As
most of you know by now, I have developed a special relationship with
a homeless shelter in Guatemala after volunteering there in 2014. A
return trip each December to bring donations and throw a Xmas party
has unexpectedly become an annual event; one that I thoroughly look
forward to and enjoy.
What
I do not enjoy; however, is asking for money, even if it is for a
good cause. I always worry that people will feel obligated to give
year after year, to a group that I care about very much, but who they
don’t even know. With that in mind I decided not to ask for
donations this year and to just do my own thing; to have a Xmas party
and buy some basic supplies. Well that was the plan anyway…
What
ended up happening, and what I did not at all expect, was that
knowing I was going to Guatemala, friends, family and co-workers
started passing on donations for the shelter. A whopping $1100 was
donated, again, without me even asking! The compassion and
generosity shown to my homeless friends continues to amaze me year
after year and I am so thankful, as are they. I wish that you could
meet them and see for yourself, but given that is unlikely to happen,
I wanted to write and share about my experience. I hope that by
writing about the people helped and about what exactly we did with
the funds, that you donors will feel more than good about your
contribution as the result was huge! My other hope is that the
stories of my Guatemalan friends will ignite some karuna (compassion)
in all of you readers; for the homeless, those struggling with
addictions, mental health issues etc. etc. This quote says it
all..”how we walk with the broken speaks louder than how we sit
with the great.” On that note, I hope that you enjoy my story
Arriving
in Antigua is always such a treat..leaving wintery Winnipeg behind
and arriving to a sunny, warm, colonial little city with volcanoes
towering over it, coloured buildings, and cobblestone streets.
Strolling around that first day I always run into my homeless friends
before I even reach the shelter in the evening, and when I do, it is
always so special seeing everyone after a year.
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The
good news is that the parent organization, Nuestros Ahijados (God’s
Child Project), is doing better funding wise this year which means
that the shelter is now open 7 days a week compared to only 3 nights
in past years. It’s such a blessing for the people that would
otherwise be sleeping on the street the other days, and a bonus for
me because I can go every night while in Antigua and spend more time
with my people. The downside to being open everyday is that they need
more supplies, which the Project doesn’t always have. So when I
arrived and learnt that they were now open everyday, I knew that the
$1100 was going to be very much needed.
I
quickly noticed that there had been some improvements to the shelter
since the last year. Sadly though, they came about as a result of a
national tragedy. I’m sure you have heard that in June 2018 there
was a massive volcano eruption right outside of Antigua (you can see
the volcano from the shelter). Several hundred people were killed and
over 3000 were evacuated, many left homeless.
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| This TV is more popular than me :( |
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| Our youngest shelter visitor |
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| Katarina and Miguel |
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| Goofin around |
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| Most go to sleep 8ish but there are always the late TV watchers |
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| Some of my peeps |
Here are some pictures of the destruction from the eruption,
where a whole hotel, roads and villages were wiped out.
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| This area looks like another planet now after the volcano came through and wiped everything out |
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| The shelter is just to the right |
Now
back to the shelter...This year there were a lot of new faces, but it
never takes long before I have new friends (which by the way is how I
end up with stalkers lol). Well it’s time to introduce you to some
new folks, as well as share some updates on some of those you have
heard about over the years.
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| My decorators, Rudy and Juan |
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| Juan anxiously awaiting dinner |
Let’s start with Juan, my new buddy, kinda like a teddy bear with a wide, childlike grin. I suspect he has some mild delay or perhaps effects from past substance abuse, which he shared about openly. He is sober now after spending 1.5 years in rehab, and works in the market helping out an elderly, disabled man (who also stays at the shelter) at his fruit stand. That says a lot about him right there...Juan has a huge appetite and stays close to the food line so he can wolf down his food and get seconds, thirds, and sometimes fourths! He seemed to love helping me decorate for Xmas, taking great pride in putting the stickers up on the wall. Super cute..
Maria Maria…I have written about her for years. She’s the queen of recycling and infamous in Antigua, always wearing different donated outfits, sometimes shirts with cartoon characters, other times fancy blazers and skirts with a broach to match lol. It just amazes me the things she gets. Because her home base is Parque Central (Central Park) she is usually one of the first people that I see when I arrive. But strangely this time I couldn’t find her for days and I was worried as her life is rough and so anything could have happened to her.
