As a member of the Board of Directors and Chair ofthe Program Committee of Hand in Hand Ministries,I am thrilled to welcome Marla Cautilli and LibbeySmith in their new roles within our organization.Marla, who served as our Development Director forthe past three years has been promoted to the po-sition of Chief Executive Officer. Libbey, who hasserved as Associate Director for ten years, has beenpromoted to Chief Operating Officer. They bothshare a tremendous passion for the work of Handin Hand and welcome the opportunity to move ourorganization forward.

It is with the utmost confidence and excitementthat these appointments have been made. Marlaand Libbey have excelled in their roles at Hand inHand. Their dedication to our mission, along withtheir ability to inspire others, is well established. Weare so very fortunate to have such capable, com-passionate and enthusiastic people at the helm aswe continue to grow as an effective, powerful or-ganization.

Fully supporting this transition and looking forwardto continued growth for Hand in Hand, founderWayne Fowler will still be available as an importantresource. We all wish Wayne and his family muchlove, support and encouragement as he focuses onthe health issues he is now facing.

Thank you for your interest and continued supportof Hand in Hand. You make all of the stories oftransformation in this newsletter possible.

Donna FazioBoard Member

NEWSWinter 2012 • Volume XIII • No. 1

Lend a hand . . . change a life!

Moving Forward

Libbey Smith, new Chief Operating Officer,was in Belize last year with her daughter,Jessie, to build a home for Alma Rosa,

On the same trip to Belize, Marla Cautilli, newChief Executive Officer, shown with her sonPetey and house recipient, Alma Rosa.

Grace Regan traveled with the Boston College group to Be-lize in January along with her co-mentor Kara Connally, stu-dent leaders Chris Mario and Christiana Weller and 10Boston College students, all participants in the college’s Ar-rupe program, an International immersion program. Theteam was building a home for Miss Alice, who was hospital-ized during their trip and passed away after the group re-turned to Boston. Miss Alice had hoped to have the home forherself and for children that were in her care. This home willbe a legacy for Miss Alice and will be a lasting tribute of herlove for the next generation.

The Boston CollegeArrupe Students andLeaders returned fromBelize on Monday afteran incredibly powerfulweek.

BC worked with HHM’sBuilding for ChangeProgram and builthouse number 173,which was for Miss

Alice and her family. She was with us for two days buthad to go to the hospital and was in the Intensive CareUnit. Our group arrived on site on Wednesday to hear thenews from her son Leslie. The group was devastated butmade a decision to power on and make Miss Alice’sdream of having a home for her family a reality.

Leslie and his son Ezekiel were a part of our experience asmuch as Miss Alice and it was beautiful to see the sum ofall parts come together with the BC team, Hand in Hand,the past recipients and Miss Alice’s family; her legacy willlive on through Leslie, Ezekiel and the work of Hand inHand.

One of the most amazing moments of the week waswhen James Muschamp, HHM immersion trip coordina-tor, took our BC team to the hospital to pray over MissAlice. It was a very emotional moment but one that willremain in our hearts as we recall our experience in Belize.Miss Alice went home to God shortly thereafter and thestudents honored her by sending Leslie a card and a biblein her memory.

There were so manymoments of grace thatoccurred during ourexperiences. One ofthe student leadersChris Mario and I hadbeen a part of theBuilding for Changeprogram in Belize andbuilt for other recipi-ents and we wereblessed to visit both of

our families. The power in those visits was really beyondme until I witnessed Chris hugging his family and thetears of joy that dripped from every member of ourgroup. Those visits really made the significance of theBuilding for Change program come alive for the students.

We were also blessed to have Fr. Brian Christopher, SJbless the house. His presence and the presence of theHand in Hand Team and the past recipients helped us tocelebrate the grace of Miss Alice, the house and theamazing work being done in Belize. The students sang asong, read a poem and presented the family with somesupplies and clothing and then presented Leslie with ahand carved Cross from Mr. Lizama’s wood shop. James’mother made a lovely cake and we celebrated Miss Aliceand the blessing together as a community.

We are grateful toHand in Hand for thegift they are for thepeople of Belize. Wealso had the opportu-nity to visit the Out-reach Center and thestudents were thrilledto deliver suppliesthey had collected andspend time with thechildren. We camehome blessed and will continue to pray for the people ofBelize and those who support the work of Hand in Hand.

