Team

Gino Rich

Gino has dedicated his life to placing sewing machines in the hands of people who need them. He has worked with international humanitarian organizations and local communities to develop sewing classes and transport sewing machines around the globe. Sew Much Hope started as a small initiative of Gino’s. For decades he has scoured pawnshops and thrift stores to find sturdy sewing machines he can convert into hand-crank machines to place in poor rural areas of the world without access to electricity. Gino now also serves Sew Much Hope as its operations coordinator. He works with a network of humanitarian and community partners to find the most cost-effective way to deliver sewing equipment to people in need.

Jolene C Jones

Jolene was taught, at a young age, to sew by her grandmothers. Jina Barney introduced Jolene to quilting 13 years ago and she has been quilting ever since. When not quilting, Jolene is active in the nonprofit world teaching nonprofit management and leadership at BYU. She sits on the board of Primary Children’s Hospital Community and Development board, and recently took the position of liaison between UQSM and Sew Much Hope. Jolene has five children, six grandchildren and lives in Alpine, UT. She thinks quilters are, hands-down, the nicest people she knows!

Brett Paulsen

Brett served as a missionary in Guatemala serving the Kekchi (Q’eqchi’) people in the Polochic area. Seeing the happiness and love enjoyed by the Kekchi people, many of whom live in extreme poverty, inspired Brett to want to continue serving the people through the efforts of Sew Much Hope.

Brett recently returned from a trip to Guatemala where he was able to provide a machine and treadle to Claudia Veronica Ajanel Calel and witness firsthand the impact Sew Much Hope has on the lives of individuals.

Diego Norberto Morales Mateo

Diego was born in Chichicastenango el Quiché, Guatemala. Diego is currently studying law at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. He defends just and social causes for the development of families and the community. Diego has joined Sew Much Hope in order to actively coordinate help for people of limited resources in his community in Guatemala. In the not too distant future, Diego would like to work with the SMH team to create a community of supporters strong enough to take this project to other areas of Guatemala and the world.