2026 Pilgrimage of Faith Award recipients honored

Unbound co-founder Bob Hentzen often said about families living in poverty, “Society has told them all along that they are not capable. We are here to tell them they are quite capable. You are not alone. We are walking with you.”

That commitment to walking alongside families as they build their own paths out of poverty became a guiding principle for Unbound, a reminder of how the organization began and a roadmap for how its mission continues to unfold.

Now, in preparation for its 45th anniversary, Unbound honored four individuals who exemplified this commitment with the Pilgrimage of Faith Award, presented during a ceremony Oct. 1 at the organization’s headquarters in Kansas City.

“The Pilgrimage of Faith award is unique to Unbound, a way for us to honor and pay gratitude to those in our community who exemplify the Unbound core values of respect, authenticity, optimism and innovation,” Unbound President and CEO Ashley Hufft said. “As we approach our 45th anniversary, this year we honor the family members of the Unbound founders who each have carried on the legacy through heart, dedication, hard work and leadership as long-time Unbound staff, always centering their work on the families we serve.”

Recipients of the 2026 Pilgrimage of Faith award were Cristina Hentzen, wife of late co-founder Bob Hentzen; and Catherine (Pearce) Quiroga, Laney (Pearce) Haake and Paul Pearce, the children of late co-founder Nadine (Hentzen) Pearce.

Honoring those who had a hand in shaping Unbound

Around 200 attendees — including members of the Unbound preaching team, governing board, supporters, volunteers and staff — were present at the awards ceremony, either participating in person or tuning in virtually from around the world.

Unbound Chief Growth Officer Deborah Johns emceed the ceremony, and the opening prayer was led by Rev. Joseph Uecker, C.PP.S. Afterward, Hufft shared a reflection on the founders and this year’s Pilgrimage of Faith honorees.

Guided by faith and rooted in Catholic social teaching, Unbound’s founders — siblings Bob, Bud and Jim Hentzen and Nadine Hentzen Pearce, along with their friend Jerry Tolle — envisioned a program that would invite people to partner with families in poverty and, thus, founded the organization on Nov. 20, 1981.

The 2026 Pilgrimage of Faith recipients, Cristina Hentzen, Haake, Quiroga and Paul Pearce, all held various roles during their tenures with Unbound (known in the early days of the organization as Christian Foundation for Children and Aging).

The Pilgrimage of Faith Award was established in 1996 following co-founder Bob Hentzen’s 4,000-mile Pilgrimage of Faith walk from Kansas City to Guatemala. The award honors individuals or groups who exemplify Unbound’s core values and show outstanding commitment to the mission and to creating a worldwide community of compassion.

“With skillsets honed in the business world, the honorees helped take Unbound from a family startup to a major international nonprofit that has delivered more than $2.5 billion in aid across 45 years to benefit families and communities around the world,” Hufft said.

“They were listeners, learners, innovators and good stewards who honored the God-given dignity and potential of every person through their daily work.”

A video was shown introducing the honorees and sharing testimonials and gratitude from staff who worked with them over the years. Afterward, Jake Hentzen, son of Bob and Cristina Hentzen, and Father Mike Rieder gave a musical presentation featuring the song, “Why Do I Walk?” written by Bob Hentzen, and invited the community to sing along.

Unbound woven into the fabric of their lives

According to Unbound Chief Governing Officer Lissa Haag, the vision of the founders, 45 years later, has come to fruition in ways they probably couldn’t have imagined, with over 1 million children and elders sponsored, and the addition of the scholarship program, community improvement projects and the livelihood growth program for entrepreneurs.

“The Pilgrimage of Faith Award was created to honor those who embody the vision of our founders, and nobody can understand that vision better than those who knew them best — their families,” Haag said.

Hufft presented each honoree with a handmade tapestry from Guatemala, woven by different artists in the textures, colors and sizes indicative of each artist’s region. A word, selected by the current Unbound administration, was woven onto each tapestry to represent each honoree.

Recipient Cristina Hentzen received the “Superandos Juntos” tapestry (Overcoming Together). She described Unbound as forever woven into the fabric of her life.

