A year later, Guatemalans are still feeling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the tropical storms Eta and Iona. Not only are people suffering from a crisis of disease, but they are also suffering from disruptions to supply chains, community services, and employment opportunities. The devastation caused by the coronavirus and tropical storms is most evident in poor countries and areas like rural Guatemala.
Prior to the pandemic, 54% of families in Guatemala lived in poverty, and 13% lived in extreme poverty. Over the last year, their situation has become even more desperate. They lack the basic necessities to feed their children — simply rice, beans, corn, and cooking oil.
While work is often unstable in rural Guatemala, these communities are now facing even greater challenges to employment. Reliable employment is scarce. The daily reality is: sometimes work is available; sometimes it's not. The situation is increasingly complex in the country, as the crisis has wreaked havoc on farms — the main source of work for many.
The Bethany Center is on a mission to combat the devastation caused by widespread poverty and further exacerbated by COVID. A ministry that serves the poorest of the poor, particularly women and children, in Guatemala, the Bethany Center is collectively made up of four locations, including a central urban location, the infant and maternity center, and two rural soup kitchens.
The center provides food, healthcare services, education, training, and general support in these impoverished rural communities. During this time, they are focused, more than ever, on supporting families who have been impacted by the loss of employment and by reduced access to food and supplies. A vital part of our ministry is providing meal kits to families that include a month's supply of staples. Sometimes working parents can't get to the center for a hot meal — that’s why we are bringing food to them.
Our mission will always be to serve those in our community who need the most help, and the Bethany Center will continue to do so as long as we are able.
Let’s meet some of the families who have been helped by the Bethany Center.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bethany Center provided meals to about 250 children and their families a day. Since the start of the pandemic, that number has only grown. Now, in addition to the 250 meals for children, the Bethany Center distributes 100 food kits to 100 families every month. Here are four families who have been supported by the Bethany Center and continue to rely on the center’s assistance to meet their most basic needs:
Watch the full videos and learn more about the families we help by visiting our special Bethany Center webpage.
To continue to feed families like these, our missionaries need YOUR help. With an overwhelming demand for food and other basic supplies, our resources are running low. The average meal costs about 15 cents and a gift of $60 feeds a family for one month. By supporting our work in Guatemala, you are feeding a family in need.