Volcanic Eruption in Guatemala: Why We Are Not Raising Funds to Help

Earlier this month, a volcanic event in Guatemala made the international news. For a tiny country in Central America that typically escapes public notice, being in the forefront of televised information indicated a significant and catastrophic incident had occurred, and indeed it had. CNN Article on eruption of Fuego Written records of devastation caused by this particular volcano go back as far as the year 1717.

Several thousand people have been displaced, most likely permanently. The number of dead and missing Guatemalans may never be accurately counted; the devastating ash fallout from Fuego buried hundreds of people. Last October, one of our FFF volunteers visited one of Guatemala’s many volcanos. Her photo can be seen here: A unique perspective on one of Guatemala’s volcanos.

In response to the humanitarian and ecological catastrophe, Bolivia recently donated 50 tons of relief supplies for the victims who are suddenly without any belongings. Belize has committed $100,000 in donation dollars for the victims. Honduras trucked in sleeping mats and clothing. The plight of the Guatemalan people affected by this natural disaster touched even Pope Francis, who committed $100,000 toward relief efforts for the displaced victims. The Secretary-General of the United Nations pledged assistance for the rescue and relief needs. The list of humanitarian organizations willing and able to help goes on, as it should.

Finding Freedom through Friendship has been working in rural Guatemala since 2009. Why then, would we not join in the leagues of humanitarian nonprofits who wanted to help in this time of much need? The answer is simple. Sending relief supplies to large numbers of victims of a natural disaster is not what we do. This doesn’t mean that our hearts don’t hurt for those Guatemalan people who may never have intact families or communities again. But sticking with what we do well is a time-honored condition of running a solid and viable nonprofit. Finding Freedom is often asked to use our knowledge, funds and connections to assist in ways that are outside of our scope of expertise. FFF just finished building our 30th donated house to a widow in need. We educated over one hundred children this year. Thousands of meals were donated to widows and their families that had empty cupboards. These things and more are what we know how to accomplish.

Much like the widows in our program, sticking with what we do best is critical. Anything else will deplete our energy and ability to help in the ways we are best at. When a woman becomes a mother she learns quickly how to save the best of herself so she can best meet the needs of her children. A depleted mother nor a diminished nonprofit can be our best for those we serve.