In the fall of 2006 Richard and Susan opened a community house near Antigua, in Guatemala in response to the ever-increasing number of people who want to serve the poor of Guatemala .

Rationale

Historically, out-of-country humanitarian service was mostly carried out by the religious (Missionaries). This required a time commitment that ordinary people, with jobs and family responsibilities, were unable to make. However the service volunteers of Oneness did not have a lesser desire to be of service, but the reality of such a dream, for many was beyond their scope, and so Oneness Through Service - Guatemala was born.

Mission Statement

"Oneness" is a spiritually based organization, to promote, encourage, support and assist those seeking ways to serve others. We aspire to unite men and women of all faiths to address the overwhelming problems of the human condition.

Satisfying the Need

It has become very clear to Richard and Susan, that once North Americans have had the opportunity to connect with people living in dire poverty in countries like Guatemala, there comes an understanding of our shared humanity, and they begin to take the mission of human liberation, justice and dignity very seriously.

"After Experience"

Spreading the word - transforming the world - one person at a time.
The common experience of individuals giving through serving others, is that they often experience a personal spiritual transformation, which leaves them inspired to become part of a global solution. Not only do they wish to return for longer periods of time, but more importantly, they become "advocates" for the poor within their families, circle of friends, their faith groups and the communities in which they live and work.

Why a Community House?

The obvious reason is to provide a centre by which individuals of service can be received and orientated. This centre facilitates reflection on their daily service, in a community environment, thus deepening their spiritual experience.

To date, the community house has done an excellent job of fulfilling its mandate of offering opportunity for service, as well as encouragement and support to volunteers experiencing the rigors of working amongst the poorest of the poor. Without exception, teams have contributed to establishing a truly positive atmosphere in the house, which serves as an inspirational refuge for all.

For the first three years, the house was open only six months a year for volunteer teams. Since then, teams of service have been able to come throughout all twelve months. This helps cover the expenses of operating this facility, which has a lease until April, 2012.

In April of 2009, Pam and Rich Garman from Wisconsin took on the mammoth task of running the community house for three months and hosted a number of teams from the United States. Since then they have volunteered each spring to bring teams down from the U.S.A. to serve the marginalized of Guatemala."

In the summer of 2010, Guy and Shirley Robitaille ran the community house and brought down teams from the Ottawa Valley, They have continued to be hosts for service teams during some of the winter months as well.

These committed couples have many gifts to share with the community, and Richard and Susan feel confident that both possess the personal qualities and necessary skills to further the goals of Oneness Through Service – Guatemala. The Canadian and American friends are a contingency of hard working, enthusiastic, volunteers, and we hope that they will continue to work together to improve the lives of Guatemala's poorest people.