Melissa Mongogna/ACC Service Learning Trip

About the ACC Service Learning Team

We are 12 students and 3 teachers at Another Course to College Public High School in Boston.  Through service learning, we will use what we learn in the high school classroom (Civics, World History, & Spanish) to help solve real life problems (poverty, inequality, inequity) in the world. From June 22nd-30th, 2013, the ACC team will go to El Progreso, Guatemala to build 2 houses for families in need with the guidance of Habitat for Humanity. This trip will strengthen communities both abroad and at home. It will build civic awareness in us and make us both better leaders and communicators as we fundraise, share stories of the endemic poverty and resilience we witness, and gain experience living and working in another country. All of these skills and experiences will help us be more competitive applicants for college and for jobs, and to become active citizens and leaders in our local communities and beyond.    But we need your help to ensure that we can have this opportunity to grow as learners, leaders and upstanders on this trip!  Please donate whatever you can as your donation will mean a great deal to lives both here in America and abroad.  We are counting on you to help us get there.  THANK YOU!

Team members: Rony Alvarez, Juelle Benjamin, Brianna Chavannes-Smith, Maria Francisco, Zodus Hollis, Rogina Isme, Barrington Latham, Nahum Lopez, Ezekial Mercer-McDowall, Silvia Prado, Dimitris Saponte, Erik Solis, Ms. Mayra Figueroa, Mr. Jerry Howland, Ms. Melissa Mongogna, and Ms. Lucy Robins

About Guatemala

One of the most significant challenges to housing in Guatemala is access to land. Many low-income families have no legal proof that they own the land they inhabit. These properties rarely have basic utilities and are often located in vulnerable areas, such as ravines and riverbanks. Even when a family has moderate income or has managed to save a small amount of money, obtaining a loan to purchase land or buy a home is often a challenge.

Habitat's Response

Established in 1979 to improve the lives of low-income families in Guatemala through the construction of adequate, affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala was the first Habitat organization in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Since the construction of its first home more than 30 years ago, Habitat Guatemala has served more than 32,000 families and has extended its work to each of the country’s 22 states. Habitat for Humanity does much more than just build houses, including raising awareness about the need for adequate housing, advocating for improved housing policy, and much more.

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.

To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International 

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.