Freedom Through Friendship and Foundation, Inc.

How excited would your child be over a bag of oatmeal?

2012-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

This is Francisco. Finding Freedom through Friendship started providing his family with monthly food donations last fall.
These food donations are not exciting...100 lbs of corn, rice, 50 lbs of black beans, cooking oil, sugar, and eggs. No junk food, no desserts, no soft drinks. Nothing that a typical child would be excited enough to smile this big for.
The incaparina that Francisco is holding is a nutritious cereal that is similar to our American oatmeal.
I grew up eating oatmeal. In the 1960's it was an inexpensive way to fill the stomachs of our large family at breakfast. There was nothing about oatmeal that would have elicited a smile like Francisco's. But then I was never this thin, with no father to provide food, and four siblings who were as hungry as I was.

Catarina's health improving in Guatemala

2012-01-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

Catarina (right) looks more like one of her own daughters than the mother of these three beautiful girls. She shows the effects of maternal malnutrition in her lack of appropriate height and weight.
It has been a difficult year for this 32 year old single mother in northern Guatemala. She suffers from tuberculosis, active asthma and hepatitis. This past fall she was hospitalized for pneumonia. Lack of adequate shelter and nutrition made healing difficult.
Finding Freedom's facilitator, Roland, has taken extra care to meet the needs of this family. He provided oversight during Catarina's hospitalization, and he has taken her to doctor appointments, as well as purchased medication that was critical to help her during asthma attacks.
Our organization recently donated a newly constructed house for this family, also supervised by Roland, and the girls have been included in our school sponsorship program. Monthly food donations will provide essential nutrients to keep this little family healthy throughout 2012.

2011-12-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

William (right, far right) is one of the first students to benefit from Finding Freedom food donations. Roland, one of our volunteers, started delivering essential food supplies to William and his mother in the fall of 2009 when FFF was first created. This photo was taken last week during the December delivery.
William will start middle school in January with funds from our program to cover his uniform, travel costs and monthly school fees. His improved nutrition and financial support from our donors are key factors in his ability to attend school beyond 6th grade.

2011-11-02T08:16:00.001-07:00

This is our newest family, Lucia and her five children. One of many widows in northern Guatemala, Lucia struggles daily to feed her children. School starts in January. We want to help the older boys and their sister gain weight with much needed food donations, and to ensure that they are able to afford school fees and supplies when the new school year starts. Please click on our ChipIn logo to help.

Fundraiser for Lucia's children

2011-11-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

Juana with her medication

2011-10-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to recent financial donations, Juana was able to receive much needed medication for her parasitic infection. The contaminated soil and water in Guatemala contributes to intestinal infections that are painful and persistent. The treatment is easily obtained, but our single mothers do not have available funds to medicate their children. Our facilitator, Roland, was able to take Juana and her mother to a local pharmacy and purchase medication for the family.

The Fishing Scale and FFF

2011-10-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

Our donors may wonder why we need to spend their donated dollars on fishing scales. Quite simply, it was at the request of our Guatemalan midwives that we assist in the rural northwestern regions. Without infant scales, the midwives have no way of knowing if the babies they follow post-birthing are getting appropriate nutrition. In an area that suffers from maternal malnutrition, this is an ongoing concern.
This simple and very portable scale will allow midwives to properly weigh blanket-wrapped infants.

Second shipment of midwifery supplies well received in Guatemala

2011-08-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from a recent note received regarding the last shipment of midwifery kits donated by Finding Freedom through Friendship.
The stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs are still a great need as we train the midwives. The syringe bulbs, the cords, the flashlights, the vitamins are such a blessing. A group recently asked me for some sort of bag. Not too big as they have to travel distances on foot and at night to get to the births. Maybe a small back pack of sorts. Something waterproof because it rains a lot.
A special gift to the ladies like samples of perfumes from Dept Stores or hair accessories (they have long black hair) for the midwives also would be wonderful. They do not get much pay for days of labor. They actually tend the Mommy for the first 10 days and then keep track of them for a full 4 weeks. Their pay is very little or a chicken or so.
I am hoping to have a website someday. It is not my greatest asset to be doing so. This way I can post the photos, blog and keep folks like you informed on a regular basis.
You do not know what a blessing those kits have been! I take baby clothes to the hospital for the babies that are abandoned. There is always one or two awaiting to go to an orphanage which are very full. Some of the clinics have very poor folks and some of the blankets have landed on their babies as it gets cold at night. (Sally York, volunteer in Guatemala)

A New Home for These Brothers in Huehuetenango, Guatemala

2011-08-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

It is hard to imagine a more remote but beautiful area of the world than Huehuetenango, Guatemala. The mountains are steep, the greenery is lush and the area is difficult to access. This makes all of the critical needs for rural indigenous families in the area more difficult to find. Schools are far from home, land suitable for farming is scarce and poverty in this area is some of the most extreme.
Finding Freedom through Friendship is networking with another nonprofit, Adopt-A-Village, to purchase land, and built a home for two widows and their 12 children. In this unique collaboration, both organizations will use their resources to provide shelter, purchase furniture, feed the families and teach them gardening techniques.