By Grace ReganExecutive Director and Provincial Assistantfor AdvancementNew England Province of Jesuits

In her ownwords . . .

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BELIZE UPDATES

We are thrilled and honored to announce that theBologna for Belize fundraiser has far exceeded our expec-tations. So far, we have raised more than $6,700 for theJanuary 15-22 immersion trip. After setting a goal of$4,000, Kevin and Kristy Greenwood worked with friends,Rich and Natalie Tinsley, to organize a fundraiser. TheTinsleys hosted the Bologna for Belize event in theirhome and welcomed more than 50 guests with his gour-met smoked bologna, great food and fun.

Kevin and Kristy Greenwood left for Belize one week laterand built a home for Hidaya Bevans, a single mother ofeight children whose elderly mother also lives with her.The house they had lived in was near collapse. She is liv-ing on the equivalent of $25 US per week. Hand in Hand’sselection committee chose Hadiya because of the urgentneed to get her family into a safe environment.

The success ofthe Bologna forBelize fundraiserallowed HHM toadd plumbing toHadiya’s home.These funds

will also help support the Outreach Center for childrenafflicted with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

More than 25 companies and community leaders in Be-lize joined Hand in Hand’s Belize office for a Jazz Eveningfundraiser. Guests enjoyed a panoramic view of the cityfrom the sixth floor of the Matalon Business Center indowntown Belize City while listening to music from theBelize Music Agency and special musical guest, MelonieGillett.

Donations from the event will help support all of theprograms of Hand in Hand in Belize.

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Bologna for Belizesizzles with success!

Belize fundraiser drawscommunity-wide support

APPALACHIA

Community dinners at The Auxier Center are a big hit.The Auxier Center has hosted monthly dinners since Sep-tember as part of the center’s Community Engagementprogram. On December 6, over sixty people packed thecenter for a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trim-mings. Allyson Williams, center Co-Director, credits GloriaPowers, staff member and long time resident of Auxier,with the large turn out, “Gloria’s wonderful cooking is thekey ingredient to having all our seats filled.”

The center, located in the old Auxier school building, hasbeen serving Big Sandy since 2000. “The idea for our din-ners came about from the community forum held lastyear. We want to be a part of the community we serveand invite everyone in the Big Sandy to come out for afree, home cooked meal and enjoy the company ofneighbors and friends,” said center Co-Director, JamesWilliams

In addition to the Community Engagement program, theAuxier Center provides a home repair program, a foodpantry, continued support services, educational courses,enrichment workshops, a community library, kid’s camps,family nights and summer camps. This fall the centerhosted free health screenings and back to school physi-cals. Each spring and summer, over 300 volunteers fromacross the United States stay at the center and in 2011,they repaired 48 homes for low income families. Eachyear, through their various programs, The Auxier Centerassists over a thousand people in Big Sandy.

The Auxier Center has been a program of Hand in HandMinistries since 2007.

SpecialThanksThanks to a $2,182.00grant from the Honor-able Order of KentuckyColonels, we updatedthe food pantry byadding a new 24.7 ft.freezer. We also wereable to purchase heavy-duty truck racks andfiberglass extension ladders for the home repair program.

Hand in Hand alsothanks Hikes PointPaint in Louisville fordonating pallets ofpaint to The AuxierCenter valued atmore than $25,000.

Hand in Hand CommunityDinners continue in 2012

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• Food Pantry serves 53 families• Classes

36 attended computer classes19 computers given to students on completion43 attended sewing and quilting classes98 hours of literacy training completed

• Outreach Services provided donated goods tothose most in need.173 families provided with medical supplies,household goods and furniture.

• Home Repair - volunteers repaired 48 homes• Immersion Trips

22 trips with more than 300 volunteers

Hand in Hand’s Continued Support Services Programwas implemented to enhance the effectiveness ofhome repair and community outreach services pro-vided by The Auxier Center. A combination ofclasses, workshops, and employment help serviceswere designed to help recipients of HHM’s programstransform their situations and provide guidance intheir personal development in an effort to makethem more self-sufficient.

