Welcome to our Christmas 2025 Fill a Guatemalan Basket and Fill Your Cup Fundraiser! ☕️

I’m Nikki, here to support my friend José, who is the true mastermind and boots on the ground behind this work and fundraiser! For several years, I lived and worked in the highlands of Guatemala, alongside José, who has been quietly organizing Christmas food baskets for some of the most remote and underserved families in the Quetzaltenango region for the last few Christmases. He grew up in Quetzaltenango and has lived and served the area his whole life, while also supporting resource and medical missions all over Guatemala. Last year, through community support from people like you, José delivered 100 Christmas baskets and 71 hens across six highland communities. This year, with your help, he wants to go even bigger and provide at least 150 baskets to families who need it most.

$50 provides a large Christmas food basket filled with essentials like rice, beans, pasta, flour, sugar, cooking oil, fresh items, holiday treats, and a hen or chicken for the family. These baskets are purchased locally and delivered by José and volunteers—no overhead, no middle(wo)men to pay, just direct impact. As a thank-you, every qualifying donation ($50+) receives a pound of premium high-altitude coffee from Crossroads Café in Panajachel, my favorite coffee in the world! So you’re not only filling a Guatemalan family’s holiday basket and Christmas dinner table—you’re filling your own cup (metaphorically AND physically!) Coffee is gifted one bag per $50 donation, and additional bags for donations over $50 as supplies last. We encourage one-time donations versus monthly donations for this seasonal fundraiser, but should you prefer to make ongoing monthly donations, we will provide ongoing support for the most needing families or bank the money for the Christmas 2026 season.

José asked for my help in collecting donations in the states, as it can be hard to do so in and from Guatemala. All donations will be collected in my U.S. account here on GoFundMe or via Venmo where you can find me @Nikki-Gensmer (*please include subject line: Fill a Guatemalan Basket + Fill Your Cup- {your email address}) . Funds will be sent directly to José via secure, low-fee transfer on Remitly. All funds collected will be used to buy food and hens locally the week before Christmas, and directly support remote families across multiple highland communities. A very small portion of each donation will be used to ship coffee gifts.

*Important: How to Receive Your Coffee:

After donating, you must complete this short form with your shipping details:

➡️ https://forms.gle/RGpAJqQtnKCU482j9

*This information ensures we can match your donation to your thank-you coffee shipment. Your coffee gift shipment is subject to receiving the proper information on this form or via email. Coffee will be sent to you as early as late December and as late as mid-January.

José will share photos, videos, and updates throughout the process and you can follow his Facebook page for real-time updates:

➡️ https://www.facebook.com/Josephchanax

THANK YOU, Gracias, Maltiox for supporting a place and a community that means so much to us. Let’s fill Guatemalan baskets and fill your cup with a little bit of Guatemala together this Christmas!

☕️ ~ Nikki Gensmer + José Hernandez