Finally,
the day before I was leaving I found her in her usual spot with an
older man named, Oscar. Oscar dominated our conversation and seemed
controlling and overbearing. I didn’t like him at all. I learnt
that I hadn’t seen Maria as she had been in the hospital for about
10 days due to her seizure disorder, which she says medication isn’t
helping so much anymore. Sadly, she doesn’t come to the shelter
anymore either, as Oscar maintains that they can’t keep their
recyclables there. He got quite agitated as I tried to reinforce that
this was not the case and it was obvious that there was no changing
his mind which means that Maria won’t be returning. She just sat
and smiled as we, or rather he, talked. I can’t blame her for
associating with such a jerk as she’s so vulnerable on the street
alone, and some protection is better than none. Her strong fighting
spirit and smile remain as you will see in this annual photo of us. I
made sure to tell her that my friends and family always want to know
how she is, and then said goodbye for another year (and good
riddance, hopefully, to ol’ Oscar).
Another
old friend that some of you may remember is Papa Nacho…a super
cute, nearly blind man in his 80s who used to stay with us. I will
always remember talking to him in the street one day as he worked
guarding motorcycles (which never made sense given him being nearly
blind lol) and me asking him why he wouldn’t consider a nursing
home?? The poor guy could barely make it to the shelter on his own
with his bad eyes, and he was sleeping on the street when the shelter
was closed, if you can imagine at that age! He was also being taken
advantage of by nasty young women who were taking the money that he
was earning. Well Papa Nacho humorously explained to me that he
wasn’t interested in the nursing home as there were no chicas
(girls) there lol When I responded that sure there were, he said
“pero no como las chicas de la calle (but not like the girls from
the street).” What a guy! Well, thankfully he did end up going to a
nursing home for the last couple years of his life and passed away
there late last year. Descanse en paz (rest in peace) Papa Nacho…it
was a pleasure knowing you!
Now
on to Rudy, who is officially my new favourite person at the shelter.
Rudy has such a fun, animated personality, probably because her can’t
hear or speak. I’m not so great at understanding his gestures but
thankfully I excel at facial expressions and so we tease eachother a
lot with smiles and mad faces lol
Rudy has a job guarding motorbikes
(a common job for the elderly and disabled in Antigua who are
appointed these jobs so they have a means of support). Despite having
a job many still can’t afford housing and so utilize the shelter
instead, as Rudy does. One of the highlights of my trip was Rudy
winning a door prize at the Xmas party, a red hat. He had the biggest
smile after winning and thinking of it still makes me want to cry.
Such a sweetheart...
Next
an update on Manolo...a friend that I have written about for years
who went from being homeless to finding healing and purpose through a
foreign run ministry. He was doing so well, living at the ministry,
working as a truck driver, re-connecting with his children and
family, and trying to help others. Then sadly he was in an accident
while working, miraculously living, but losing an eye. Although still
with the ministry, not surprisingly the years since have been tough
for him, with him at times coping by drinking, and even wanting to
take his own life. Manolo has a strong drive to move forward though
and I’m happy to report that he was in good spirits this visit. I
met up with him at a car park where he has worked on weekends since
his days of being homeless. He has a prosthetic eye now which looks
amazing. You wouldn’t even know it’s not a real eye, which I
think has really helped him psychologically. I dropped by with his
favourite cake, tres leches, as it happened to be his birthday, and
knowing that the day would otherwise not be so special. I’m proud
of him for persevering despite all that has come his way. I guess we
will see next year how life progresses for him…
Now
onto one of my all time favourites, Victor. Out of everyone, he and I
have the most special relationship; mutual “carino” (affection)
that just is. Victor is about 70, and is a binge drinker who can go
months with not drinking at all, during which he stays at the
shelter, works guarding motorcycles, is clean and in good shape. When
sober he is such a lovely man, and we get along famously, like a
father-daughter connection. He can also go for weeks or months of
binging during which he is MIA from the shelter and in rough rough
shape. Every year that I come it’s a crapshoot as to how he will
be.
When
I arrived this year and asked about him, the response I got was
“tomando” (drinking) which meant that I wouldn’t be seeing him
at the shelter as we don’t allow people in even if they smell of
alcohol or drugs. Knowing that the word would get out that I was in
town I hoped that he would be able to sober up and come by to see me,
but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. There was no way I could
leave without seeing him though so I asked around as to where he hung
out and went looking for him one day. I eventually saw a man sleeping
(at least I hoped so) at the entrance of a building basically on the
sidewalk. I crouched down to see if it was him and it sure didn’t
look like it but it was, and sadly he was again in rough shape. When
I called out his name, he opened his eyes and took my hand, kissing
it over and over. He smelled so bad of urine and was so dirty..ugh,
it was just an awful sight. Surprisingly he was sober but it was
obvious that he had been drinking for a long time given how he
smelled and looked. He was emotional saying that he didn’t think he
would be around long as he has some problems with his kidneys. I
worked really hard at encouraging him to return home to the coast
where his family is, or to come back to the shelter where he could
shower, wash his clothes, eat, and just get some support. It was
obvious that he was ashamed of his state and didn’t want to face
anyone in his condition.
