2012 OCM Mission Trip
Guatemala August 11-18.
Deadline for sign-ups: March 31, 2012
Cost estimate: $1,000-$1,500 + airfare
Cherrydale Team Leader: Paul Bean
Trip Size Goal: 10 to 12 people
Trip Summary
In Guatemala, we will be working with orphans, offering a VBS program and assisting adults with Family Training. Cherrydale will be partnering with Buckner International, a global Christian ministry that is dedicated to the restoration and healing of children, families and senior adults.
For additional details about this trip contact
Anna Martin.
Information About Buckner's Involvement in Guatemala
What Bucker Is Doing
Buckner began working in Guatemala in 2002. In January of 2003, they began hosting volunteer mission trips and became a Guatemalan Foundation in 2005. Buckner has held, and continues to offer, ongoing training in the areas of foster care, preventative health care, child care, residential care and social services.
Humanitarian Aid
Through humanitarian aid support and distribution of new shoes, Buckner is helping to prevent future disease and infection in children. Many diseases enter the body through the feet when a child walks through mud and filth without shoes. The gift of a new pair of shoes not only protects their feet, but keeps their entire body from being subjected to a number of diseases. New shoes also help a child go to school, where wearing shoes is often a requirement. Buckner has sent more than 77,238 pairs of shoes to Guatemala to date.
Transitional Homes
Buckner sponsors two homes for boys and two for girls who are aging out of orphanage care. Residents are enrolled in an academic, vocational or rehabilitation program. Services include case management, room and board, education, job training, tutoring and mentoring. Assistance with childcare may also be provided for residents' children.
Home School for Transitional Youth
Buckner Guatemala provides comprehensive education to youth in our transitional homes that have fallen behind and cannot attend public schools. The home school is accredited by the Guatemala Education System and operated solely by Buckner.
Foster Care
Buckner manages a foster care program in Guatemala that places children who cannot live with their parents in temporary, loving homes. Buckner has been chosen by the government to pilot the official foster care program in Guatemala and work directly with Guatemala's Child Protective Services to identify and train in-country foster families. Buckner also manages residential homes that allow foster children to live with other children in family-like structures that are designed to care for children in the home of unrelated family.
Community Transformation Centers - Jocotenango, San Jose Pinula, and El Cerrito
CTC's focus on improving the lives of individuals and families in three communities of extreme poverty with a holistic ministry approach through the following basic services:
- Family Intervention - Moderate to intensive services provided to families who are experiencing or are at-risk of abuse/neglect, welfare dependency, delinquent behavior or other problems. Social workers provide case management to develop an individual family plan to address specific needs of at-risk families and resolve issues that enable them to move towards self-sustainability.
- Medical/Dental Services – Includes Health Care Clinics/Centers operated by Buckner that provide basic health care services, as well as an HIV/AIDS intervention program, including case management, medical services and humanitarian aid.
- Family/Life Education – Specialized training offered to children and families to improve personal and/or family well-being, including parenting, nutritional, hygiene and literacy classes.
- Evangelical Ministry/Mentoring – Adults connecting with at-risk children, providing faith-based character development, a positive influence and strong role modeling through regular contact in group and individual settings.
- Vocational Training – Family-based programming that provides job skills/technology training, educational support and faith-based character development training.
Advocacy Program for Victims of Abuse and Sexual Trafficking
Buckner Guatemala, in collaboration with International Justice Mission, is developing an advocacy program for the victims of abuse and sexual trafficking. The advocacy program will provide assessments of placements by a social worker with a day program as well as a temporary shelter. Services will include psychological, social, familial, educational, religious and physical evaluation. The shelter will be staffed with the houseparent model, professional staff and protection from victimization. A permanency team will plan long-term solutions, including placement options and follow-up planning.