For many families in the United States, a dream home likely includes amenities that make their lives easier or more comfortable. Some features — such as spacious storage closets or extra outlets — are functional, while others — such as high-end appliances — are more luxurious.
In countries like Guatemala, the dreams of the poor are far less elaborate. Will their home have a concrete foundation? Will it provide a solid roof and shuttered windows to keep out the rain? Will it have a door that locks? Even those humble blessings would be an incredible answer to prayer.
So what can we do to help uplift these families? The price of a nice new appliance in the U.S. might be all it costs to build an entire home in Guatemala!
Read on to learn more about durable housing needs in rural Guatemala — and the safe homes we can build when people like you help us share God’s love.
In the United States, state and federal agencies and city ordinances require builders to comply with safety standards and building codes, and workers often receive extensive training on how to construct a house properly.
In rural Guatemala, families can rarely afford the materials, expertise or labor so many of us take for granted in the U.S.; instead, they get by with scavenged materials and often handle the building process on their own. In many communities, you will see shelters fashioned from materials like plastic sheeting, scrap metal, dried palm fronds, sticks and even mud. These materials provide little privacy or security and leave families vulnerable to the region’s frequent natural disasters. Hurricanes, earthquakes, yearly flooding or even a common tropical storm can destroy families’ hard work and damage their possessions.
Each home built by Cross Catholic Outreach in Guatemala includes the following:
At Cross Catholic Outreach, we are dedicated to building quality homes for families in Guatemala that uphold their dignity. Such blessings go a long way toward protecting families’ safety, security, health and peace of mind.
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Aracely and her family have many reasons to rejoice! They once lived in an unsafe house — but now they enjoy a sturdy home, thanks to the support from generous Catholics.
Aracely longed to provide a better life for her children, but the family’s financial challenges made that seem like an impossible dream. The income her husband made as a day laborer in the agricultural area of Ixpaco was barely enough to cover food and other basic household expenses. To survive, the family of five resorted to living with Aracely’s two adult brothers in a ramshackle shelter made of sheet metal, tarps and a dirt floor. Her children would often get sick, and the family was battling insects, vermin and the elements at every turn. They were not safe in that home.
Then, in answer to prayer, they received the call that they had been selected to receive a new home! Aracely and her husband were shocked — and overjoyed.
“Having a new house is a great blessing,” Aracely said. “Living in a block house feels safer, and it’s a better life for our children. We no longer suffer from the cold in the winter, nor do we worry about our things getting wet. This is a blessing from God. He is the only one who gives everything.”
You can help make miracles happen in the lives of countless more families like Aracely’s!
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With your support, Cross Catholic Outreach can provide safe homes for poor families in Guatemala and other developing countries through our network of dedicated Catholic partners. These ministries are eager to help, but to succeed, they rely on financial support from compassionate friends like you. Your gift enables them to purchase quality construction materials and hire professional builders.
This Christmas season, help us share the gift of God’s love by uplifting the poor in Christ’s name. Together, we can provide simple, safe, durable homes that will bless families’ lives for generations!
Originally published August 2025. Last updated July 2026.
Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.
