When Milton hit in early October 2024, BBF’s partner network led us to the Guatemalan Maya Center, a community-based nonprofit serving uprooted children and families in Florida’s Palm Beach County and other areas. The nonprofit was launched to serve the Guatemalan population fleeing the Silent Genocide in the 1980s, and through the community they have built, they are able to serve a population relatively detached from the local safety net.

During the Guatemalan genocide (also known as the Silent Holocaust), the Guatemalan military government massacred the Maya Indigenous civilian population during the Guatemalan Civil War (1960-1996). After fleeing to the United States, many Maya refugees struggled to establish themselves in their new home. Father Frank O’Loughlin founded The Guatemalan-Maya Center to lobby and advocate for the migrant community. The nonprofit now runs multiple programs including community outreach, a food bank, early literacy centers, and a medical clinic.

Mariana Blanco, Director of Operations shared that, “A large part of the community we serve are Indigenous Maya folks from Guatemala, though we will assist anyone who walks through our door… Our community is primarily made up of farm workers and day-laborers and the services we provide are bridges to the language and cultural barriers that exist within our communities. Annually we serve over 16,000 families.”

Milton’s tornadoes devastated farming communities between West Palm Beach and the Glades, such as Loxahatchee. The housing destruction has an outsized impact on the Maya population, as it is common for multiple families to live in a single-family home. Across the board, members of the Maya community were physically injured, lost power, and faced food insecurity and unemployment.

Mariana and her team used BBF’s grant to provide assistance to those directly impacted by the tornadoes. This initiative helped people find new homes, buy food, cover medical expenses, and address the needs of children and babies.

“We pride ourselves on listening to the needs of our community and meeting very individual needs, knowing that one-size does not fit all…. We recognize that because of the history our community has, trust is lacking between our communities and services in place to support them, and oftentimes our folks won’t seek help due to that same mistrust. We are here to help bridge those gaps and ensure that the assistance that is available for our community is going directly to meet those needs.” – Mariana Blanco, Director of Operations, Guatemalan Maya Center