A Legacy of Love, A Future of Hope for Luminarias

Hugh McElroy founded Luminarias at the age of 75. As we gathered to honor the gift of Hugh’s life at his visitation and funeral, new and old members of the Board of Directors of Luminarias greeted each other with warm hugs. We enjoyed a loving video of Hugh’s life created by his nephews and met up with many past supporters of Hugh’s work in Guatemala. 

A common question among those in the group of mourners was, “What will happen to Luminarias now that Hugh has died?” We want all of Hugh’s family, friends and acquaintances to know that as board members, we are and have been committed to doing the necessary work to support our young women in Guatemala in the months and years ahead.

We make this commitment because we have traveled to Guatemala and met these young women personally. We know how hard they work to achieve their academic goals and their life dreams of a career. We have visited their poor homes with dirt floors, tin roofs, and no running water or electricity. We have met their loving families who want the best for their daughters, even though it is an economic hardship to have them live away from home. 

   You are warmly invited to visit our young women in Guatemala to provide oversight – we can provide housing!

We have seen these girls plant seeds of friendship and support with each other and heard them laugh together, play music together, do karate moves together. They are developing leadership skills that will impact their lives and the lives of their families and communities.

So, we do the work to keep the girls safe and raise the money necessary to support the program:

   • We communicate regularly with the board and staff in Guatemala;  

   • We make trips down to Guatemala to monitor and assess the effort;

   • We work hard to communicate about the program to our donors;

   • We plan fundraisers and do the bookkeeping;

   • We work to grow our support network;

This scene is both tender and troubling—because in Guatemala, poverty isn’t random. It’s personal. Nearly 66% of rural Guatemalans live below the poverty line.

Hugh hoped (and prayed) that Luminarias would continue after his death and we intend to guarantee that that happens. If you would also like to support Hugh’s wish…

   • Join the board – we are a fun group!

   • Sponsor a girl – more news on this coming soon!

   • Consider donating monthly – help us budget more easily!  

Give Now ➝ www.luminariasproject.com

Thank you for the many donations to Luminarias made in Hugh’s memory. We are committed to this important work and we hope you will partner with us and stay committed to supporting our young women in Guatemala.

Anne Bartel
President, Board of Directors 

Celebrating Liliana & Violeta – Certified Nursing Technicians! 
We are so proud of these two outstanding young women who have officially received their Technical Nursing degrees from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala. This milestone represents years of dedication and hard work, and now opens the door to meaningful careers in healthcare. 

Our Contact Information

Luminarias Project

info@luminariasproject.com

www.luminariasproject.com/

*{{Organization Address}}*

You are being sent this email because you are a subscriber.

If you wish to update your Email Preferences or Unsubscribe, click *{{Unsubscribe}}*