Covid has presented new challenges to our organization in so many ways. Since March, Hondurans have only been allowed out of their homes one day every other week. Buying food at the markets to distribute to our families and keeping our artisan shop open presented huge obstacles. We did have to temporarily close our shop, but Roberto, our director, got creative with distributing food. Local friends also helped him on their days off delivering food to families on motorcycles.

In November of 2020, two Category 4 hurricanes, Eta and Iota, ravaged Honduras. Many people lost everything they had including homes and family members. The torrential rains tore off the side of a mountain in one city. The damage was widespread and severe. Our staff went to work repairing roofs and giving out food to those in need. With the economy largely shut down already because of Covid, the economy and people are struggling to get back on their feet.

We partnered with our Honduran friend, who has a construction ministry, to build a home for a Second Wind Family who had gone through some tough things in life. The father, Melvin, had a head injury and was not able to return to work. The mom, Nidiya, suffered from depression. Together, they have three kids. In Honduras, a new home means a new life. Melvin has since helped other families repair their homes out of his gratitude!

Pacheco (on the left) worked as a bus driver several years ago when he turned the bus down a street in gang-controlled territory. While this isn't unusual, Pacheco didn't know his company forgot to pay the bribe necessary to pick up passengers in this area. Because of this, the gang leader shot Pacheco and he has very limited physical capabilities from the waist down. Our director, Roberto (on the right) built a support structure for him and a prosthesis company built a support for his legs and hips to help him stand for short periods of time. We are hopeful he will be able to take steps on his own someday!

Each family receives two weeks of food per month. Every month, we deliver 865 pounds of food. They receive staples such as coffee, pasta, sauce, sugar, beans, rice, and corn meal and lard for making tortillas. They also receive rotisserie chickens for Christmas. Our purchases of food also provide many months' worth of income for the local Hondurans from who we buy it.

Our families recently helped sell doughnuts to raise money for a water mattress for a young man, Cristiano, in our foundation. Cristiano was driving a bus when he entered gang territory. Because the bus company didn't pay a bribe to the gang, they shot Cristiano leaving him partially paralyzed. The mattress provides relief from bed sores.

A family in our foundation was in need of a concrete floor. A team from Tennessee graciously provided the materials and manpower to put in a floor for this family who has several children as well as a new baby. Dirt harbors parasites so this family will have less of a chance of contracting germs and parasites.

A team from New Jersey blessed nine of our families with brand new water filters. Some of our Second Wind staff hand-welded stands for the filters to sit on in their modest homes. We're so grateful for this gift of clean water that will keep our families healthy for years to come.