Bringing Food & Gifts to Mayan Women & Children

Hi, my name is Mackenzie and for the last two years I've been living in a small Mayan town in Guatemala called Tzununa (which means the land of hummingbirds and water, in the local Kaqchikel language!). I have built some beautiful relationships with the local people here, and through them I have learned that there are a lot of needs in the community.

Many families don't have enough food to eat; many children are living in abusive households or without parents, proper clothes, and much joy in their lives; there several elders in the community who don't get the love and attention they very much deserve. There aren't many resources here to support the community, but there is a growing population of foreigners deciding to live here (like me), and so I want to play my role in helping bridge worlds to provide the community with some relief.

This year for the holidays, I'm partnering with Eliseo, a trusted local friend, to bring some hope and cheer into people's lives. We'll be offering some basic necessities and a safe, fun environment to lift their spirits and provide more ease for these families during Christmas.

His dream is to organize a small holiday fiesta and invite women and children from the local community to receive food and small gifts.

With your help in this fundraiser, we would love to be able to invite 75 women and host their 200+ children.

With the money raised, we can provide each woman with:

--2 lbs of rice

--2 bags of azucar (sugar)

--33 lbs of maiz (dried corn)

--one box of Christmas cookies

--a canasta (basket)

This is a typical "canasta" of basic household goods that every family uses here, and giving these for free to women helps a lot. The prices of basic goods continue to rise, which puts added pressure on families who do not have easy access to money, resources, or job opportunities to afford the increased prices.

We would also love to spend 40-50 quetzales (about $5/6) per child to give them a little toy like a muñeca (doll), pelota (ball), or art supplies.

We'll be hosting the gathering at my home here and offering music, fruit, activities for the kids, and a friendly environment.

The vision for this gathering is coming directly from my local friend Eliseo, who has been wanting to help his community for years but hasn't had the financial means to do so. We are hoping that by bringing together our networks, relationships, and hearts, we can create something truly beautiful this Christmas and have it be the beginning of something new -- where people from around the world can come together to help one another out of our love and care for our human family.

Thank you so much for anything you're able to provide. Every dollar goes a long way!