Frances, founder of AAV, and Jody, founder of FFF, first met for dinner in Miami this past May. They felt an instant connection and had a great evening of sharing information that both organizations can utilize. The two boys above (shown leaning on corn donated by Finding Freedom) will be the beneficiaries of this evening as AAV and FFF work toward improving their future.

Tomasa in Guatemala-Pretty in Pink

2011-08-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

This beautiful teenager (above, middle) didn't feel too pretty with her former prosthetic eye, which was too small and therefore did not stay in place very well. Our facilitator, Roland, who has volunteered in Guatemala for many years, knew of a medical professional who could help Tomasa. Finding Freedom through Friendship was able to network with Roland and Mayan Families in Panajachel to have a new prosthetic eye donated to this young lady. Thank you Roland for bringing Tomasa's smile back.

A new widow in Guatemala

2011-07-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Finding Freedom Through Friendship usually does not provide critical supplies for married women in rural Guatemala. Our focus is single mothers who find themselves unable to feed their children or who have inadequate and unsafe housing. Supporting Manuel's family was out of the ordinarily for us, but due to his his end-stage diabetes, Manuel's wife had no financial means to support their five children.
Manuel lost his battle with diabetes this past weekend. Thanks to our facilitator, Roland, food supplies have been delivered to this family for the last 8 months. Money was sent today to assist with the funeral expenses, which often cause a major financial strain on the family members.
Finding Freedom will continue to donate food for this family throughout 2011.

The Gift of Caring- $20 (includes shipping)

2011-07-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Gift that Gives Twice- $20 (includes shipping)

2011-07-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

New Key Chains for Sale- $ 20 (includes shipping)

2011-07-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Each key chain we make and sell helps us feed more children who are in single-parent households in rural Guatemala.
Without a husband to provide for their children, the single mothers in our program struggle to provide adequate food, and especially protein, for their children. Selling three key chains allows us to feed one family for a month.

It's easy! Simply email me at green71957@aol.com with the key chain number you like. You can pay via PayPal or send a check.

Maria in Guatemala is all smiles thanks to her new Onil Stove

2011-07-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

I love Maria's smile, it captivated me from the beginning of her relationship with our organization. She has the type of smile that radiates from within, despite the fact that she has little to be happy about. As a single mother of teenage children, living in a metal shack with a leaky roof and walls, Maria has the tenacity to persevere under conditions few American women can imagine. She earns less than $3 a week. Her children have few viable options for having a life any better than what they are living now. But Maria keeps smiling, and FFF will continue to seek ways to assist her with critical needs and a brighter outcome in the future.

Catarina and her daughters admire their donated stove

2011-06-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Catarina is now being treated for her Tuberculosis and asthma, as is her oldest daughter. The family receives monthly food staples (which include protein, carbohydrates and essential oils) from our nutrition program. Our facilitator, Roland, checks in with Catarina monthly when he delivers her food donations. His dedication to the well-being of our single mothers has allowed them to receive their stoves, filters and monthly food. To deliver these items, within the limitations of traveling in Guatemala, is difficult at best.
Catarina's household will now be a healthier place for her daughters and herself without the daily output of interior smoke when she cooks tortillas.

Febe Proudly Displays Her New Water Filter Donation

2011-05-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

The shy smile on this six year old has nothing to do with the water filter donated to her family by Finding Freedom through Friendship. Febe is too young to realize the benefits of being able to have, for the first time, water free of bacteria.

Febe is smiling because a her photo is being taken. She has never seen a picture of herself, and she certainly is not used to being the center of attention. She and her mother most likely still wonder how they became so fortunate to have been selected to become part of our circle of concern.
We hope to see her smile change to one of confidence, as we continue to care for this family and educate Febe, so that at some point in her future, she can purchase her own water filter. And shoes!

Reuters Article on Increased Food Prices in Guatemala

2011-05-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Mon May 2, 2011 12:01am EDT

