Saint Anne Parish School 8th grader, Finn Karam is one of hundreds of young Barrington volunteers who have joined Hope’s In’s summer service trips to build homes for families living in poverty surrounding Guatemala City’s garbage dump. Founded by twin sisters and Barrington High School alums, Courtney McGovern and Ashley Quigley, Hope’s In’s 9th annual Hope’s in Style fashion show fundraiser is coming up this Sunday.
The first Hope’s In Style fashion show took place in February of 2013. The goal was to raise enough money to build a single cinderblock house for one girl’s family living in a shack surrounded by garbage.
Now in its 9th year, the Hope’s In Style fashion show has raised $325,000 and built 43 homes. Courtney McGovern says the Guatemala families they serve have been devastated during the Covid pandemic and the need now is greater than ever. For the first time, this year’s fashion show is virtual and coming up from 1-3 p.m. this Sunday, April 11th! The theme for this year’s event is Hope’s In Style: Masquerade, Hope Disguised.
About a hundred Barrington High School student stylists, models and volunteers have been busy producing the show, filmed at various locations around town. High school students will share their experiences during the pandemic and the challenges they faced. They will also share the hope they discovered unexpectedly during the pandemic and how it has made them even more empathetic and motivated changemakers.
Click here to reserve your tickets to the virtual fashion show today.
While building homes and creating programs to help Guatemala City’s most vulnerable families, Hope’s In is on a mission to develop the next generation of humanitarian leaders here at home, just like Finn Karam. An avid runner, baseball, basketball and football player, Finn can now add Hope’s In volunteer to his list of accomplishments. The summer after 6th grade, he joined one of Hope’s In’s most recent service trips to Guatemala City. He has seen, first-hand, the suffering Barrington’s Hope’s In Style fashion relieves and the joy that it brings.
How did you learn about HOPE’S IN?
Finn Karam: I learned bout Hope’s In through my family. My aunt and uncle, Colleen and Mike Hannigan, and my grandparents, Marimarie and Frank Konciek have been involved with Hopes In for years. My sisters have also been in the Hope’s In Style fashion show. They invited my cousin, Nick Konicek, and I to go with them to Guatemala last summer and we had the best week building our house and getting to know our family.
What was one of your favorite memories in Guatemala?
Finn Karam: I loved building the house for our family. It was next to a school and I had so much fun playing basketball with all the kids.
What is one thing you learned from your time in Guatemala?
Finn Karam: I learned how lucky I am and how good it feels to give back to people in need. I also learned skills to build a house.
Why do you think it is important to help others?
Finn Karam: It is important to give back. My week in Guatemala taught me to try and think less about myself and more about others.
Courtney McGovern says the Covid pandemic has made living conditions even more dangerous for the Guatemalan families they serve. As schools and businesses shut down, the community’s one municipal water supply became overwhelmed, leading to widespread shortages of clean water. With students out of classrooms, families became even more vulnerable to cycles of crime, teen pregnancy, drug, alcohol and domestic abuse. Courtney says our support will help Hope’s In further develop programs to bring these families much needed shelter and relief.
Click here to reserve your tickets to the virtual fashion show today.
If you’d like to support Hope’s In’s efforts to help these families, click here to join Sunday’s Hope’s In Style fashion show or make a donation or click here to join the Hope’s In Catalyst Club, a monthly giving program to provide support for as little as $1.17 per day. Learn more about Hope’s In’s mission and programs at HopesIn.org.
Co-founded in 2012 by twin sisters, Courtney McGovern & Ashley Quigley during their junior year at Barrington High School, HOPE’S IN is dedicated to impacting and empowering the Guatemala City garbage dump communities and developing the next generation of humanitarian leaders. To-date, Hope’s In volunteers have built dozens of safe homes and inspired hundreds of student volunteers to travel to Guatemala to help bring hope to families living in poverty. Learn more about the mission at HopesIn.org.
Love this! One of the best weeks ever, spending time with my nephews, parents, husband, sis-in-law, and our Hope’s In and Potter’s House families. Your heart grows 10 sizes in service to our Treasures in the Guatemala garbage dump community 💞