Volunteer opportunities
Past projects:
Future Projects:
Stand With Me project of 12 people will be in Xenacoj, Guatemala from March 4-11th.
Transportation: 2 vehicles: 1 twelve passenger van, 1 pickup truck
Food:
- Breakfast: will plan to eat breakfast at our hotel each day
- Lunch: take-out pizza and simple sandwiches
- Dinner: at hotel vs in town depending on location and timing
Gran plan:
Example Daily schedule from March 2023 Guatemala project:
Saturday 3 /4
Arrive @ airport
Sunday 3/5
Arrive to Xenacoj, Guatemala to hotel Casa San Bartolome in rental vehicles.
~3 PM Meet at factory to review the location and discuss roles and week plan
Dinner in Antigua @ Ni-Fu Ni-Fa Steakhouse
Monday 3/6
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7 am depart for factory meet MI/beeline team
Team A: 8am - 3pm distribution of 10 standing frames
3-6pm media and
Team B: 8am -5pm workshop
6pm dinner and debrief
Tuesday 3/7
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7 am depart for factory meet MI/beeline team
Team A: 8am - 5pm distribution of 12 standing frames
Team B: 8am -5pm workshop
6pm dinner and debrief
Wednesday 3/8
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7am - 12PM Clinic 1 @ CERMAS in San Andres Iztapa, Guatemala with therapist and patients
1pm -5pm home visits, equine therapy
7pm dinner and debrief @ hotel
Thursday 3/9
7 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
8am - 12PM Clinic 2 @ Sonrisas Angelicas in Comalapa, Guatemala therapist and patients
1pm -5pm home visits
7pm dinner and debrief @ hotel
Friday 3/10
8 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
9am-2pm local orphanage visitation and distribution of 1 standing frame and 2 wheelchairs.
6pm meeting with 1st patient Darlene and family in Xenacoj, Guatemala
8pm dinner @ San Martin in San Lucas, Guatemala
Saturday 3/11
Travel to Guatemala city
Flights out
Basic logistics
Health info:
COVID situation: You are not required to have a COVID vaccine or negative test within 72 hrs to fly to Guatemala or return to the USA, although I would recommend having documentation of one or the other to avoid any potential issues. There are no internal Stand With Me project requirements for COVID testing or vaccine although both are recommended.
Recommended vaccinations per CDC for travel to Guatemala include measles mumps rubella, polio, shingles, diphtheria, influenza, chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles. Malaria is not endemic to the regions in which we will be traveling so you do not need prophylactic malaria medicine or mosquito nets. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guatemala
Regarding your cellular phone device. You can check with your carrier about travel to Guatemala, however I know that Verizon has a policy that I think is $10 per day to continue your utilization of your phone Internet and cell service just like you’re in the US. The service might be a bit more spotty, but you should be able to have reasonable contact with friends and family back in the US use your apps, have access to email, texting and very spotty FaceTime. Probably worth the money. If not other people will probably be willing to share/split phone sue with you.
Rules: Please try to stay together as a group at all times starting in the airport, we should never have fewer than 3 people together at anytime. This will help keep everyone safe. Please refrain from use of drugs and alcohol while on the project as your actions reflect on the SWM organization.
Factory address: Carretera Interamericana CA1 km 40, Entrada Santo Domingo Xenacoj no.246, Sacatepequez, Guatemala
- Come on an international project (more info below).
- Help from home: we need assistance with legal, taxes, finance, event planning, fundraising, media, language and interpreting, physical therapy training.
Past projects:
- Peru & Guatemala in June & July 2015: 4-person team
- 2017 Guatemala in July: 8-person team
- 2018 Guatemala in November: 2-person team
- 2019 Guatemala & Peru in August: 1-person
- 2023Guatemala in March 2023: 12-person team
Future Projects:
- Ethiopia 2023
- Guatemala 2024 spring
Stand With Me project of 12 people will be in Xenacoj, Guatemala from March 4-11th.
- Natalia Eskenasy in country logisitc support with hotel, meals and clinic/distribution coordination.
- Mark Richard is Director and founder of Beeline Wheelchiars.
Transportation: 2 vehicles: 1 twelve passenger van, 1 pickup truck
Food:
- Breakfast: will plan to eat breakfast at our hotel each day
- Lunch: take-out pizza and simple sandwiches
- Dinner: at hotel vs in town depending on location and timing
Gran plan:
- 1) Distribute new standing frames to new patient:
- distribute a total of 20 new standing frames over 2 separate days at the factory.
