Houses to Homes - Guatemala Service

During the summer of 2017 a group of Newark Academy high school sophomores were able to immerse themselves into the community of Antigua, Guatemala. We helped build homes for people who were homeless or living in small, homemade shacks.   We were incredibly moved by this experience, and we are really keen to return in early Summer 2018 to continue giving back to the Guatemalan Community. We worked with an organization in Guatemala, ‘From Houses to Homes’, which builds houses for those in need of shelter. Joe Collins, the late founder of ‘From Houses to Homes’ said “There are 2.1 million cornstalk shacks in Guatemala, to date we have replaced 868 of them. We have a lot of work to do, but we are changing lives one home at a time.” ‘From House to Homes’ works in many different indigenous communities and works with some of the poorest Guatemalan families to replace a cornstalk shack with a cinder block home. This 13x19 block home has a great impact on all families who receive one. A door they can lock provides them with a deeper sense of security; a roof that will protect them from the elements; and a window to provide light into the home. A corn stalk shack can wash away during rainy season without warning, however this sturdy block home will alleviate this threat. At the end of the building week a key ceremony is held when we, workers and volunteers, hand the keys of the house over to the family.  For all involved this is a fulfilling and emotional experience.  Though many of the indigenous families speak only a Mayan dialect, and communication can be challenging, smiles, laughter, and joyful tears are universal. We would like to go back and continue to volunteer with ‘From Houses to Homes’ because of the amazing and life changing experience we had. We’ve spent several months planning this trip with the help of our parents and other mentors, but our return to Guatemala will not be possible without your help. Your donations, regardless of size, are what will make our goals of providing shelter, medical services, and education to families, who wouldn’t have access to these facilities otherwise, possible. ‘From Houses to Homes’ has recently built their 1230th house and we would love to help in making that number grow.