Dear 

We cannot believe just how fast summertime is flying by; it has been an eventful and productive season here in Guatemala and we were pleased to have seen many of you join us for visits with sponsored students and on group volunteer trips. 

This summer, we were saddened and shocked to lose our beloved friend and employee, Charlie Gomez. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone for their thoughts, prayers and kind words for his family and for all of us who truly loved him. 

Thanks to a generous anonymous donation, we are opening the Charlie Gomez Medical Clinic in his memory, which will enhance our capabilities to provide quality preventive and primary health care, education and follow up to the families we work with; Charlie would surely be proud to have it named in his honor. To read more about  the Charlie Gomez Medical Clinic and our new Women's Health Initiative, read on below. 

Thank you again for your continued support  and we wish you well as you are getting ready to go back to school this fall! 

Sincerely,

Dwight Poage & Sharon Smart-Poage, Founders
 This Month at Mayan Families
 Charlie
CHARLIE'S LEGACY LIVES ON: THE CHARLIE GOMEZ MEDICAL CLINIC

By Karina Zebeda, Medical Coordinator

It has been an emotional summer for us here at Mayan Families. We are still shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of our beloved friend and employee, Charlie Gomez, who worked in our Carpentry School and played vital role in translating for visiting dental and medical clinics over the years.

In honor of Charlie's life we would like to have a legacy that will live on and can think of nothing that he would have liked more than to have a medical clinic named in his honor. Thanks to several generous donations, we are grateful to be able to commemorate him through the opening of the Charlie Gomez Medical Clinic. 

volunteer
A SUMMER FULL OF VOLUNTEER GROUPS AT MAYAN FAMILIES! 

By Hannah LaPalombara, Volunteer Coordinator

 

It has certainly been a busy couple of months here at Mayan Families! We have hosted back-to-back groups every single week since the beginning of June. As the Volunteer Coordinator, I have worked closely with every one of these groups, both in the planning stages before arrival and on the ground when the groups are in Guatemala. 


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PROVIDING A LIFELINE TO KIDS IN CRITICAL NEED
By Jamie Collinson, Food Security Coordinator 

Perhaps the most important need for a child outside of a safe home is nutrition. Sadly, the children we work with often have neither. With so many bereft of one or both parents, and with nobody to care for them, we have set up the Kids in Critical Need Program, which offers children a safe environment where they can eat a nutritious meal each week day.
EXODUS

By Dwight Poage, Co-founder & Director 

I'm sure by now you have seen the well-publicized humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied children fleeing Central America seeking refuge in the United States. Nearly 90,000 children are expected to have arrived in the US this year. Here at Mayan Families, we collaborate with impoverished families and equip them with the resources they need to continue to live in their home country with hope. 


SanAntonio
SAN ANTONIO CHILDREN REJOICE AFTER MOVING TO SAFER PRESCHOOL
We just finished the move to a new preschool which shares the land of our new community garden. After years of being forced to move the school throughout the community given land safety issues, we've finally landed in a flat, open and easily accessible location. 

We are still looking for additional funds to make much needed improvements on the building and to secure the land for the long term. If you are interested in supporting us, please DONATE today and be sure to write "San Antonio Preschool Fund" in the NOTES.
honor
In Honor Of...
Every month, we receive several donations that are made in honor of a friend or loved one.  A memorial donation is an extremely meaningful way to honor someone important in your life, to remember a loved one who has passed, and often times, tribute gifts in the form donations tend to hold more meaning than material ones for special occasions. We were joyed this month to see that Amy and Holly requested that their wedding guests give donations to Mayan Families in place of gifts on their special day. Read their story here! 
 
Interested in donating in someone's honor? 
Simply add it to the NOTES section next time you donate!
  • Amy S., Joyce H., the Baldwins and the Sutherlands made a donation to the Medical Clinic in honor of Amy's father, Ed. 
  • Ely M. made a donation to our Hope for the Animals Program in loving memory of Ron R.
  • Frank W. made a donation in honor of Bobbi Jo C., "a true advocate of abused children and best friend to Jennifer W. Both will be missed." 
  • Courtney L., Windy B., Andria H., Kelly B., and Michael P., all donated in honor of Amy and Holly's wedding. 
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 MAYAN FAMILIES RATED AS 2014 TOP NONPROFIT

Thank you to all of our supports who have spoken out about their positive experiences with us. We've earned the prestigious sport of being one of the Top Rated 2014 Nonprofits by GreatNonProfits! 

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