Knowing
that he probably hadn’t eaten for who knows how long, I told him I
was taking him for lunch. So we slowly made our way to the market
which I am sure was quite a sight, with the gringa (white girl)
walking with the (in their eyes), dirty, smelly, old, homeless drunk.
Little do they know how much I love this man. It wasn’t the easiest
being near his smelly self but we sat down at one of the market
kitchens and he had some soup. After a chat I left him there hoping
that he wasn’t right, and that I would see him again next time, and
in better shape. I’ve since received a picture of him from my
friend and shelter staff Thelma, and sure enough he is back on the
wagon and looking good. I hope he keeps it up...
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| In a bad state but still in good spirits |
Another
person that you may remember reading about is Americo who uses a
wheelchair after being in an accident years ago. The first year I was
there, his 2 boys, who he was single parenting, were apprehended from
him. At the time he was working in Antigua, away from his home on the
coast, with his young boys with him. They would stay at the shelter
when it was open but were forced to sleep on the street when it
wasn’t. The equivalent of CFS (called the PGN in Guatemala)
apprehended the boys for that reason, particularly as Americo was
carrying a weapon for protection. Well Americo fought hard for those
boys and got them back soon after. He continued to work in Antigua in
one of the most lucrative spots for guarding motorcycles, while
paying someone to care for his boys. He would go home every few weeks
with his earnings, clothes, food etc. and took great pride in his
ability to care for his boys. Well then a love story happened and Americo met Blanca, who I have also written about. When I met her she was in her 20s, much younger than Americo who is in his 50s, and she was a really lost soul who grew up in an orphanage, struggling to survive after a failed relationship, and with an infant daughter who was living with her at the shelter.
Well
Blanca needed someone to care for her, and Americo turned out to be
that guy. They have been together for a number of years now with her
having another child with him. She lives in his home on the coast
with Americo’s boys who are now teens, her daughter (who was a baby
at the Xmas party years ago), and their daughter together. Americo
works everyday from morning till night with contraptions rigged up to
keep himself out of the sun and rain, and often with a decorated
wheelchair as well lol
He is such a proud man, sharing about how he
is providing for his family, often pulling out princess dresses that
he has bought for his daughters, or jeans and shoes for his boys.
He is known for taking such good care of his family and is well respected for it. He often shows up with a donation for the shelter as well, like toilet paper, as he appreciates the help and wants to give back. The day of the Xmas party he actually brought a wrapped Xmas gift that he wanted to give as a prize, and was so proud to be able to do so.
He is just simply a very good man. I often think of him as I walk through Antigua and see people begging for money, particularly people with disabilities. As here is this man in a wheelchair who has found a way to work and support a family of 5, even if it means living apart from them. Mad respect for this man honestly…
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| Americo showing off the dress he bought for his daughter |
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| Americo giving out his gift |
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| Proud Americo |
He is known for taking such good care of his family and is well respected for it. He often shows up with a donation for the shelter as well, like toilet paper, as he appreciates the help and wants to give back. The day of the Xmas party he actually brought a wrapped Xmas gift that he wanted to give as a prize, and was so proud to be able to do so.
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| Daniel won Americo's gift and I have never seen him so happy! |
He is just simply a very good man. I often think of him as I walk through Antigua and see people begging for money, particularly people with disabilities. As here is this man in a wheelchair who has found a way to work and support a family of 5, even if it means living apart from them. Mad respect for this man honestly…
On
the topic of the PGN (CFS), many of you may remember Kenia who had
her kids apprehended from her while I was living there the first
year. If you haven’t, you will find many stories about her fight to
get her kids back in my blog (crysee3@blogspot.com). Because Antigua
is a small place I have heard that her kids were returned to her, and
that they are still together, but sadly I have never run into her
again. If I ever do, a McDonalds lunch is in order, as I always
promised her this when she got her kids back. I’m just so happy to
know they have been reunited.
So
those are some updates and stories...now on to the Xmas party which
is always the highlight of my December trip. Because we have had a
party 4 times now during my visits, people have caught on to the
ritual, and so there is great anticipation after I arrive as to when
it is going to be. It’s a serious secret though as we of course
don’t want all of Antigua showing up because they have heard about
it lol Honestly this stresses me out the most, as I never know how
many people are going to show up, and of course I want to have gifts
for everyone. I try and gauge numbers, sexes, kids etc from the time
I get there and hope I get it right!
