Guatemala has an under-equipped health care system, so its poor were hit hard by COVID-19. In an effort to control the spread of the virus, the government mandated a stringent lockdown. Unfortunately, this increased the pressures facing the poor. It prevented many people from going to work and limited the transportation of necessary supplies, most importantly, food. In the city, families waved white flags as a symbol of hunger and desperation. In smaller villages, poor households had even fewer options. Isolated and starving, many families felt they had no place to turn for help.
With your support, Bishop Bernabe Sagastume and Father Raúl Monterroso coordinated the distribution of 3,500 food hampers to hungry people in 21 parishes. Priests from each parish collected hampers at the Caritas warehouse and received food in their villages. Each hamper contained a one-month supply of staples, such as corn, beans, rice, noodles, sugar, coffee, salt, oil, soap and Incaparina (a protein-rich, vegetable-based food developed to address nutritional deficiencies).
It was especially meaningful for families to receive this assistance through the Church during a time when parishioners could not gather in person. These distributions were a beautiful symbol of Catholic unity, and they delivered a bright testimony of hope to families on the brink of starvation.
Related: Catholicism in Guatemala