It’s one thing to provide a house; it’s another to help build a home, a community, and a future.
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of seeing that distinction firsthand on my second mission trip with St. Mary's Catholic Church to Cucuyagua, Honduras. The work St. Mary’s has championed over the last 18 months is more than just charity—it's a sustainable investment in their people.
When the St. Mary’s team first partnered with leaders from Food For The Poor two years ago, they outlined a compelling vision. As they discussed preventive healthcare, education, and community leadership alongside the construction process, it became clear this was a mission designed to transform traditional hand-outs into a powerful hand-up. The goal was not just to build structures, but to foster social cohesion and empower a new generation of local leaders.
Honduras is a nation of stark contrasts, and the 52 families who received a new home were selected through a careful process. Each family had to complete a community leadership class and demonstrate progress toward stable employment. To qualify, they had to have at least one child, and in a powerful move to protect the most vulnerable, each home’s ownership was placed under the name of the female head of household. This simple but profound step helps ensure a mother and her children can’t be displaced.
Beyond the essential infrastructure of water, wastewater, and electricity, the project’s most innovative element is its focus on long-term economic sustainability. The in-country non-governmental organization (NGO) that oversees the project helps each community develop a specialized, income-generating activity, which has included welding, sewing, and baking in other villages. While the St. Mary’s village is still identifying its core enterprise, the entrepreneurial spirit is already alive. After only 90 days, residents have opened small stores, selling goods to their new neighbors.
The people of this village, nestled on the side of a mountain, are filled with gratitude. A modest 24-by-24-foot concrete block house on a tiny lot is more than just a safe shelter—it is, as one resident told me, “their castle.” They are finally home. The beneficiaries welcomed us not as donors, but as partners, joining us to celebrate the dawn of a new era for their families.
During my visit, I watched kids learn how to ride a bike for the first time, proudly wash a new toy, and share a soccer ball. I saw a child’s eyes light up over a simple t-shirt that said "Decatur County," and I watched them all stand on the curb, waving until our van was out of sight.
The need there is staggering. We toured a clinic where a single doctor, three nurses, and two assistants serve a population larger than Greensburg. We visited a school where one teacher juggles two different grades in the same open-air classroom. The heartbreak is unimaginable, but so is the joy that was shared.
To everyone who planned, fundraised, donated, or contributed to making that small village a reality, your work has created a lasting legacy.
If you’d like to see the faces and hear the stories for yourself, Emily Verseman and I hosted a 50-minute interview with local leaders, which you can find by searching for WTRE Radio on YouTube.
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