Annie, a participant in our Continued Support Serv-ices program had a a job interview for her first posi-tion in over 10 years! Annie and her husband werehome repair recipients in 2011 and started into theCSS program shortly after it's inception. Annie was astay-at-home mom and her husband worked at alocal company. When the company relocated he losthis job and they've been struggling to make endsmeet while he attends college and works part time.Annie decided to go back into the workforce andHHM gave her the tools and support to get started.Annie received resume building and practice inter-view sessions at the Auxier Center, a voucher to pur-chase professional clothing, and a gas card to coverfuel costs to the out of town interview.

Annie’s prospects have improved greatly. She andher husband both volunteer at the center regularly.

Record numbers helped in 2011 Continued Support ServicesProgram key to success in 2012

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

NICARAGUA

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Hand in Hand Ministries and the Greater Louisville MedicalSociety Foundation once again sent a team of physiciansand medical workers to Nicaragua in January.

The trip included several physicians as well as a bio-medicaltechnician, a psychiatrist and a dietician. The doctors groupworked at Berta Calderon Maternity hospital and the SanFrancisco Clinic. At the clinic, they saw children and mem-bers of HHM’s Pathway to Change families. Dr. Nanine Hen-derson, Dr. Cynthia Rigby, Dr. Nathan Whitmore andSuzanne McGee worked at the clinic alongside Dr. ManuelGrimaldi, Sarah Cowherd and Terry Todd. Dr. Timir Baner-jee worked at Lenin Fonseca hospital in the neurology de-partment and bio-medical technician, Courtney Nanney,and Hunter Harpool repaired medical equipment at vari-ous hospitals. Dr. Sarah Acland and Nutritionist Sue Wulfmet with families at the Children’s Center to discuss familyhealth issues.

They visited families in their homes, took the childrenswimming and visited the schools where HHM sends thechildren through our scholarship program.

The goal of these annual trips is to address the medicalneeds of the families served by the Hand in Hand Pathwayto Change Program. Hand in Hand also wants to developan ongoing relationship with the local medical communityin Nicaragua in order to help by offering needed medicalcare and supplies that can be provided through volunteersassociated with the GLMS Foundation.

The families in Hand in Hand’s Pathway to Change Pro-gram benefited from the opportunity to see the doctorsand dentists. This year’s trip is the fifth trip made in collab-oration with GLMS Foundation.

In addition to offering medical service, immersion trip par-ticipants saw first-hand the story of the work that Hand inHand Ministries is doing with our“Pathway to Change”pro-gram. By visiting the homes of families in the program andmeeting with other personnel who serve the poor in Man-agua, Nicaragua, participants come to understand the con-ditions that impact and transform the lives of the poor.

Medical Mission 2012

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WHYWEDOWHATWE DO

Dear Friends,

I returned recently from myservice project in Belize. Ourteam of 12 women had onlyabout two things in common:we were from Rush Universityin Chicago and had no experience in building a house!

Our first few days were spent at various service organizations in Belize City and Ispent two days at the Mercy Clinic, which among other things, provides a "mealson wheels" program. I decided to join the meal run and get a personal tour of lifein Belize City. What I saw was poverty; elderly who were in living conditions thatwe would consider unacceptable; no electricity or running water and in desperateneed of repair. I found some elders up to their ankles in water because of flooding,some unable to get out of their home.

On the weekend, Hand in Hand Ministries (our trip hosts and coordinators) askedme to do an educational session on nutrition for those who live in one of thehomes they have built. I arrived to find a room of 40+ who seemed anxious tohear what the American nurse had to say. It was interesting teaching people howto eat right when so many can't afford anything and sometimes only eat onemeal a day.

On Sunday evening, I enjoyed an inspirational Mass at St. Martin’s Church.I felt very welcomed and encouraged by being there. A young boy came in priorto the service to ask if he could play his drum for worship. In true Belizian fashion,they let him join right in and it was a perfect fit! Being at St. Martin’s was a greatsoul-lifter in preparation for the week ahead.

Bright and early Monday our team joined Hand in Hand Ministries to build ahouse for a poor Belizean family. When I arrived at the building site, I was thrilledto see that the couple we were building for lived in one of the places I'd deliveredmeals to. I found a way I could make a difference! The family lived in 3 little sheds -one as a bathroom, one for the wife, and one for the husband suffering from ad-vanced prostate cancer. Under the direction of 2 foremen our team spent 4 fulldays hammering (I am not kidding) and assembling a 16'x16' wood home for thefamily. Barely before sunset on day four, the house was completed and the houseblessing was scheduled for Saturday. Father Brian from St. Martin’s joined ourteam and Mrs. Thomas in the new home to share scriptures, prayers, reflectionsand songs. I was able to resist tears until we sang "Lean on Me" - one of my fa-vorite songs of all times! As a team, we looked at one another in disbelief thinking"did we really do that?"

