal rewards have been tremendous, but I also learned many lessons on how to do it successfully- the hard way.

 

To make the dollars go farther, Spirit had to become a public charity. In 1999, the IRS approved the 501(c)(3) public charity tax status. In addition, the IRS determined that Spirit qualifies under sections 509(a)(1) & 170(b)(1)(A)(vi).

 

Program site selection was difficult. We needed one country in which there was economic need, hard working capable middle school students and a culture where women were allowed a career, although lack of opportunity usually “kept them in their place”. Further, we needed a place where the assistance from America was welcome and genuinely accepted, not seen as a source of "deep pockets" to be exploited. Through various contacts, we explored several countries.

In December 2001, we visited the northwest corner of Guatemala and found that site."