* Poor countries in Latin America face food price hit
* Flexible foreign exchange rates help food effects
WASHINGTON May 2 (Reuters) - Sharp increases in food prices will hit poorer Latin American countries like Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Honduras the hardest, raising their inflation rates by more than 5 percentage points this year, according to a new report released on Monday.
The report by the Inter-American Development Bank, which focuses on Latin American and the Caribbean issues, said countries hardest hit were those where food makes up a large part of their overall inflation basket and they have limited or no exchange rate flexibility to fall back on.
Countries with flexible exchange rates such as Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay are able to cope better with food price rises as long as they allow their currencies to appreciate and are willing to raise interest rates, the report said.
Brazil and other large economies in the region are already struggling with currency appreciations caused by a surge in private capital inflows they blame on super low interest rates in sluggish advanced economies such as the United States.
The added pressure from higher food prices on Brazil and others is a challenge for policymakers.
"The loss of competitiveness is clearly a risk for Brazil, Colombia and Mexico, which appear to absorb international commodity price shocks through large, and permanent, exchange rate appreciations," the report noted.
Stiff rises in prices of sugar, wheat and maize have contributed to record international food prices in January and February, just three years after the last food price crisis.
Pricier food is especially difficult for the poor because studies show the bulk of their disposable income goes toward buying food and any cutback increases hunger and malnutrition.
The current price surge has been blamed on increased demand from emerging market economies such as China, increasing use of maize to produce ethanol in the United States, and slower agriculture productivity growth.
Export bans, price controls and food hoarding by some countries have also distorted global food markets, the report said, dismissing those that blame the rise on speculators.
INFLATION PRESSURES
The IADB economists noted that if food prices remain at current highs, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Honduras should see the most significant rise in their inflation rates of more than 5 percentage points this year.
The report singled out Guatemala as a "case for concern" since its exchange rate flexibility does not appear to prevent international food prices from passing through to domestic food prices and general inflation, the report said.
It noted that non-food inflation could also jump in several countries, including the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
Meanwhile, inflation increases of between 2 and 5 percentage points are likely in the Bahamas, Panama and Peru. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia should see inflation rate increases of no more than an additional one percentage point, the IADB report said.
In the Caribbean and much of the Central American region, countries fix or have only very limited exchange rate flexibility and therefore feel the effects of a rise in international food prices, the report said.
In poorer Central America food has one of the highest weights in the overall consumption basket, and the urban poor are most at risk, it said.
"It is therefore necessary to increase aid to these groups and improve its targeting, perhaps through reformed conditional cash transfer schemes, to compensate for the effect of the food price surge," the institution urged.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Diane Craft)

New stoves for our mothers in Guatemala

2011-04-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

New Onil stoves are being delivered to our single mothers this week thanks to a generous donation from Jennifer in Austin, Texas. Her financial gift has allowed us to purchase eight stoves for our clients, as well as water filters for each.

The stoves will reduce the amount of time each woman uses to chop wood (typically 6-8 hours a week), and the side shelving will prevent pediatric burns. Deforestation in Guatemala is occurring at an alarming rate. Each ONIL stove will reduce the amount of wood needed to cook a meal by 70%.

The most important difference this gift will create will be in the health of the household members. Smoke from indoor cooking fires results in in bronchitis, asthma, chronic eye irritation and ash byproduct that permeates the home. These stoves are highly prized by rural Guatemalan mothers but the cost ($120) is prohibitive for most households.

Water filters are essential to the health of rural residents of Guatemala. Only two of our clients owned them before this donation became available.

We are most grateful to Jennifer for giving our Guatemalan recipients a healthier household.

Making A Difference, One Stitch At A Time

2011-03-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Finding Freedom through Friendship has a wonderful friend in Anne Hall, mother-in-law to board member Mary Kay Hall.

Anne was our very first donor and has continued to support our organization through financial donations, sales of our coffee and key chains and now, through her knitting. She has raised hundreds of dollars for FFF.
Anne is currently making a difference in the lives of our single mothers by knitting and then selling her beanie hats. Since the beginning of 2011, Anne has raised $500 for FFF, enough to feed all of our families in the program for a month. Great job Anne!

Catarina Struggles with Asthma

2011-03-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Catarina is a single mother of three lively and beautiful little girls. She was diagnosed with asthma four years ago but unfortunately this young mother has not been able to afford the medications that are critical to her lung health. She is shown above at a local health clinic when one of our FFF facilitators, Roland, discovered her problem and helped her seek appropriate care. The respirator she is holding is delivering inhalant to help Catarina through a recent asthma attack. Although she looks like a child herself, Catarina's small stature is due in part to her chronic illness and poor diet.
FFF has sent funds to purchase her medication and to feed her family a proper diet of vegetables, protein (eggs) and carbohydrates for the next month. We hope to raise money to include her in our program on a routine basis. Roland, who is in charge of meeting the food and housing needs of six of our clients, will deliver food to Catarina and her children by the end of this week.

Thank you
Roland!

Manuela proudly holds her school contract

2011-02-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

Manuela is required to go to school in order to obtain the monthly food donations from Finding Freedom Through Friendship. She can be seen holding her FFF contract in the above photo.
By requiring her family to commit to Manuela's education in order to receive their food staples, FFF is enabling Manuela and other children in rural Guatemalan families to have leverage within their household dynamic. Making sure a child attends school in the more remote areas of Guatemala takes stamina and determination. Children often have to walk long distances to get to school. They may not speak Spanish, which is spoken in schools, as a primary language. Parents may be illiterate, and therefore might not value education. School expenses often hamper desire to educate children.
When FFF facilitators present single mothers with contracts, we are making a statement on our belief that educating their children is a collaboration of efforts between FFF and the family. The majority of our mothers have to sign using their thumbprint (as did Manuela's, note above), which demonstrates the need for education even further. As the head of their households, an illiterate single mother is more at risk for becoming the victim of theft, for being taken advantage of financially, or needing to marry in order to provide for her children. Her ability to earn a life-sustaining salary is very restricted. FFF hopes to help break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty within the households of each single mother we assist. One contract at a time!

