Family-to-Family (FTF) is once again responding to the needs of families in the Guatemala mission region—this time with supplies for those experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adela Tambriz, director of FTF in the highlands of Guatemala, has coordinated three food deliveries to all 118 families currently in the program, and single deliveries to an additional 22 families in need. The deliveries have included 100-pound bags of corn, beans, rice, coffee, sugar, salt, noodles, cereals, oil, soap, lemons, and 10 pounds of meat. The coffee, fruit, pork and chicken provided to families were produced at the Xe’ul and Chirijuwiquiej project sites. The deliveries were made possible through unrestricted donations to the program.

FTF also recently assisted 72 families in establishing their own gardens by providing seeds or starter plants for cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and onions, as well as organic pesticide and fertilizer. Tambriz reports that FTF helps protect families from illness by providing access to healthy food, rich in vitamins and proteins.

Tambriz also notes the advantage of families working from home in order to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. Many women and men have learned to weave and sew through the FTF skills training programs and, thanks to a recent appeal in Spokane, eight foot-pedaled sewing machines were purchased for home use. In addition to clothing and other woven products, families are sewing face masks with materials delivered to their homes by the program.

Family-to-Family was founded in 1985 as an economic development program in the Guatemalan Highlands. Its primary mission is to provide income-producing skills training and resources so that families and communities can rise from poverty and become self-sufficient. For further information about the Family-to-Family program, please visit the website: https://www.familytofamilyguatemala.com.