Cristina, who is originally from Honduras, became familiar with the organization when she was invited to a picnic at a farmhouse where the offices were once located in the early days. There, she met Bob Hentzen, her future husband, and eventually went to work in the finance department.

On receiving the Pilgrimage of Faith Award, Cristina said she felt honored and proud of the current generation of Unbound colleagues for taking the time to recognize the achievements and sacrifices of the founders.

“I have had a rush of memories since receiving this award, of my time and life with Unbound,” Cristina said. “To me, this feels like I am giving life to Bob’s name and receiving this award on his behalf. It brings me such joy and means so much to me and my family.”

Quiroga, Haake and Paul Pearce held various roles during their tenures with Unbound.

Haake, who idolized her “Uncle Bob” as a child, remembers being in awe of the stories he used to tell about the families he visited in Colombia and his time as a missionary. She often asked him how she could one day be just like him.

Haake began working for Unbound in 1996 in income processing but would eventually lend her talents to many departments, including human Resources, sponsorship operations (where she was key in the development of the organization’s CASA software that houses family records), and marketing and communications. Haake was awarded the “Hope” tapestry.

“When needs were presented, I kept saying ‘yes,’” Haake said about her years with Unbound. “I’m so grateful I got the chance to put my skills to work for Unbound and the families we serve, just as Bob once told a teenage me that I would.”

Quiroga, who had a background in software development and worked largely in technology services at Unbound, played a large role (along with Haake) in helping create the Child Services Department and in building the blueprint for the database the organization would eventually need to house the sponsored families’ information.

“Those were the days, long hours, sleepless nights and working with an absolutely gifted staff who made it all possible,” said Quiroga, who received the “Humble Servant” tapestry. “I have always appreciated the organization’s respect for the abilities, hopes and dreams of the people it serves, and I feel it is an honor to be a member of the Unbound family.”

Recipient Paul Pearce said Unbound was a part of the atmosphere of his home during his high school and college years.

“In those days, many of us kids volunteered to help with the mailings and letters mom brought home to work on at the kitchen table,” said Pearce, who would eventually travel on early awareness trips with the organization and was present for much of Bob’s Pilgrimage of Faith walk.

All the Pearce children would eventually become sponsors as well.

“I became a sponsor because it was the air that we breathed,” Paul Pearce said. “To help someone else was modeled both in our mom and dad’s lives and attitudes.”

Paul Pearce worked in International Programs and said his travels with the organization were the highlight of his time with Unbound. He worked with various teams in Kansas City and in the field, and with the families themselves as they helped design the program.

Paul Pearce was the special guest speaker at the Unbound Preachers Conference dinner Sept. 30, which kicked off the Pilgrimage of Faith Award festivities.

After receiving notice that he had been nominated for the award, he said his first thoughts were all the people he had come to know over the years with the organization.

“The founders, co-workers both in Kansas City and around the world, sponsors and especially individual sponsored persons and their family members, all came rushing into my mind and heart,” he said. “I just sat there and felt them all. I felt so grateful to be among them and felt it was a shared journey we made together.”

He was awarded the “Gratitude” tapestry and shared with the audience some of the nuggets of wisdom he had come by during his work with Unbound.

Likening challenges to a hill, one after another, he said he learned to “lean forward and embrace the view from the top.” He also learned that those in poverty will take 99 steps forward if we [the supporters] will take even one.

“[Unbound] really has been a place where I could try my best in my assigned work while living out deep values and sincere longing to understand more about the world and others,” he said. “I just feel fortunate to be a part of this wonderful movement. I want to thank all the folks who have worked at Unbound and all those who are carrying on the torch of such a beautiful and meaningful organization.”

Following the awards presentation, Haag read aloud the names of Unbound staff and preachers who have been with Unbound for 15-plus years of service, recognizing them for their service. A community Mass closed out the event with a special performance by the St. James Academy choir.

Unbound Field Communications Director Henry Flores, Regional Reporter in Latin America Oscar Tuch and Multimedia Producer/Editor Danika Wolf contributed photos and videos for this story.