After flights from sunny, hot Belize to sub-zero wind chills of Chicago, I said goodbyeto my teammates and headed east toPhiladelphia. We received word from Belizejust one week after our return that Mr.Thomas passed away... seems he waited tosee the house was ready for his wife so hecould go in peace.

I am eternally grateful to Hand in Hand for guiding me through my experiences inBelize.

With gratitude,Jen CooperAdvanced Public Health Nursing Program, Rush University

2012 Immersion TripsOpenings for Hand in Hand immersiontrips to Belize and Nicaragua are still avail-able. Not only will you change the lives ofthose served, but you will be rewardedwith memories and experiences like noother trip you've ever taken.

BELIZEJUNE 17-24, 2012

NOVEMBER 18-24, 2012** SPECIAL THANKSGIVING TRIP

NICARAGUAJUNE 10-17. 2012

OCTOBER 21-28, 2012

APPALACHIAAPRIL 25-28, 2012JUNE 27-30, 2012AUGUST 1-4, 2012

OCTOBER 10-14, 2012OCTOBER 24-27, 2012

For more information, or to sign up, callthe Hand in Hand office at 502-459-9930or email maryhelen@myhandinhand.org

Learn more about the work ofHand in Hand Ministries by attending

a “Lend a Hand”gathering onThursday, March 15 6:30 PMWednesday, April 18 6:30 PMWednesday, May 16 6:30 PM

at the HHM office,2225 Steier Lane, in Louisville.

502-459-9930Make reservations online on the eventcalendar at www.myhandinhand.org.

2225 Steier LaneLouisville, KY 40218

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLOUISVILLE, KY

PERMIT NO. 1486

2012 Board of DirectorsRev. Joseph Fowler, Co-President/Co-FounderHarry Borders, Co-PresidentKathy Francis, Vice-PresidentJohn Schmidt, TreasurerChristine Beckett, SCN, SecretarySusan Sweeney Crum Bertha DanielsDonna Fazio Juda Maria HellmannGlenn Kosse Dr. Rick RoweTerry Todd

Executive StaffWayne Fowler, Founder EmeritusMarla Cautilli, Chief Executive OfficerLibbey Smith, Chief Operating Officer

Louisville Office2225 Steier Lane • Louisville, KY 40218502.459.9930 • Fax 502.459.9945

The Auxier Center21 S. River Street • Auxier, KY 41602606.886.0709 • Fax 606.886.0973

Belize Office144 North Front Street • PO Box 2187Belize City, Belize, Central America

Nicaragua OfficeKm. 13 Carretera Sur, Colonia Becklin, Casa # 5El Crucero, Managua, Nicaragua

When I was in Belize in November packaging amonthly supply of food for a family battlingHIV/AIDS, I was so glad we had the resources toprovide for this family. It reminded me that muchof our assistance to the poor comes on a daily ormonthly basis, yet a great deal of our funding arrivesat the end of the year. Just like the family whoneeds food every month to sustain them, Hand inHand needs a steady flow of donations to sustainits efforts to help the poor.

As you consider your gift to Hand in Hand this year,I would encourage you to explore the option ofgiving monthly. This helps us to maintain a steadycash flow and increases our ability to administercare to the families we serve. You can arrange forcredit card donations, or monthly withdrawalsfrom your checking account with a simple phonecall to Susan Gerstle at (502) 459-9930, or you cango on-line at www.myhandinhand.org to set uppayment options.

Whether you chooseto give monthly orjust once a year, Iwant you to knowthat if you gave a giftof $1 or $10,000 lastyear, your generosityplayed a large part inrestoring hope formany.

Hand in Hand was able to fulfill its missionbecause 1,932 people donated over $1,223,000in support of this organization. That shows thepassion, commitment, and incredible generosityof the people who support this mission.I thank you!

Marla Cautilli, CEOHand in Hand Ministries

A Gift