We are a 501(c)(3) non profit based in New Jersey

Our tax ID is 20-1682549

Joe Collins - From Houses to Homes, Founder & Executive Director
info@fromhousestohomes.org

Joe Collins is a licensed New Jersey private investigator who first became familiar with the needs of the Guatemalan community when, in 1999, he visited his son Darron who was studying the language and culture of the Q'eqhi'-Maya people, an indigenous group in northern Guatemala. During his stay, he witnessed firsthand the devastating extent of poverty in Guatemala and, profoundly impacted by his trip, he began volunteering for an organization in 2001 that gathered service teams to build homes for the poor. He returned home empowered to further help families, and with generous help from friends, raised funds for this organization and returned to Guatemala on 11 different occasions, sometimes for 3 months at a time, to enhance the building efforts of that organization. Recognizing family homes as the cornerstone for improving lives and developing communities, Joe started From Houses to Homes (De Casas a Hogares) in late 2004, providing individual families with a better home and a fresh start in life. Joe does not take a salary from From Houses to Homes.

Judith Baker - From Houses to Homes, Director
judybaker@fromhousestohomes.org

My first trip to Guatemala was in 1996 where we adopted the first of our 2 children. I had never seen such poverty before in my life and was never able to get it out of my mind. When Joe Collins told me he was starting FHTH, I was very excited and wanted to be involved. My family volunteered for the first time in 2006. Since then our family has returned every summer to volunteer with FHTH. We have built 6 homes to date. I love working with the beautiful people of Guatemala because they are probably, the most grateful people I have ever met. It does not matter how little or how big the gesture, the gratitude is deeply felt. I consider all the people we work with my extended family.

in Guatemala

De Casas a Hogares

Oscar Mejia - De Casas a Hogares, Project Director
oscar@fromhousestohomes.org

I was born in Santa Rosa De Lima, Santa Rosa department in 1,971. My father died about five days before I born, for that reason my mother, my older brother and I separated of my father’s family and start to live in a town close to Guatemala City where my mom found a job to take care of us. I am the second of my two brothers and a sister. In that time my older brother started to live with my grandparents and the reason was because the salary that my mom was earning wasn’t enough. Two years later my sister was born and four more years later my second brother was born too, they were from different father who never helped my mother with nothing. Some years later, my mother decided to live with a stepfather that I never liked, for that reason I escaped from home. I went to live with my grandparents. They took care of me for some year but they couldn’t continue to support me because for their economic situation too. My grandmother found an orphanage in Ciudad Vieja which is close to Antigua Guatemala. In that orphanage I had the necessary things to educate me. They helped much for about nine years until I graduated of high school. After that I started to live alone. I started to work in a private school earning Q.300.00 a month, which was my first salary. I tried to continue studying at the only state college in Guatemala for two years but I couldn’t continue because my economic situation wasn’t enough to support myself. Then I changed of work to try to earn more but without much successful. Since that time I had about five different jobs. In the last one, which is an NGO, I was working for approximately eight years. In that job I learned very good things to help the poor people of my country. In December of 2004 I started to work for From Houses To Homes, since that time until today I have been working for this project. I married in 1998 with Lorena, who is a wonderful woman and a very nice person. We have three children, two sons and daughter. I am very proud of my wife and my children.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
I enjoy working for my people because I know how their situation is. I lived with a similar style of life that they have and I can understand how they feel living in very poor conditions. Besides, it feels good to know that there are other people from different countries who want to see little by little some change in our country through their support. I think this is something that worth it to do for all those who still hope to receives something to change their lives.

Carmen Dardon, Secretary

I was born in Guatemala City in March 1985, I live in Jocotenango and I have two sisters and one bother, my father died 5 years ago so I live near my mom, sisters, two nephews and my little son Josue who is two years old. I fell very happy to have a big family because we can share together living in the same house.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP POOR PEOPLE IN MY COUNTRY
Guatemala is a very poor country and there are many people that don’t have a good place to live, they usually live in shacks with dirt floors and some families have many children. It’s sad to see the need of all these people but through this project we can help some of these families by providing a safe home, education and healthcare. For me is very pleasant to see how happy we can make all these families when they receive a new house from us. I feel very happy to be part of this organization and I hope that it can grow so that we can continue making happy more families. I also want to thank to all volunteers and benefactors for their support and interest to help our country.

Henio Wilfredo Pérez Garrido

I was born in Villa Canales, which is part of Guatemala City, in 1,977. I belong to a very poor family. I am the sixth of my brothers and sisters. Now I live in San Felipe de Jesús, which is part of Antigua Guatemala. As of today I live in the same site with my wife, my parents, some of my brother and sisters and other relatives.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY First, I work at FHTH because Joe Collins is giving me the opportunity to be part of his work team. I like to work for the people like my family, who are poor too but for the benefit of the communities. I also, enjoy seeing the happiness of the people when we finish a house, especially when they know that we also are Guatemalans.