Planning
for a Guatemalan Xmas starts early, even Boxing Week the year before
when all the Xmas stuff goes on sale (I am a true Ukrainian
obviously). Every year I bring more and more decorations to make the
shelter festive which is a lot of fun to do. People are anxious to
help, totally getting into it, climbing ladders, sticking things on
walls..whatever needs to be done. It so changes the vibe of the
shelter and I love it…
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| The front of shelter, added on to for the volcano victims |
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| Fransisco, shelter staff with the new decoration |
The
biggest project though would be the Xmas stockings that everyone gets
as a gift at the party. I’m always striving to make them better
year after year as who doesn’t love a great stocking!? So for
months I was on the hunt for good deals on the old faithful’s and
as always, for new ideas too. In the process Costco has become my
best friend, this year producing great socks, cute undies for the
ladies, and a box of 52 men’s razors that made me almost skip out
of the store with glee when I saw them on sale! I should also have
shares in Dollarama by now after multiple trips for decorations,
gift bags, candy, deodorant etc. I can’t even tell you how many
times I have had to go back for yet one more thing that I needed.
Trying
to think of novel ideas, this year I got suckered into a deal at the
Lindt Factory store when they had 100 truffles on sale for $35. I
thought perfect, I’ll take 50 for the stockings and keep 50 here
for “guests and such.” Well folks, apart from about 10 that I put
in a gift bag, I ate about 40 in a few days. Dear God! I have since
unsubscribed from this devil of a store’s daily reminders of their
stellar offers that no doubt added a couple inches to my ass. Anyway,
apart from that Debbie Downer note, my friends did get a lovely
holiday flavoured Lindt truffle in their stocking which I am sure
they quite enjoyed
I
swear I have more fun with these stockings than they do…Another new
idea this year was a rice krispie square, holiday themed of course.
Light, festive, cheap and something new for them..perfect! So 50 of
them came stuffed in every crevice of my suitcase as well. All in
all, this year’s stockings were jammed full and the best ever. 54
were made with 35 being for the men, 10 for women and 4 for kids. The
men got boxers, socks, a razor, packets of shampoo, an apple, Xmas
candies, a Lindt truffle and rice krispie treat. The women got
basically all that and as well better shampoo/conditioner, deodorant,
toothpaste/toothbrush, a sewing/nail care kit and some random jewelry
and/or makeup. The kids got mainly candy and treats but also kids
toothbrushes/toothpaste and a travel towelette. Every night once
people were settling in at the shelter I would go and put the
stockings together..lots of work but I can safely say that everyone
was happy :)
We
always have the party on a Wednesday when a local high end
restaurant/hotel called Meson Panza Verde graciously donates a
hearty, Guatemalan meal (by the way please consider supporting them
if you ever come to Antigua as a result)! We add to the meal a
dessert made by Thelma’s son Patricio who happens to be a pasty
chef, and hot chocolate, both of which are always big hits.
Unfortunately the Santa hats I had brought years before disappeared with the volcano victims, but thankfully I had a few new things with me, one being Xmas light necklaces that everyone loved and wanted for themselves.
Unfortunately the Santa hats I had brought years before disappeared with the volcano victims, but thankfully I had a few new things with me, one being Xmas light necklaces that everyone loved and wanted for themselves.
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| Ruben, a new shelter staff |
Apart from the stockings which were basically ready to go, the only thing we had to do was give everyone a number when they arrived. This year I was determined to have some door prizes which I thought would be fun and so I made little cards with Xmas stickers and a number to use for a draw. I brought a couple hats, a T-shirt, and had a plan to try and get gift certificates for food places which I thought everyone would enjoy. Well I went to every place I could think of in Antigua...McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, the local grocery store, Little Caesar’s Pizza..you name it. And apparently gift certificates aren’t a thing there :( Well, in the end my buddy Alex (who you may remember from the shelter and who sadly is no longer with us), came with me to Pollo Campero which is a KFC-like institution in Guatemala. With his help I was able to get 3 gift certificates for a chicken dinner. I was so frickin excited you have no idea!
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| Best staff ever, Alex, and his wife Glendy (notice the Jets shirt??) |
The
door prizes were the best part for me, with Rudy winning the red hat,
and Juan winning one of the gift certificates. Then this 70 something
hipster won a gift certificate..isn’t he cool?! Love the Korn hat..
what a rockstar lol!
After
dinner and dessert came the gifts..who doesn’t love playing Santa?!
Heartwarming for sure. Here are some pictures...
