Guatemala is one of those places where tradition is still very much alive and respected.
Every year at Christmas, it is a tradition for families to make, share and eat Tamales at midnight on Christmas Eve.
Tamales date back as a tradition for the Maya people, who prepared them for feasts as early as 1200 BC.
Most of the families that we work with are struggling with a lack of food every day.
Thanks to you....Mayan Families has been able to distribute Tamale food baskets so that impoverished families can celebrate Christmas since 2006.
We started the Tamale food baskets after learning about two of our students ...children of a single mother, who went door to door at midnight on Christmas Eve , hoping someone would give them a tamale.
When we realized that this mother was not able to afford the ingredients to make tamales ...we wondered how many other families also were not able to celebrate ...and how many other children were sad and hungry at this special time of the year.
We found out that there were a lot of families that could not afford to celebrate Christmas with this traditional meal...and in fact, had very little to eat at all. Food prices continue to rise in Guatemala.
In 2006, we gave out 215 food baskets.....last year in 2011 ...we were able, thanks to you, to give out approximately 1,600 baskets of food to needy families.
These food baskets can feed 10 or more people so that was approximately 16,000 people who were able to eat from the Tamale Food Baskets.
Mother Teresa said..."If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one ...."
We are asking your help to feed just one impoverished family this Holiday Season.
It will mean a great deal to the family that receives this food basket.
Malnutrition is a constant challenge in Guatemala. According to the World Food Program, 49% of children in Guatemala are malnourished....the 4th highest rate in the world.
You can make a difference now!
For $40 you can give a Christmas Tamale Basket and feed a family of 10 or more.
The food items will include : a whole chicken, oil, rice, a block of drinking chocolate, (it is traditional to drink hot chocolate with the tamales at midnight) vegetables, fruit, sugar, a fortified cereal , black beans, pasta and a packet of Christmas cookies. All in a reusable plastic basket.
This year, because there are so many people in need, we are also offering a $15 bag of food for a family.
This bag would include :
rice, oatmeal, sugar, a small block of chocolate, a small packet of cookies, beans and corn.
We have many elderly people who would love to get a bag of food like this.
To make a contribution for the Christmas Tamale baskets please go to our website
http://mayanfamilies.org/DonateOnline
Enter your gift in the "General Donations" box. If you would like to designate a particular family to receive your basket, please enter either their Family Aid number or a Student Sponsorship number in the box marked "Extra Notes".
If you would like to give this gift in honor of someone , please let us know . If you would like us to send them an email letting them know about this gift, please send us their name and email address to office@mayanfamilies.org.
We will also make note of this gift on our IN HONOR page on our website.
If you would like to pay by check please send your donation made out to Mayan Families to:
Mayan Families
P.O. Box 52
