About Us
Embrace Child Sponsorship is a ministry program of Servant Ministries. Embrace was started in 2000, by founder Nancy Sheldon as a response to the malnourished children in the region. The Camotan region has 70% of all malnourished children in Guatemala!
Embrace distributes Food packs monthly to sponsor families, with some families and kids traveling hours to receive their pack. Food packs consist of 50 lbs of food (beans, rice, sugar, salt, powder milk, soap, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and other needed household items). On the day of distribution there is a Bible devotion for the children and a time of sharing for the parents on such topics as, hygiene, food preparation, health, farming or parenting skills. Quarterly birthday parties and Christmas celebrations are a highlight for children. Annual school supplies and periodic hygiene bags, and other special items throughout the year are also given.
In addition, through the medical clinic Servant Ministries is able to provide medical and dental care to our Embrace children. Their families are able to receive care as well for a minimal fee.
Embrace Child Sponsorship
Since the launch of Embrace, several special projects have been implemented either one-time or ongoing; that have been of great assistance to our families. Through special fund raising we have been able to give each Embrace family a water filter; this gift of “clean water” makes a huge difference in the children’s health. Sponsors are given the opportunity to send Blessing Bags to their child, which provides them the chance to personally pick out things for their child. Opportunities to give a special Christmas package that benefit the whole family. Some of those packages may include items like: corn grinder, lantern, hygiene items, dishes and containers of various sizes, blankets, sleeping mats, or hammocks. Another special project is to offer custom built “Lorena Stoves”, which use 1/3 less wood and are much more hygienic and healthier than the typical open fire. One of the biggest projects, to date, has been providing latrines for 137 Embrace families that had no other septic system.
Servant Ministries has been able to help approximately 1000 children in the last 16 years and we look forward to adding to that number. We are trying to reach the neediest children, in order to give them a fighting chance at a brighter and healthier future. The children remain in the program until such time as they have regained and consistently maintained their health, or the parents’ circumstances have changed enough that we try to give another family the same possibility. At that point the child is graduated out of the program. The average stay in the program is between 3-5 years.
We are always looking for additional sponsors to join with us in providing the next generation of Guatemala with a better future. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, click on the “Sponsor A Child” tab to view the children available for sponsorship at this time.
In the effort to provide ongoing and consistent help to the people in this part of Guatemala, Servant Ministries established in the year 2000 a monthly assistance program for children. The Embrace program began with 29 children and today has between 200-300 children in the program at any given time.
Sponsorship is $40.00 US a month. For that money the children receive vitamins, parasite treatments, medications as available and a bag of food weighing about 50 lbs. An example of what they would receive every month would be: beans, rice, sugar, salt, powder milk, soap for bathing and washing clothes plus about a half dozen other things that we change out each month, along with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Our Personnel
Nancy Sheldon
Founder // Director
Doug and Sandy Reid
Embrace Communication Coordinator
Abner Jose
Coordinator Embrace Program
Join us in supporting the children of Guatemala! Sponsor A Child and a make a difference ONE LIFE AT A TIME!
What Sponsors Say