Juan José López

I was born in Masagua, Escuintla department in 1,983. Guatemala is a very poor country but it’s people always smiling. I have family, father, mother and four brothers. My parents are separated since 20 years ago. I was and still very poor. I suffered too much. I started to work when I was fifteen years old and I like to work very much. Now I have a wife and two very little but beautiful daughters. We live in San Felipe de Jesús which is close to Antigua.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
God helps much if we help others. I am poor too and I know everything about suffer. We have to help us each other and because I have a family, I need to think in the future of my daughters and in the future of the others. God bless Joe because he is helping the poor people.

Fernando Martin García Yucuté

I was born in Guatemala City in 1,989. I live in San Felipe which is close to Antigua Guatemala. I live together with all my family. I am the older. I am studying daily in the nights. I like to live with my family. My mother’s name is María Pedrina and I am very happy to have a family.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
I am doing this kind of work because I like to help the poor people and to all those that need help to have a better place to live.

Saul Leonardo Linares

I was born in La Antigua Guatemala, My sister and I were living in an orphanage for many years since I was 6 years old, my mother died in that time. Four years later my uncle and his wife took us to live in Guatemala City with some other relatives. When I was 14 years old, my sister and I came back to Antigua Guatemala to live with my uncle and his wife. For approximately two years, I had some help from another NGO to continue studying. Now I live with my uncle and other relatives in the 1st. street No.4. I never met my father and now my sister lives with another family. Last year I graduated as an Accountant.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
I do this kind of work because I am really motivated to do it, besides that I have a job to help myself. In this way no one will say that I am not doing nothing for my people.

Abel Santos

I was born in Antigua Guatemala in May 18 of 1985. I am 26 years old. I’m married and I have one child. I live at my parent’s house with two of my brothers. One is married also and has three children and the other one is still single. Up to now, I am studying English. I couldn’t do it before because of my economical situation. I want to continue studying to have a better future for me and for my family.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
I like to help poor people because I feel very pleased to know that I am helping to come true the dreams of many people that don’t have a good place to live. I also like to see the smiles of all those children that we know. I don’t find the words to tell you exactly what I want to share with you but I invite you to join us to help the people of my country. You can help us to make big differences.

Edgar Piche

I was born in Santa Maria de Jesus, Sacatepéquez in April of 1989. I am not married yet and live with my family, I have three brothers and four sisters. Currently I am working to support my family. I started to work at From Houses to Homes Project in January of 2008 and I feel very happy and proud to work there. For some years, I worked in the fields around of my town, I was earning Q25 per day and that amount wasn’t enough to help my family. Now, I feel very happy with my new job. I thank God for that. I am very pleased to work with this organization because we are helping many poor people that need it. Thank God for all the people that help us. God bless them.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
Thank you so much for help me to build my house, and for help other people that live in extreme poverty. I hope to meet new friends that can support us to build more houses with education and other things.

Héctor López

I was born in Escuintla in September 1984. When I was a child I lived with my parents, grandparents and my four brothers. On 1993, was the most difficult part of my life because my parents separated and I went to live with my father and my grandparents whom died some years later. My father helped me to study. I just studied elementary school and I couldn’t continue because the salary that my dad was earning wasn’t enough to pay my tuition. I’m living in Parramos, Chimaltenango, in this town I met my wife and now we have one son. We rent a house where we live with my father and one of my brothers.

WHY I LIKE TO HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY
I am working at From Houses to Homes. In my country there is too much poverty and that affects many families. That is the reason because I like to be part of this organization. I like to help people through my work because there are many children that don’t have a good place to live; even many of them are sleeping in the floor. Thanks to all the people that are helping us with their work and economical support and remember them with all our love. Work at this project is an amazing experience and I would like to continue sharing more work with other volunteers from other countries. Thank you so much to all the people that are helping us and helped us in different ways, God bless them always.

Luis Gerardo Poncio Zamora

My name is Luis, I am 38 years old and I'm single. I live in Guatemala city, in the same house with my brothers and sisters and several nieces and nephews. I have a lot and very good friends and I like to continue knowing more people to have more friendship.

I like helping people in need of my country because it's a way of gratitude of how much I've received from this country and also from very loving and good people. And moreover because by helping the poor, we are helping our country to prosper and develop. These things make me very happy.

Dr. Norma Pacajá de Castro, Pediatrician

Dr. Velvet Lopez, Dentist

Lorena Lopez Guerra, Nurse

Lesbia Paola Sanchez Guerra, Nurse & Dental Assistant

Yessica Quintanilla de Perez, Housekeeping

Suzana Rebeca Carrillo López, Teacher, 2nd Grade of Primary, English Teacher

Alexia Nereida Romero Hernández, Teacher, 1st Grade of Primary

María Josefina González Celada, Teacher, 1st Grade of Primary