What We Do | dreamsteps
top of page

Christmas Dinner 2019

This year's Christmas dinner was one for the books!  We were able to accommodate more than 500 people for a nutritious meal, along with providing each child with a toy that the families could not otherwise afford. The meals were traditional in keeping with the Guatemalan holiday customs.

​

Check out our gallery to see more photos!

School Supplies

Many children in third world and developing countries, are unable to pursue an education simply because they cannot afford the necessary school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, and crayons. Our children's sponsors provide an opportunity for them to pursue their dreams by assisting with this fundamental need.

Bunk Beds and Smiles

Deliveries of bunk beds to needy families in August brought excitement, smiles, and signs of gratitude.  Thank you to all our donors for making this possible!

Projects With Children

Dream Team 2018 visited schools for underprivileged children and did fun activities with children in orphanages, and a program that works with the children that live in the Guatemala City dump.  

Evacuated Children

Dream Steps donations provided for stuffed animals to children evacuated due to the tragic eruption of Volcan Fuego.

Volcan Fuego

In June 2018, Volcan Fuego in Guatemala erupted quickly engulfing villages, leaving behind stories of tragedy and an evacuee crisis.  Through relief efforts and caring donors, Dream Steps Internationalwas able to deliver supplies directly to the evacuees.  Items delivered included food, clothing, bedding, towels, formula, medication, water, etc.  

Visiting Jimmy

Jimmy is one of our sponsored children with an amazing story!  We recently recently visited with Jimmy and his mom, bringing Jimmy a New York Yankees T-shirt and a birthday cake from his sponsor.  This year his birthday was a wonderful celebration of possibilities!

Sponsorships for Education

Once of the best ways to break the cycle of poverty, and create a lasting impact, is to sponsor a child's education.  Your help can enable a  child to reach their potential in situations where an education seems to be an unattainable goal.  If you would like to sponsor the education of a needy youth,  just send us a message to let us know!   

Bunk Beds

Many hands make many smiles.  Dream Steps was able to help 15 families receive bunk beds for their children!  We could not have done this without your loving support.  These families will forever be grateful for this special gift, it means the world to them, and us!!

Christmas Dinner 2017

We would like to thank all who helped contribute to give a Christmas dinner to 430 people!!  Hundreds of children received a stuffed toy as their very own gift to love!

Quick Visits

In July 2017, we visited two of the orphanages that we help support and that our December team will be visiting.

​

Tragedy in Guatemala

In March 2017, brought about a national tragedy in Guatemala, when a fire broke out in a  government-run orphanage in San Jose Pinula.  Over 40 girls died as a result of being locked inside a room, and many others were transferred to two hospitals that were ill-equipped to handle burn cases such as this.   It was found that the facility, which was licensed to have 500 children in residence, had over 800 youths in their care.  Hundreds of children needed to be relocated to other orphanages located throughout Guatemala, which were already stretched to their limits in numbers and resources.  Through generous donations of our Dream Steps International family of supporters, additional beds were supplied to two orphanages accepting relocated children, and financial donations were sent to two others.  It was amazing how quickly people came together to help ease the burden of these circumstances, and show love to these children with no place to call home.

Scholarships

In January 2017, Dream Steps International facilitated 3 new high school scholarships in Guatemala, for young people who would not have been able to continue their education without your help.  Their smiles, upon hearing the news, said it all. There were also 2 new scholarships distributed in Bluefields, Nicaragua, for needy children there.  Education is the key to the future, not only for the student, but for their families as well.

Christmas Dinner 2016

In December 2016, we were fortunate enough to be hosting our second Christmas Dinner!! Last year we were able to host the same dinner for 200 people in the area of Santa Catarina Pinula. This year we've exceeded our expectations with almost 400 in attendance! We were able to gift not only a wonderful meal, but clothing and toys for the children. Our hearts are exploding with gratitude, and we could not have done this without your support!!

Day of the Child

In September 2016, Dream Steps was a partner in a celebration for the Day of the Child at a school in Quetzeltepeque, about 5-6 hours outside of Guatemala City.  The children had cupcakes and received some little gifts, got to break open piñatas, and had fried chicken for lunch.  For many of the children, this was the first time that they had eaten fried chicken, and about half of them saved their chicken to bring it home to their mothers.  In addition, each child was able to bring home a bag that contained beans, rice, and spaghetti.  Joshua said it was a special day for everyone….children and volunteers alike.

Celebrating a Life

In August 2016, Dream Steps became aware of a mother who had just lost her son in a motorcycle accident.

He was 19.  She didn’t have money for his funeral expenses, or even enough to have his body released to her.  Thanks to our supporters, we were able to raise exactly what we needed to pay these expenses as well as for a traditional prayer service that is held 9 days after the funeral, which actually fell on what would have been the young man’s 20th birthday.  The mother expressed her gratitude for each and every one of the people who contributed, making it possible for her to bury her son with dignity.

Making Connections

In May 2016, Mary Sutphen and team, traveled from the United States and met up with Joshua Muñoz and family in Guatemala.  They visited three orphanages to spend time with the children.  There were activities such as coloring and stickers, basketball, manicures, soccer and a pizza party. 

​

We also had the honor of working with an organization that works in the dump in Guatemala City.  They opened a school at the dump for the children that live there with their families.   The families, including the children, usually labor in the dump for up to 12 hours a day, scavenging for about $1 a day.  This school is working towards breaking that cycle.   We brought birthday cakes and piñatas to celebrate with the children who had birthdays over the past few months.  For some of these children, it was the first time they had ever had a birthday cake. It was a truly wonderful experience.

Christmas Dinner 2015

In December 2015, Dream Steps was able to provide a Christmas dinner and stuffed animals as gifts, to 200 people In Santa Catarina Pinula, an area where there was a mudslide in October 2015. There was also a day of fun with piñatas for the children. 

Bus Scare

In November 2015, Dream Steps International helped a young man, 19 years old, that was traveling on a bus, when it was boarded by armed teenagers.  As he tried to escape, he was shot in the leg.  After being treated at a local hospital, infection later set in, and the leg had not healed properly.  The metal rods that were inserted in November, needed to be surgically removed, and his family did not have the money.

Please reload

bottom of page