• 2018 was a year of problem-solving and perseverance. Through
    the hard work of our staff, and the success of the model, we were
    ableto continue serving parents in poverty, even during
    Nicaragua’s political crisis.
  • Last spring, we
    piloted our new
    on-the-go micro-
    franchise, Fresco
    Express!
  • A city can only
    sustain so many
    home-based stores,
    and not every parent
    is able to run a
    store out of their
    home.
  • Our mobile Fresco
    Express food carts
    allow us to create
    jobs for more
    parents...
    ...and bring fresh
    food to high-traffic
    areas throughout
    Managua
  • But when tension between civilians
    and the government escalated, and
    violence broke out in the streets, we
    had to pause our Fresco Express
    program in order to protect the
    safety of our partner parents
    and staff.
  • Our incredible staff adjusted delivery routes,
  • negotiated with barricades,
  • and when public transit
    was down, team
    members left their
    homes at 4 am and
    walked up to 90 minutes
    to get to our office and
    make sure our parents
    got the products they
    needed.
  • As many other nonprofits
    and businesses closed their
    doors, we maintained 95%
    of our operations and our
    staff and store owners
    remained safe throughout the
    crisis.
  • Olga lost all
    of the patients
    in her at-home
    clinic due to the
    economic effects
    of the crisis.
    But she found
    hope through
    her Mercado
    Fresco store
  • When the schools closed,
    Ana Jacoba was able to
    use her Mercado Fresco
    savings to enroll her
    daughter in a private school
    so she could continue her
    education.
  • And we continued to make time for community
    through our family fun days!
  • We provided access to
    new benefits for our store
    owners this year including
    vision testing, breast cancer
    screenings, and emergency
    insurance plans.
  • and we launched a regular series of women’s empowerment workshops,
    developed with the help of IDB . These provide a space for our moms to
    share the challenges they face in the machismo Latin American culture and
    share strategies for overcoming these barriers.
  • This year we started a team of “Hope Ambassador”
    volunteers and launched our monthly giving community,
    “La Chispa” (The Spark).
  • In October, we moved
    to one new office so
    that our kitchen
    operations were
    housed under the
    same roof as our
    administrative and
    training efforts.
    The new office is
    safer, has improved
    communications and
    most importantly
    has air conditioning!
  • Though the tension remains, the violence has subsided and at
    the end of the year we prepared to relaunch Fresco Express. We had
    650 inquiries after our first announcement about the opportunity.
  • With 350,000 people
    newly unemployed as a
    result of the crisis this
    year and 1.3 million
    people estimated to be
    newly on the brink of
    poverty, we have a big
    role to play in helping
    families recover.
  • Because of the opportunity they found through Supply Hope in 2018....
  • ...Massiel is now able to
    afford the medicine she
    needs to care for
    her epileptic son...
  • ...Jessica is saving
    to rebuild her
    home after the
    tragic loss of her
    husband...
  • ...19-year-old Silke, who
    shares a home with 14 of
    her family members, is
    earning money to provide
    a better future for her
    daughter, Nicolle...
  • ...Mariana Romero is putting food on
    the table for her two granddaughters
    after their mother passed away and
    their father left...
  • … and Silvia’s daughter,
    Maria Monserath, is able to
    attend college.
  • Thank you for sticking
    with us through this
    turbulent year. We are
    deeply grateful for your
    support. Hope is on the
    move in Nicaragua and
    we couldn’t do it without
    you.
    In 2019, we look forward
    to scaling our efforts and
    extending the hope of
    opportunity to more
    parents who want to
    build a better future for
    their children.