Beyond Survival: Providing Nourishment, Care, & Hope to the Elderly in Guatemala

Every night brought hunger and uncertainty. And every morning began with the same question—would they survive another day?

In the mountains of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, 70-year-old Julia and Concepción woke for years to the same harsh realities: poverty, hunger, and pain. After Julia’s parents passed and Concepción lost vision in her right eye, the two childhood friends decided to share a home…hoping that would make life a little easier.

But survival continued to be an uphill battle for the aging women. The friends cared for Concepción’s two grandchildren while her daughter worked tirelessly for just $3.50 a day. Julia endured constant pain from untreated arthritis, hypertension, and diabetes. Their home had no electricity or running water, and food was scarce.

Julia and Concepción stopped dreaming of a better life, barely clinging to the hope of simply surviving each day. They felt forgotten—unseen by the world.

But your kindness found them…and gave them a future they thought was lost.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Julia and Concepción no longer wake up to empty stomachs and endless worry. Through Advance Community’s partnership with Avis Guatemala and the Nutrition and Care for the Elderly program, the heavy weight of hunger has been lifted. Receiving a 40-pound bag of food every month, they have the reassurance that they can feed themselves and their grandchildren. They have nourishment and strength to keep going.

But your generosity didn’t stop there. The impact of your giving has offered them relief from pain and the chance to enjoy life again. With regular medical checkups and critical medications, made possible through the program you support, Julia’s arthritis no longer controls her days, and her health conditions are managed with proper care.

Their lives have been transformed! Nights once spent in discomfort and fear are now restful. And for the first time in years, Julia and Concepción wake up not just surviving—but truly living.

Julia shared, “This help gives us the strength to keep going. Without the food and checkups, we wouldn’t survive. Now we feel like we are not forgotten.”

It’s hard to say if the greatest gift they’ve received is the food that keeps them strong, the care that eases their pain, or the hope that tells them they’re not alone. But one thing is certain—the generosity of donors like you has changed their lives. And not just theirs.

All across the world, people like Julia and Concepción are standing a little stronger, living with a little more dignity, and facing each day with renewed hope because of you. Your kindness

reaches far beyond one home in the mountains of Guatemala—it creates ripples of change worldwide, restoring health, dignity, and life itself.