Help Milton heal and finish his home:

Milton just became a father one month ago. His baby Jaden is healthy. His partner Lety is still recovering from giving birth.

Then this week, a drunk 15-year-old on a motorcycle hit Milton and his sister Drucia. They both survived. They are both pretty hurt but will recover fully. And the family that depends on Milton, including his one-month-old baby, is suddenly without income.

I am writing this to ask for help.

-Who Milton is-

Milton is my business partner in Colibri Delivers, our small delivery company in Guatemala. He is also like a brother to me. With no exaggeration, he is the kindest and most trustworthy person I have ever known.

I hired him almost 2 years ago when he was a gardener. I taught him how to ride a motorbike. I taught him to deliver. I taught him the business. He has since become the backbone of Colibri and the reason we have completed over 3,000 deliveries and we're growing fast. Recently, I made him a major partner in the company, with a major percentage, because he has earned every bit of it. I pay him 30 to 50 percent above the local minimum wage. He still deserves more, and we are building toward that.

Milton's income is the main income for his entire household. That household is his partner Lety (who tragically lost both her parents), their newborn Jaden, his sister Drucia, and both of his parents. They all live together in a home that Milton and his father built by hand, board by board. Currently, our Colibri app is closed, as I'm doing my best to pick up the slack, but it's not sufficient for the needs of our customers.

Before Colibri, Milton's family lived under a roof that was constantly broken. The income Milton earned through our work finally gave them the stability to take out a $12,000 USD construction loan to fix that roof and finish the house. The work is not done yet.

-What happened-

The other day, a drunk 15-year-old on a motorcycle hit Milton and Drucia. The accident was not Milton's fault. The boy's family does not have money. Milton's family chose not to involve the police because they did not want to ruin a 15-year-old's life over one stupid decision. That is the kind of people they are.

Now Milton cannot work. Drucia cannot work. Lety is still postpartum. Jaden is one month old. And Colibri is still a small, emerging business that is currently closed due to this situation. We do not yet have the reserves to carry the family the way they deserve to be carried right now.

(we kept the more graphic injury photos out)

That is why I am asking.

Where every dollar goes

The goal is $18,000 USD. Here is exactly what it covers:

Every single dollar goes to Milton and his family. Nothing else.

-What you can do right now-

Every dollar matters. If you're able to give even $1, that's extremely helpful.

Whether you can or cannot give, send this to one person who might. A share is worth as much as a donation. Milton has touched more lives than he realizes. This is how we show up for him.

-One more thing-

When I first met Milton, he told me his biggest dream was to go to the United States to find work. That made me sad. People like Milton are exactly what make Guatemala such a beautiful place. I have spent the last few years trying to show him how much opportunity he has right here, in the country he loves, surrounded by the family he built it with. Help me prove that to him. (And later we can give him a USA tour.)

Thank you for reading this all the way through. Thank you for caring. Anything you can give, anything you can share, means everything.

-Cody Zellar