The newest FFF home is under construction!

2011-02-11T16:11:00.000-08:00


Beatriz in front of her house; completion in 2 weeks

Finding Freedom through Friendship Board Members Visit Guatemala

2011-02-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Mary Kay, Mike and Jody recently visited the north western part of Guatemala for a week to participate in a medical mission trip. While together, we were able to meet with two of our Guatemalan board members, Fabiola and Vinicio. We were also excited to visit with Jude, who is overseeing the construction of our fifth home for a single mother in Guatemala.

Update on Poverty Indicators in Guatemala (The Guatemalan Times)

2011-02-05T07:02:00.001-08:00

Poverty in Guatemala increased from 51% to 54.1% -55%, according to the latest data published by the Central American Business Intelligence, CABI. CABI informed that poverty, infant and maternal mortality have increased in Guatemala due to the global economic crisis between 2009 and 2010. This has severely affected local efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In their study, CABI reported that the fall in economic growth in Guatemala caused the poverty level to rise from 51 percent to 54.1 percent and in some cases to 55 percent. Among the causes that increased poverty, the agency cited the loss of formal jobs, reduction in real wages (inflation) and bankruptcy of small businesses.

The agency stressed that the annual cost to address maternal and child mortality in Guatemala is not high, it takes only 0.25 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). If the investment in health is reduced it will adversely affect progress recorded in the field. The decrease of remittances of 9.3% in 2009 (Bank of Guatemala) had a very negative impact in the fight against poverty in Guatemala, in addition, despite the boost from programs like Social Cohesion, which distributes 300 Quetzals, (approximately US $ 38.4 depending on the exchange rate) per family, poverty has risen since 2007.

Guatemala has improved access to primary education and quality of education; however, there are serious deficiencies in pre-primary and basic level. The lack of sustainability of the current government’s social programs is another very important consideration for the future of the fight against poverty.

Sources: CIMAC News, The Guatemala Times, Banco de Guatemala.

Donated School Supplies On The Way to Guatemala

2011-01-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

Finding Freedom through Friendship realizes that the only way to provide a "hand up, not a hand out" to our sponsored children is through education. In Guatemala, many single mothers can not afford school supplies for their children, and without these items children do not attend local classes.

Mark and Laura in Utah answered our need for the donation of school supplies for our sponsored students. They and their grandchildren spent time at Thanksgiving purchasing, organizing and shipping the supplies to our home office in Lexington, KY. A generous donation of crayons filled the bags with color.

Twelve rural indigenous children will now receive much needed supplies to begin the school year, which starts this week in Guatemala. Board members are preparing to hand-carry these kits down in a few days.

Maria and Her Children Receive Christmas Gifts From FFF Volunteers

2010-12-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

Our founding family, single mother Maria and her four children, are shown above during a visit from FFF volunteers Fabiola and Vinicio. The children were all smiles as they received their holiday gifts. The family is standing on the porch of their new home, which was built by FFF supporters. Happy Holidays Maria and family!

Thank You to Our Guatemalan Board Members

2010-12-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

Fabiola and Vinicio are the two Guatemalan board members who work hard for our clients. They have supervised the food delivery and house construction of two of our single mothers in the FFF program for the last year. Without their dedication to the needs of our clients, and their commitment to our mission, our work in Guatemala would be much less effective.
We are grateful for their help, and we look forward to the blessing of their assistance in 2011.

Maria and her children prepare for their new donated house in Guatemala

2010-12-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

Maria and her elderly mother are preparing to move into their new home donated by Finding Freedom Through Friendship. Maria is our first client and her acute need for safe and structurally sound housing was the reason FFF was founded. I first met her almost one year ago. At the time, her youngest son was sick with hepatitis. Maria's husband had left her after baby Nancy was born. She was and continues to care for her elderly mother who lives with Maria. With all of this responsibility, Maria had the extra burden of no reliable income, a lack of adequate food resources for her children, and with only a first-grade education, she had minimal hope of finding a job that would provide for the needs of the family.
Thanks to our generous donors, we had the funds available to purchase land and build a home for Maria and her family. We are sponsoring the two oldest children for school sponsorship, in hopes of preventing the cycle of illiteracy for this family.

Boy Scout troop in Denver Donates Midwifery Kits for Guatemala

2010-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

Our board vice president, Mike McNevin, is a scout leader in Denver. One of his prospective Eagle Scouts, Clayton Dunnaway chose rural midwives in Guatemala as his project. Finding Freedom sends midwifery kits to Guatemala as part of our maternal support program. The scouts above arranged the donations of supplies that are important for the delivery of a healthy newborn. Baby blankets were sewn, clothing donated, supplies packed, duffle bags boxed and then delivered to our home office in Lexington, KY. These suitcases above show the extent of the work done by the scouts. Their work will benefit 170 newborns in Guatemala.

