Supporting the Guatemalan-Maya Center in South Florida
This month, we are featuring an exceptional nonprofit organization in South Florida called the Guatemalan-Maya Center.
As you will see, their efforts reach far beyond their local community.
We want to thank Linda, our Director of Customer Service, for sharing her support of this organization.
Additionally, we thank Joyce, Director of Finance, and Hafsa, Executive Administrative Assistant, for sharing their passion for this important work.
Together, they help highlight how the organization impacts so many lives.
The History of the Guatemalan-Maya Center
They tell their story best, so we thought we would share it with you:
Our story begins with our Executive Director, Father Frank O’Loughlin, who has advocated for migrant workers for 50 years.
Father Frank began supporting the Mayan people in the early 1980s while serving as a parish priest in Indiantown, Florida.
During this time, he encountered Mayan migrant workers who had fled the Guatemalan genocide to save their lives.
In 1992, we formally established the Guatemalan-Maya Center.
Initially, our programs focused on the urgent need for prenatal care among indigenous women in Palm Beach County.
We also provided cultural interpretation for medical professionals and transportation to doctor appointments for families in need.
Over the years, we have expanded our programs to meet the changing needs of our community.
Today, we use a family-centered approach to serve over 1,000 families each month from more than 28 countries.
How the Organization Supports Families
With a staff of just 33 people, plus volunteers, the Guatemalan-Maya Center accomplishes a great deal.
In fact, their programs provide essential resources and support to families throughout the community.
Here are some of the ways they help:
- Social Services and Advocacy: They provide education, social services, and advocacy for farmworkers, migrant workers, and undocumented immigrants. Additionally, they help people complete Social Security paperwork, provide translations, and explain available benefits
- Food Distribution: Their program feeds 1,000 families each month. Families can pick up food, or volunteers distribute it directly to communities. As a result, they continually need volunteers to help support these efforts.
- Education: The organization operates two schools that provide education for farmworker families and their children.
- Free Medical Clinic: The clinic offers basic medical care, including skin cancer screenings, to people without insurance. In some cases, staff identify patients who need emergency treatment and help them reach a hospital.
- Vaccination Support: They help people get vaccinated and teach them how to protect themselves from COVID-19. Additionally, Quantum Foundation provided a grant to support the clinic’s efforts.
- Children’s Dental Care: The organization also operates a children’s dental van with sponsorship attributed to professional golfer Jack Nicholson.
- Legal Assistance: The Legal Aid Society supports their advocacy efforts. For example, they help people facing domestic situations, rental abuse, and other legal challenges.
How You Can Help During the Holidays
As the holidays approach, the Guatemalan-Maya Center prepares for its annual toy drive.
Through this program, they help provide children with food and gifts during the holiday season.
Additionally, there are several ways you can support their efforts and make a difference.
You can donate money, food, toys, or Walmart gift cards.
For example, beans and rice are especially helpful food donations.
Most importantly, every contribution helps the organization continue supporting families and children in need.
For more information, visit our website www.guatemalanmaya.org or check them out on Facebook and Instagram @guatemalanmayacenter !
P.S.: I had the opportunity to speak with Joyce and asked her what she loves about the Center. She has spent most of her career working for non-profits and has a strong philanthropic nature. Also, she shared that working at the Center in Finance enables her to give back to the community by using her expertise to keep things running smoothly financially. She grew up on an Arkansas farm and worked with sharecroppers. They play a major role in the food chain in the US and farm workers are very important to our communities.
For all that we have mentioned, we thank everyone at the Center for their amazing work.
