Last year I was contacted by another nonprofit doing incredible work in Guatemala, and we instantly connected.
Their founder, Debbie Rowe, had already donated dozens of prescription glasses for people in our community and generously offered 50 pairs of reading glasses for anyone who needed them.
Before I left for Guatemala, she spent time teaching me how to help people find the right strength and fit. Then I packed a suitcase full of readers and headed south.
For more than six years, our team has stayed with Doña Juanita and her family during our trips.
On this visit, I sat down with her and began trying different pairs of glasses.
We tested one strength.
Then another.
Then another.
Finally, we found the right pair.
The moment she put them on, tears filled her eyes.
Without saying much, she quietly left the room and returned holding her Bible.
For the first time in a long time, she could read it again.
That moment has stayed with me.
When people think about poverty, they often imagine a lack of food, housing, or education. Those needs absolutely exist. But sometimes the barrier standing in front of someone is much smaller.
A pair of glasses.
A school uniform.
A backpack.
A garden tower that helps a family grow food at home.
Small things can create big changes in someone’s daily life.
That is one of the reasons I love this work. We get to witness these moments firsthand.
If you’d like to be part of creating moments like this, there are a few simple ways to get involved.
Sponsor a Child:
https://behumanitarian.org/sponsorship-donations/
Join a Volunteer Trip:
https://behumanitarian.org/travel-with-us-2/
Thank you for helping us continue this work.
With gratitude,
Tobie
P.S. Of all the things Doña Juanita could have reached for after putting on her glasses, she chose her Bible. I’ll never forget that.
