Post by Casey Niemeyer

Last week was bittersweet, as after nearly three years I said goodbye to the team at Common Hope. 🩵 This organization challenged me in countless ways and expanded my understanding of what it truly means to advocate for change, pursue a more equitable world, and put hope into action. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be invited into the lives of the families we serve and for the great honor and responsibility of sharing their stories of courage, determination, strength, and hope with our supporters. I am immensely thankful for this incredible team (both in St. Paul and Guatemala) who welcomed me with open arms, traveled across the country to share Common Hope’s story, built intentional community (including daily lunches together), and created space for laughter and joy even when the work was hard. I will always be grateful to have learned from and grown alongside individuals with such open hearts, extraordinary skills, and genuine care for one another. As I leap into the next adventure (more details soon!), I carry deep gratitude for the ways our paths have crossed. I will continue to champion the work of Common Hope as a proud supporter and advocate. “Peace cannot exist without justice, justice cannot exist without fairness, fairness cannot exist without development, development cannot exist without democracy, democracy cannot exist without respect for the identity and worth of cultures and peoples.” — Rigoberta Menchú