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| Our annual dessert maker Patricio doling out this year's treat |
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| I love being Santa :) |
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| Do you remember Johnathan? He has been around off and on since the first year.. |
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| Thelma and her grandson |
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| This lovely lady must have kissed and thanked me 10 times |
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| My new buddy Rina |
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| Thelma getting hugs from Miguel |
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| Sure miss this guy at the shelter :( |
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| Alex is missed by all.. |
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| All the kids with their loot bags |
So what did we do with all that money?? Every year I ask the staff what is needed in order to plan how to spend the money, and every year they seem bashful to tell me, like they are asking for too much. These are staff that when they are without certain supplies (because the Project has none to dole out) they will buy things like detergent out of their own salaries. And as you can imagine, it’s not like they make a lot.
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| Thelma signing thank you as we prepared to stand in line for half a year |
It took a couple hours and was quite trying in the end with the cashier not knowing how to ring in so much stuff (a true test of my patience). We got so much stuff that Thelma had to arrange a pickup truck to take it all back to the shelter. It was such a jalopy and more like a toy truck that I wasn’t sure it was going to make it lol Thelma had to ride in the back with the boxes as I barely fit in the front with the driver. Once we were at the shelter as usual everyone came to help unload. They always show their appreciation and help without even being asked. It is really special as it is clear how much they value their only home.
Apart
from the massive shop, we bought 2 dozen more blankets to add to the
ones bought previous years.
We also replaced all the hot water heaters in the 7 showers with me going to buy the heaters myself, and then having an electrician install them. I include this detail as I want the donors especially to know that their money truly does go to the shelter and not to the Project to do with it as they fit. I am there and know what is needed so I would never just hand over the money. In fact I have always made it clear that what is bought needs to stay at the shelter rather than being returned to the Project to be doled out elsewhere (as they have a school, a hospital, a vocational centre etc).
We also replaced all the hot water heaters in the 7 showers with me going to buy the heaters myself, and then having an electrician install them. I include this detail as I want the donors especially to know that their money truly does go to the shelter and not to the Project to do with it as they fit. I am there and know what is needed so I would never just hand over the money. In fact I have always made it clear that what is bought needs to stay at the shelter rather than being returned to the Project to be doled out elsewhere (as they have a school, a hospital, a vocational centre etc).
I
did leave money for New Years Eve when the Project is closed and
there is no dinner. Thelma, bless her heart, was going to be working
that night and offered to make dinner with her giving me an itemized
list down to how many cents it would cost for garlic. This woman is
incredible. She planned to have dinner, dessert, a bonfire, and some
little gifts that night. She sent me pictures and a report saying
that they stayed up until 4 a.m. and had a great time :)
As
always I also left money for tortillas for the nights when the
Project only sends soup or beans (which is often). It just isn’t
enough to fill them up plus Guatemalans don’t eat anything without
tortillas. Thankfully they are cheap enough that even if people can’t
afford much more, tortillas will fend off hunger which is not so
uncommon in this country. The Project sadly has a hospital for
malnourished children as a result. 
By
doing this I am also helping a lovely tortilla vendor who I have
developed a relationship with over the years; the only person we buy
from for the shelter. Every single day without a day off she spends
several hours making hundreds of tortillas at home and then comes to
her post outside of Pollo Campero for 6:00 to sell them all. As
people go in to eat their chicken dinners they stop to buy some
tortillas to go with. When they sell at 4 for 1 quetzal (5.5
quetzales make $1) it takes a long time to sell them, so she is
typically there until about 10:30.
When
I’m in town, each night I buy tortillas for everyone at the
shelter which means a big sale for her of 15-25 quetzales ($3-5). Not
a big amount for me but it’s huge for her sales and greatly
appreciated by my shelter friends. They will often specifically thank
me for the tortillas because that is how integral they are to their
meals. The day of the Xmas party (also the night that I left), I saw
that she was gone early thanks to our big purchase that night, and
that made me smile. Being in her 60s I’m sure, there is no
retirement for her, and with a big family to support there is no
other option but to work everyday. So the money I leave for the
months to come helps her as well which is awesome as she is lovely.
Here she is with some chocolates that I bring her every year as a
thank you for her hard work..
And
so folks, I think we did pretty good with the donations this year..I
hope that you agree. I can’t tell you enough how lucky we are to
have what we have, to live in the country we do, and to be able to
help others who don’t have the same opportunities or safety net
that we have here. I care about these people so much and feel the
same from them when I am there. They are so deserving and so
appreciative.
A
very special thanks to those who donated to this special group! I am so sorry this took so long to post!
And thank
you all for taking the time to read my story. Until next time...
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