2010-11-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

The Faces of the Future of Guatemala

2010-11-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

The wealth of a country is dependent on the health of their women. Without an education, proper shelter, laws of protection and a means of economical gain, the women of Guatemala are not equipped to raise the next generation. Due to the limitations of governmental resources in each of these criteria reaching the women in rural Guatemala, our work is more important than ever.

Pretty in Purple-$20

2010-11-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

Delicate Butterfly Chain with Hand Blown Bead-$20

2010-11-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Azure and Silver Key Chain-$20

2010-11-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Rose Colored Glass Key Chain with "Believe" Charm-$20

2010-11-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Dainty Purse Charm Makes This A Perfect Gift For Someone Special-$20

2010-11-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hope for a Better Future

2010-10-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is Maria's daughter. Maria is our first client, and is the reason our program was founded. Her needs for food and housing were urgent after the abandonment by her husband. Without an education, Maria had no way to earn more than a few dollars a week. Unfortunately, her situation is common in rural Guatemala. Thanks to a few generous donors, we are now in the process of building a home for this family. They are beginning to believe that they can have faith in a better future. The children are now in school. Our facilitators, Fabiola and Vinicio deliver food staples, and FFF has purchased land that is deeded to Maria. Maria's daughter has a reason to smile.

Donation of a corn mill to a remote village in Guatemala

2010-09-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the post from our amazing FFF volunteer who delivered a diesel corn mill to the village of Xecalbal.

On Friday 24^th September early in the morning I met Ramon and his son at the shop there they sell corn mills and other things. And I paid for the corn mill and we had to wait for the pickup car. We travelled first on the interamericana and then on a dirt road that is not in very good condition and we arrived to the entrance of the small steep mountain road to their village. Men and boys form the village met us to help to carry the parts of the corn mill by foot. It took about 2 hours to arrive to the village; we had to do several stops to rest. And later arrived some of the village’s women, to have their photo taken with the corn mill. Just before I was going to take the photos it started to rain heavy so I had to wait before it was possible to take photos outside. Inside the house it was too dark to good photos. As you can see the women are very happy for the corn mill. Some women were missing for the photo session. It was late and I had to sleep over in the village. I gave them a paper with the names of the donors and it a near time I hope to receive the thank you textiles.

25^th September I woke up at 2.30 AM and at 3 o’clock Ramon and I started the long walk uphill. I wanted to catch a bus at 5.30 AM. It was a tough walk, we arrived to the road at 5.50 but the bus was delayed so I had the luck to catch the bus. This road is the only road there cars etc passes, and they are few, and only one bus passes in the morning. And it would have been another long walk on a very muddy road if I had missed that bus. Then I arrived to the crossroad 4 caminos the rain stated.

It is already decided where to have the corn mill, no corn mill house construction is needed.

All went very well, no problems. The women and the men of the villages thank you and the donors so much for the corn mill!

Lexington teens raise money for single mothers in Guatemala

2010-09-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Bradley Cason, Claire Cason, Sevie Morgensten and Katie Greenlee hosted a car wash today to raise awareness and funds for single mother's in Guatemala. They raised $97 that will be used for food deliveries next month. Great job guys!

Manuel and Family with food donation from FFF

2010-08-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

Finding Freedom does not usually support married women. In the case of this family, FFF was concerned that without food donations, Manuel's wife would be a single mother soon.
We have been working with a physician friend in Guatemala to diagnose Manuel. To date, his physical wasting has been diagnosed as severe diabetes. The logistics of teaching his wife how to do blood testing and injections seem insurmountable, but for now, we are happy to be able to supply food to the family. This is the third donation of monthly food supplements FFF has delivered to this family.

Almost finished....

2010-07-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Juana's new home construction has begun!

2010-07-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some generous donors and our key chain sales, our first and most economically disadvantaged FFF client will soon be in her new home. The home ownership was expedited by the fact that Juana already owned the land, and we didn't have to fund the purchase of this. Although very modest by U.S. standards, this house will be the first home this client and her disabled daughter have ever owned with a concrete floor, a water filter, a roof that doesn't leak during the rainy season, and bathroom. Their current home is pictured below. We hope to be able to fund a water source to the house so that the nearby river, which is badly polluted, no longer needs to serve as the drinking water for this family.

Essential food supplies delivered in rural Guatemala

2010-06-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Manuela and her mother just received their June food staple donation from Freedom through Friendship. The maize, beans, cooking oil, sugar, pasta and other essentials have been donated to this family since February. Manuela suffers from anemia, and our facilitator will take her to a physician for an evaluation next month.
Meanwhile, as a stipulation of being in our program, she is attending her local school.

