CRS Partners in Guatemala

Catholic Relief Services programs are carried out in partnership with local social service groups, including church, community and civil society organizations. At present, CRS Guatemala works with over 25 different partners.

Caritas San Marcos

The diocesan Caritas office in San Marcos, founded in 1969, has been a key partner of CRS Guatemala since 1992. Caritas San Marcos collaborates with CRS on food security programs as well as health, agriculture, education, microfinance, water and sanitation, and human rights projects. After Hurricane Stan hit Guatemala in 2005, CRS and Caritas San Marcos implemented an emergency reconstruction project. Caritas San Marcos also participates in a Global Solidarity Partnership with the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, in which the two dioceses, facilitated by CRS, have begun to build a relationship.

Caritas Verapaz

The diocesan Caritas office in Baja Verapaz has worked with CRS since 1996, supporting programs involving food security, health, agriculture, water resource management and microfinance projects. Our joint education efforts include the Global Food for Education initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which features a school lunch program, teacher training and the establishment of parent-teacher associations.

Caritas Santa Rosa

CRS began working with the diocesan Caritas office in Santa Rosa in 2001 with the Global Food for Education initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CRS and Caritas Santa Rosa have worked together to support the victims of Hurricane Stan, which struck Guatemala in October 2005. In addition, Caritas Santa Rosa participates in a Global Solidarity Partnership with the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey.

Casa del Migrante and Migrants' Assistance Center

CRS supports the work of the Scalabrini religious community in Guatemala through the Casa del Migrante (House of Migrants), located in Tecun Umán on the Guatemala-Mexico border, and the Migrants' Assistance Center located in Guatemala City. These centers started operations in 1995, becoming a refuge for migrants on their way to the United States in search of their "American Dream." To prepare migrants for the risks they will face on their journey, the centers offer food, lodging, clothing and legal support, as well as information about migrants' rights and responsibilities. CRS has been supporting the Casa del Migrante and Migrants' Assistance Center since 2001.

Proyecto Vida

A project of the Maryknoll Sisters, Proyecto Vida (Project Life) began operations in 1994. Staff members visit schools, parishes, and the local jail and hospitals to educate people about preventing the spread of HIV, provide testing for HIV, and offer pre- and post-test counseling. Proyecto Vida staff also visits the homes of people living with HIV, providing them with psychosocial and nutritional counseling, and referring individuals to appropriate health care centers when necessary. Income-generating projects supported by Proyecto Vida also help HIV-positive individuals improve their self esteem, and provide them with a much-needed source of revenue. In 2005, Proyecto VIDA opened the Santa Maria Hospice for HIV-positive individuals, particularly terminally ill AIDS patients.

The San Jose AIDS Hospice

The San Jose AIDS Hospice was founded in 1989 and houses patients who are HIV-positive, mostly children who have been abandoned or whose parents have died of AIDS. The children receive food, housing, medical care, formal education and psychological support from trained staff. Currently, CRS and the San Jose Hospice receive support from the Global Fund Against HIV and AIDS.