Over the past weeks, we've heard so many sad stories about the impacts of hurricanes Eta and Iota throughout Central America. Our hearts go out to the families whose lives are impacted by these disasters. In Guatemala, over 300,000 lives were impacted with more than 150 people presumed missing or dead.
Since we sent our newsletter on Hurricane Eta relief, the specialty coffee community response has been overwhelming. So many of you have asked for updates and shared the campaign, and more have donated to the GoFundMe. You've more than doubled our fundraising goal and with our $500 we have raised more than $6200 for relief in Agua Dulce, Huehuetenango.
We want to say a heartfelt Thank You to all those who have donated in support of Guatemalan families, in what has been a challenging year for many.
Our Guatemala based team has been coordinating with community leaders in affected areas throughout Huehuetenango. Working tirelessly to identify most impacted groups and highest needs, our logistics director Loyreth Sosa connected with the mayor of Agua Dulce, Don Herminio Mendez, along with the pastor of the community, Jeuser Castillo. Having received additional support and coordination from our coffee producing partners Rodin Villatoro and Paty Perez, we were able to target the donations received to the highest need.
Loyreth wrote, "There are a total of 265 people sleeping on the floor of a warehouse and a school in a place called Boqueroncito Alto. It is a safe place for these people, since they have not yet been able to return to their homes, because it has still been raining. Of these people, there are 30 families that completely lost their homes."