Update on Finding Freedom's efforts to raise funds for humanitarian efforts in Guatemala

2010-06-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the post below, the need is great in rural Guatemala following the ecological disasters of last weekend. Concerns for destroyed crops and the impact this will have on a country already ranked as having the highest rate of pediatric malnutrition in Central America are rising. However, the immediate need is for the more fundemental concerns of shelter, food and water.
Hugo's gratitude and his latest report on his efforts is below. In light of the need he writes of, FFF will continue our fundraising efforts through the next week, and we will reassess the need then.
Thank you to all who sent checks on his behalf last week. I was able to send $500 in cash to be hand-carried to him today. We have great supporters!

A report from Hugo (First-responder in humanitarian crisis in Guatemala)

2010-06-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Hola Jody.
I really want to thank you for all that you have been doing for all this
people from Pacaya volcano area.
We were there yesterday and today and it is really sad to see many
families getting back to their properties and facing all the
destruction.

We headed out of Antigua this morning with two truckloads of supplies
for the people living in the shadow of the Pacaya volcano. Our goal was
to try and get some basic supplies to areas that have not received any
assistance. Our supplies consisted of heavy plastic sheeting (to repair
roofs), water filters, corn flour, toilet paper and diapers (no water
means no way to clean cloth diapers). Local leaders had been asking for
these to address basic shelter, food and sanitation needs.

The road into this area was difficult even for our 4x4 trucks, with
boulders, mud and giant tree limbs all about us. As we approached the
area, the impact of the volcanic eruption became increasingly evident.
Initially we saw roofs that had collapsed from the weight of the ash and
rain. Then we started to see roofs that still stood, but the reason was
that they had been filled with thousands of holes from the flaming
volcanic rocks that fell from the sky. One family told us how they hid
under a table as the metal roof of their house was shredded by the
falling rocks. Another group told us how they sheltered in a school with
a concrete roof, but suffered oven like temperatures without water for
hours as the surrounding area was covered with the flaming rocks that
fell around them. These communities survived volcanic hail ranging in
size from a raisin to a baseball for hours… it was amazing that they
lived through it.

One thing that has clearly not survived are the local crops. Corn fields
that were almost ready to harvest were shredded by the falling rock.
Trees stand leafless with volcanic rock stuck in their limbs. The ground
is so thick with volcanic rock that all one sees is a dark landscape,
void of anything remotely resembling green. A soccer field that
previously looked like a green meadow, now looks as if it has been paved
over with asphalt. These people survive on what they can grow and now
they have lost this ability along with their homes.

As we distributed our supplies we saw how remarkable these people are.
We were greeted warmly wherever we stopped to make a distribution.
Though people were thirsty, hungry and tired, they took each donation
with gratitude and dignity. We obviously did not have enough to satisfy
the immense needs of this area, but we truly felt the positive impact
these donations made. These people are strong in body and mind and with
our support they can rebuild their lives and communities.

I would like to send a huge “Thank you!” for your emails of support and
offers to help me pay for supplies. So far I have been financing this
effort myself along with a few donations from families here in Antigua.
If you would like to help, please use this website to make a
contribution using a credit card
(freedomthroughfriendship.blogspot.com). At the final checkout step,
please put my name in the “Add special instructions to seller” field so
that your help will be sent my way. If you would like to send a check,
please make it payable to Hugo Suarez and mail it to 5a Calle Poniente
#20, Antigua Guatemala S.A.

peace,

Hugo Suarez

Humanitarian Crisis in Guatemala

2010-06-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow events in Guatemala have heard of the recent catastrophic storm that occurred this past weekend. Over 100,000 people are newly homeless, and those numbers will grow as the landslides are cleared and more villages are accessed.
FFF has pledged to donate our profit from coffee and key chains over the next two weeks toward the support of those working in rural Guatemala to help those most in need. We will wire the funds directly to two community leaders in the villages who we know are first-responders in rural Guatemala.
Thankfully, all of our FFF single mother's have now been contacted and we know they are safe.

Finding Freedom Coffee Arrives

2010-05-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Introducing our Finding Freedom through Friendship select label ground coffee.
FFF will ship 2 bags directly to any donor who contributes
$25 to our organization. This coffee originates in Columbia and Guatemala and is a specialty pack just for our organization. Our label design is a donation of services from Rae House, at Raehouse.com here in Lexington, KY.
She did an excellent job of capturing the essence of what FFF is seeking to do in Guatemala.
For those of you who do not need a key chain, this is a great way to still contribute to our cause.

How You Can Make a Difference by Purchasing a Key Chain

2010-05-05T09:51:00.001-07:00

Finding Freedom through Friendship,Inc., makes it easy to assist a mother in crisis in rural Guatemala.
By sending a $25 donation (no tax) to our PayPal account, and e-mailing us at green71957@aol.com with your key chain of choice (# is below each item), you will provide food for two weeks for a selected single mother or elderly woman. You can also mail a check made out to FFF to 1781 Eastwood Dr., Lexington, KY 40502 with a note telling me which key chain(s) you wish to have.
Your key chain will be sent via U.S. mail, and you will receive photos of the woman in rural Guatemala who is the fortunate recipient of your gift of food. Arrangements can be made for those willing to sponsor a particular woman on a regular basis.
Our key chains are made with volunteer labor and donated beads from our board members. Each one is carefully crafted and comes with a lifetime guarantee. They make wonderful gifts, while offering a gift in return.

