Relief Efforts for Victims of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala

Photo: Ahora Noticias

When Guatemala’s Fuego volcano erupted on June 3, villages, coffee farms and a golf resort downslope were consumed in just minutes by a pyroclastic flow — a fast-moving mixture of hot gas and volcanic rock. When an eruption releases mixtures that are denser than air, it forms a toxic landslide, careening downhill at speeds between 30 and 90 miles per hour and temperatures up to 1,300 degrees.  Article in The New York Times

On Sunday, June 3rd, 2018, Volcán Fuego, near Guatemala City, erupted killing at least 99 people. San Lucas Tolimán (which is near the volcano)is safe and has not been affected, but please keep our brothers and sisters in Guatemala in your thoughts and prayers. Friends of San Lucas Tolimán

We are thinking about all those affected by this week's devastating eruption at Volcán de Fuego. The blast occurred about 70 miles away from the farmer groups we work with but only about 20 miles southeast of San Lucas Toliman, where Bill Harris will be volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in November...Volcanic ash could affect residents across the country, but most of the devastating debris and lava is affecting communities at the base of the volcano. Our thoughts are with those families and rescue workers on-site. Café Campesino

Suggested Donation Sites
Please consider donating through this GoFundMe page that was recommended by Geoffrey Hennies, webmaster, the webmaster for Café Campesino, who lives in Guatemala. The money is passed to Micoope, a local credit union/co-op that is organizing a fundraising effort in the country.

Other groups working on relief and donation efforts include the local Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, the Miguel Vargas Association, the Rotary Club of Guatemala and additional entities listed on Go Fund Me's official relief page.

The following article was posted on the Café Campesino blog shortly before the disaster took place. We will send updates on our November trip to San Lucas Toliman as Habitat for Humanity works to determine the needs of Guatemalan communities.