- will attempt to set up visit to local orphanage.
- 2) Follow up with existing patients that already have standing frames:
- Visist at least 2 local PT clinics (maybe an ADISA or FUNDA BIEN or Hope Have type of place) and have them bring several (2-4) current patients to the clinic that we can follow up with their local therapist for an appointment so we can see their progress and meet the physical therapist that are taking care of these patients long-term
- visit 4-6 patients in their homes to record their history and how the standing frame is making a difference for the patient and their family.
- 3) Improve standing frame production:
- review and improve material sourcing, design, production, and cost, alterations.
- optimize layout of CNC prints to minimize material waste.
- 4) Share information globally:
- finalize pilot program manual version.
- prepare hub manual for Ethiopia use in 2024
- 5) Media:
- Daily blog outlining the daily activities of the project with photos.
- 4 patient impact stories approximately 1 page each emphasizing/highlighting different standing therapy benefits.
- Every patient we meet (20-30) should get at least a short paragraph and photo.
- Interview with Pedro about making standing frames.
- Videos: short 2 min SWM overview, long 10 min SWM overview, 4x 2 minute patient stories, 5 mins making a standing frame, 3 mins using/adjusting a standing frame
- Website: outline SWM history, curate quality photos only
- Short summative donor-based email outlining project accomplishments
Example Daily schedule from March 2023 Guatemala project:
Saturday 3 /4
Arrive @ airport
Sunday 3/5
Arrive to Xenacoj, Guatemala to hotel Casa San Bartolome in rental vehicles.
~3 PM Meet at factory to review the location and discuss roles and week plan
Dinner in Antigua @ Ni-Fu Ni-Fa Steakhouse
Monday 3/6
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7 am depart for factory meet MI/beeline team
Team A: 8am - 3pm distribution of 10 standing frames
3-6pm media and
Team B: 8am -5pm workshop
6pm dinner and debrief
Tuesday 3/7
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7 am depart for factory meet MI/beeline team
Team A: 8am - 5pm distribution of 12 standing frames
Team B: 8am -5pm workshop
6pm dinner and debrief
Wednesday 3/8
6 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
7am - 12PM Clinic 1 @ CERMAS in San Andres Iztapa, Guatemala with therapist and patients
1pm -5pm home visits, equine therapy
7pm dinner and debrief @ hotel
Thursday 3/9
7 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
8am - 12PM Clinic 2 @ Sonrisas Angelicas in Comalapa, Guatemala therapist and patients
1pm -5pm home visits
7pm dinner and debrief @ hotel
Friday 3/10
8 am team breakfast, overview and devotional
9am-2pm local orphanage visitation and distribution of 1 standing frame and 2 wheelchairs.
6pm meeting with 1st patient Darlene and family in Xenacoj, Guatemala
8pm dinner @ San Martin in San Lucas, Guatemala
Saturday 3/11
Travel to Guatemala city
Flights out
Basic logistics
Health info:
COVID situation: You are not required to have a COVID vaccine or negative test within 72 hrs to fly to Guatemala or return to the USA, although I would recommend having documentation of one or the other to avoid any potential issues. There are no internal Stand With Me project requirements for COVID testing or vaccine although both are recommended.
Recommended vaccinations per CDC for travel to Guatemala include measles mumps rubella, polio, shingles, diphtheria, influenza, chickenpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles. Malaria is not endemic to the regions in which we will be traveling so you do not need prophylactic malaria medicine or mosquito nets. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/guatemala
Regarding your cellular phone device. You can check with your carrier about travel to Guatemala, however I know that Verizon has a policy that I think is $10 per day to continue your utilization of your phone Internet and cell service just like you’re in the US. The service might be a bit more spotty, but you should be able to have reasonable contact with friends and family back in the US use your apps, have access to email, texting and very spotty FaceTime. Probably worth the money. If not other people will probably be willing to share/split phone sue with you.
Rules: Please try to stay together as a group at all times starting in the airport, we should never have fewer than 3 people together at anytime. This will help keep everyone safe. Please refrain from use of drugs and alcohol while on the project as your actions reflect on the SWM organization.
Factory address: Carretera Interamericana CA1 km 40, Entrada Santo Domingo Xenacoj no.246, Sacatepequez, Guatemala