Mission Statement

2010-05-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Finding Freedom through Friendship, Inc., was established to meet the needs of single mother's and elderly women in the villages of rural Guatemala. The chronic stress of poverty, illiteracy and high birth rates have created an acute need for support services for indigenous women in the highlands of this Central American country. Recent crop failures are resulting in historically high food shortages.
Our goal is to assist participants in FFF with nutrition, social services, economic freedom and basic health care needs. By networking with long-term volunteers in rural Guatemala, we will strengthen our ability to make a significant and long-lasting difference in the lives of women who we identify as having critical domestic issues.
The women of Guatemala are resilient, and they each have a story to share. Through the sharing of resources, knowledge and friendship, we hope to travel with them in their journey to self-reliance. Each donor will receive a photo and short history of the woman who is the recipient of support. FFFvolunteers will oversee the delivery of food and support services in Guatemala. Our eventual goal is to partner in the development of a product that will be produced and sold by the indigenous women we have in our program.Our hope for each client we serve is that they will eventually be self-sufficient and able to rotate out of our program. Each single mother is required to educate her children and give back to the program in whatever way she is able.
Finding Freedom through Friendship has secured NP IRS status. Funding is received via the gift of beaded key chains (below) and individual donations of financial support.
Each key chain is made by hand by FFF board members, using only the highest quality beads. For each twenty-five dollar donation to Finding Freedom through Friendship,the donor receives a key chain of their choice as a thank-you for helping us help others. While creating each one, we like to think of the women we will connect with using the funds from this project.

Our Newest Client with bags of donated beans, maize, etc.

2010-05-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of our Finding Freedom facilitators was able to deliver the first FFF donation of food to this family two days ago. In his words:
Juana who is widow and her family that is extremely poor. No words can describe how happy she and her family became receiving the food.I also helped so that Manuela’s son started to study. Manuela is Juana’s daughter and she is also widow. So now he should have started to go to school for the first time this year. His results from previous studies are good. I received a list on what school material he needs. I bought the same day a pencil, rubber, eraser, and a note book. I will try to buy the rest of school materials he needs as soon as possible. That includes a book, and also tennis shoes. This time I also bought toothpaste and bread to the family.

Our newest elderly client

2010-04-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is Magdalena, and her grand daughter who shares her name. This newest client to FFF was referred by a local community member who is concerned about the lack of food for Magdalena. Although she has family members, they are very poor and often can't afford to feed themselves or her. She is shown on the bed where she sleeps in a kitchen.
As a widow, Magdalena falls into a precarious aspect of Guatemalan culture..aging women with failing health who are no longer able to perform the wood-gathering and farming chores necessary to provide for their means.
Finding Freedom through Friendship will provide this new client with monthly food staples, a mattress and school supplies for her granddaughter.

Maria and her children receive second food donation since January

2010-04-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who purchased key chains during the first quarter of this year. Our food distributions are able to continue on a routine basis to the eight single mother's we are currently assisting. The news coming out of Guatemala regarding the food crisis is is alarming. Guatemala currently has the 4th highest rate of pediatric malnutrition of any country in the world.
Maria has not heard from her husband in several years, since he left for the United States. In January her adobe mud brick home burned, leaving her without a structurally sound house. FFF is working toward securing a rental home for her.

The need for FFF's work in Guatemala is highlighted below.

2010-04-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 9, 2010

LACK OF FUNDING FOR GUATEMALAN FOOD CRISIS APPEAL SPARKS CONCERN AT UN

LACK OF FUNDING FOR GUATEMALAN FOOD CRISIS APPEAL SPARKS CONCERN AT UN
New York, Apr 9 2010 2:10PM
More than a month after the United Nations and its aid partners appealed for $34 million to respond to the food crisis in Guatemala, less than 10 per cent of that amount has been received, prompting UN officials to express concern today over the plight of the estimated 680,000 people in need.Guatemala has been hit by a prolonged drought, one of the worst in the country in three decades, resulting in severe food shortages that have exacerbated the country's chronic malnutrition problem, Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA) told reporters in Geneva.
An estimated 43 per cent of Guatemalan children below the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition, one of the worst rates in the world.
But so far only $2.9 million has been received in the appeal, according to OCHA.
The rise in acute malnutrition, including clinical cases of kwashiorkor and marasmus, has hit the so-called 'dry corridor' in the east and centre of Guatemala particularly hard.
Kwashiorkor is a malnutrition-related illness, which results from a protein deficiency in a person's diet. Symptoms include a swollen abdomen in children, diarrhoea, skin peeling and reddish hair pigmentation. Marasmus is also the result of malnutrition and causes children to look emaciated with extensive tissue and muscle loss.
Funds sought in the appeal are intended to complement national relief efforts and provide support for food, health, nutrition, agriculture and early recovery projects, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene projects for six months for people living in departments in the east of the country, including the 'dry corridor' – Jutiapa, Santa Rosa, Zacapa, Chiquimula, El Progreso and Baja Verapaz – and the neighbouring Izabal and Quiché departments.
The effects of the drought have been made worse by rising food prices, a decrease in remittances because of the global financial crisis, cost increases for agricultural items, such as fertilizer and pesticides, and a decrease in job opportunities.
Apr 9 2010 2:10PM

