Sending Out Servants
a mission of presence with the Maya in Guatemala
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
We are Sending Out Servants (SOS), a Catholic Lay Mission, non-denominational outreach, serving as a Ministry of Presence among the indigenous Maya in the remote and mountainous Quiché area of Guatemala by visiting their homes and conducting Christian programs for kids, teens and adults. Our primary focus is in developing a long term relationship of mutual trust and respect with the indigenous Maya. SOS is also involved in conducting missions of presence and full Vision Clinics close to where the impoverished indigenous Maya live, providing education on maintaining healthy eyes, assembling and dispensing prescription glasses for distance, astigmatism, bi-focals, reading and sun glasses; counseling and referring both candidates for Cataract surgeries and patients needing medical referrals
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Educational, Medical & Community Development
S.O.S. Assistance Programs are developed to help Maya men, women and children.
Programs include:
Educational: scholarship programs for Maya children, teachers salaries, rural computer labs, bible studies for adults and children, textbooks, bibles and school supplies.
Medical: weekly rural medical wellness clinic, medical equipment and medicines, eyeglasses and eye surgeries.
Community Development: adobe stoves and water filters, sewing co-op, school windows, doors and desks.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Educational, Medical & Community Development
Context Notes
people served in both, faith missions and medical missions
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
SOS's sole source of funding is from the generosity of individual donors. SOS administrative costs are less than 5% of donations. Over 95% goes directly to benefit the children, adults and their communities.
Financial support is needed in two areas:
• To help sustain the ongoing work of the SOS organization in its efforts to bring hope to the indigenous Maya in Quiché, Guatemala, for a better quality of life.
• To make concrete improvements in the lives of the Maya through our SOS Assistance Programs. Funds for these ongoing programs have made it possible to provide the materials to build wood-burning stoves, to buy prescription eye glasses, to cover the costs in making cataract surgery available for rural Maya communities, to support medical expenses of Maya people desperate in need of financial resources, to support financially Caritas' Community Development programs and much more...
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. To strengthen and build community within the host country as we help them reach their expressed goals.
2. To promote self-reliance and independence amongst members of the Maya communities in Quiché, Guatemala, by helping them to teach each other and by never doing for them what they are able to do for themselves.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
SOS facilitates three to four one to two weeks mission trips a year to Guatemala. It is the liaison for arranging the mission visits with the Guatemalan hosts; it recruits and prepares team members, plans the mission activities, coordinates the mission activities with the in-country leaders, accompanies the teams while on mission, and arranges all transportation and lodging. SOS coordinates/facilitates post mission trips activities by helping returning team members to continue growing from their mission experiences.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
SOS Vision Mission Clinics accomplishments:
• over 5,500 Maya patients attended
• over 2,500 Maya patients received prescription glasses
• over 3,000 Maya patients received reading glasses
• over 1,500 Maya patients received sunglasses
• over 250 Maya patients received cataract surgery
Other accomplishments...
• sent more than 900 missioners on more than 55 mission visits to Quiché, Guatemala.
• donated over 200 computers.
• visited more than 8 schools every year in Quiché, Guatemala, supported by the SOS Guardian Angel Educational Fund (GAEF) that provided over $550,000 for scholarships, teacher salaries and educational materials
• supported financially an emergency medical fund for people in extreme poverty run by Caritas in Quiché, Guatemala, since 2012.
• supported financially the catechism program of the Diocese of Quiché\ since 2012.
• supported financially the community work of the Lauritas Sisters in the town of Chinique, Quiché, Guatemala.
• and many more...
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Sending Out Servants
Board of directorsas of 04/29/2019
Rev. Tom Ponzini
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Manvel, TX
Mr. Lonel E. mejía
QuantuSUR
Re. Tom Ponzini
Leonel E. Mejía
Connie Braren
Ernest Braren
Jackson Parker
Linda Parker
Joe Ruiz
Deacon Dominic Romaguera
Marilyn Henry
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes