A Home for Us – A shelter that assists terminally ill children and adults

Location: Barcenas, Guatemala

This AIDS hospice was founded in 1989 and originally located in Guatemala City. Later, it moved to San Lucas and nowadays it can be found in the quiet and isolated area of Barcenas. The hospice was and is the last refuge for terminally ill people, the majority of whom has been abandoned by their families. The hospice provides them with medicines (at no cost), food, clothing, a home and the love and care they need to face their last days.

The staff of the hospice consists of Guatemalan nurses and doctors, volunteers from the Red Cross and some international volunteers. Besides taking care of the terminally ill, the staff also teaches relatives how to take care of their sick beloved ones, especially when this person has HIV or AIDS, and the Community Service of the hospice visits other patients in their homes. Many of these home-visited patients come once in a while to the hospice when they are very ill and return to their houses when they feel better.

There are also children with HIV and AIDS in the hospice. Most of them are orphans whose parents have already died because of AIDS and who have nowhere else to go. The hospice provides them with education and as normal as possible life.

Are you interested and would you like to have more information about how to volunteer here?
Please contact us !