The starfish on the beach story is about seeing tremendous need and while not being able to “change the world” we still choose to make a difference with the starfish that is directly in front of us. That philosophy is the reason for this “Special Needs Fund”. There are specific situations that come to our attention that we, in our humanity, cannot ignore.

Watching the news about the eruption of Guatemala Volcano Fuego in June 2018 tore at our hearts. That is the part of Guatemala we have visited many times, yet the devastation is so great and so many people affected. USA friends knew that we would know how to help the victims caught in this tragedy and donated funds. Thru our in-country partner Hombres y Mujeres en Accion we have located a family with a “special need” that we are helping. This family of six lived in the village of Don Pedro which has been declared un-inhabitable after the eruption by the government. They had taken out a small loan to add a room on this house so the mother could open a small store. They still have to pay the loan. Unfortunately, they had used property in Choatalum as collateral. They have returned to this property and are living in a 2 room structure and cooking with an open fire on a dirt floor. The father works to provide for his family but the volcano eruption drastically changed things. The funds donated will be able to provide a concrete floor, finish the concrete block walls, place a tin roof, connect electricity and a “chapina” vented stove. In addition, it will cover the cost of enrollment fees for the oldest daughter to attend junior high school.

We were fascinated by this elderly woman’s story. She looked at her government card to find out how old she was because she didn’t keep up with her birthdays. She was raising a granddaughter that needed her attention. The two of them shared a one-room dwelling that is a stretch to call a house, yet it was home. In talking with the woman, she needed her own bed that would properly support her aging body so she could rest. A simple need, met by neighbors in the USA, who can now be called friends.