Maria receives food donation for her children

2010-03-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

Maria found Finding Freedom through Friendship while some of our board members were visiting her community during a sugical team trip with another organization. This was one determined mama! Maria made her way past the hospital guards late in the evening, ran up to our (with three small children hangning onto her skirts and back) group as we left the hospital and made it clear that she needed medicine for her three year old who suffers with hepatitis.

Our pharmacy was already locked for the night. After hearing this, Maria broke down emotionally and shared her story with our group of medical volunteers. We all gathered some money for her, gave her snacks from our backpacks, and watched as she ran off in the dark, most likely afraid of getting robbed of her new-found donation of a small sum of money.

FFF volunteers couldn't get Maria and her children off of our minds once we returned to the states. Her husband had left her with four children, she had no food to meet their needs and her son was sick. Although Guatemala has many women in this same situation, Maria seemed to have found her way to us, despite a two hour walk in the dark with her children, for a reason. We were meant to help.

FFF board members Fabiola and Vinicio from Guatemala, rented a truck, purchased food and school supplies and traveled to Maria's home two weeks ago with the goods bought by FFF donated funds.

The photo above was taken on that day.

Manuela and her family will receive electricity thanks to our donors

2009-12-31T20:38:00.000-08:00

This is Manuela. She and her five siblings live with her mother and her disabled father. Finding Freedom is sponsoring this child and her mother until her father is able to find surgery to correct his hand injury and thus return to work. Meanwhile, food is their most critical need. Manuela's mother is asking for electricity, which she has never had. The last two donations of $25 each will go toward obtaining this service for Manuela's family. We hope this is one of the last candles she needs to light in order to see at night.
We expect to have two weeks of food delivered to Manuela and her family by next week. Thank you to all who have helped through the purchase of a key chain!

Thank you sponsors!

2009-11-25T20:03:00.001-08:00

Maria with food donation from FFF donors

2009-11-25T20:02:00.001-08:00

Manuela and her siblings with food donation

2009-11-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

Manuela and her siblings are orphans, following the death of their father last year.

Margareta and son Dany with food donation from FFF

2009-11-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

Margareta's son, Dany, with food donation

2009-11-25T19:14:00.000-08:00

Dany is Margareta's youngest son. He has a congenital deformity of his foot that will be operated on by Children of the Americas as a donation of care in January. Meanwhile, Dany is very happy to have enough food for the month.

Margareta and her children are sponsored

2009-11-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

Margareta's daughter, Maria.

2009-11-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Margareta hand-embroidering traditional Guatemalan clothing

2009-11-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

Margareta is sponsored, thanks to our donors

2009-11-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Margareta is the mother of five children. Her husband came to the U.S. several years ago, and the family still owes a financial debt to the coyote who he traveled with. As a result of this debt, the family lost their land which was one of the few things they owned. Meanwhile the husband is not able to send money home due to the stateside economy and lack of jobs. Margareta's sister and her children are also living in this house, which makes the total family size of 17.
Margareta's youngest son has a club foot, which a surgical NP, Children of the Americas, will operate on in January as a donation of care. Meanwhile, Finding Freedom through Friendship has arranged for a months worth of food to be purchased and delivered to this family by early next week.

Maria and daughter in a tender moment

2009-11-11T13:57:00.000-08:00

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Maria and her daughter Graciella are sponsored!

2009-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Maria and her daughter live in the department of Solola. Maria is a widow who sells fruit in order to meet the needs of her two children.She does not own land, she doesn't have her own fruit stand and she rents the house you see in the background. She has no running water or electricity. Maria works long hours trying to meet her rent payment and to provide school fees for her children.
The Finding Freedom through Friendship sponsorship will allow the burden of paying for food to be lifted from this single mother for two months.

Finding Freedom through Friendship Logo

2009-10-07T17:53:00.001-07:00

Thank you Rae

2009-09-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

A non-profit is often noted by their logo, which must capture the essence of the purpose it represents. The Freedom through Friendship Foundation is fortunate to have had the donation of our logo design by Rae House of Lexington, KY. (RaeHouse.com) (See logo below)
Thank you Rae for assisting us with a logo that represents the change we hope to create in Guatemala.

2009-09-14T09:29:00.000-07:00