I am so grateful that I heard about Highland Support Project my freshman year in college; my college experience would not have been the same without it! I went on two volunteer trips to Guatemala with this organization. What I love most about Highland Support Project is the fact that everyone is able to help out in some way and that the organization is so open to members from all sorts of disciplines. There work that this organization does really focuses on humanitarian need and building strong relationships with countries like Guatemala that allow us to really give them the help they need. I love the personalization that Highland Support Project endorses because volunteers know exactly who they are helping and they actually get the chance to interact with the population that they are working with.
Richmond Community High School has had the opportunity to work with HSP over the last few years. HSP has coordinated efforts with student community service in our Community Garden and brought in college volunteers to work alongside our students. They were also instrumental in connecting us with engineering students from York College who developed a plan for a water catchment system for the garden.
Our high school students have attended two trips with HSP. The first in the summer of 2023 was a service learning experience to Guatemala to learn about and assist with projects in the Mayan Highlands. It was a truly life changing experience and everything was beautifully planned which took the pressure off our teacher chaperones. Last April a larger group of students traveled with HSP to White Mountain Arizona to learn about the Apache culture and reservation.
Everyone at HSP is dedicated to their mission and we look forward to many more collaborations with them.
Our experience working with Highland Support Project over the years has been such an incredible and enriching partnership. As a team leader, they make my job easy by planning everything and thinking of everything ahead of time! They are accommodating, supportive, and very skilled at hosting volunteers and travelers.
The actual experience on the trip- learning about and from the local people and culture, history and current programs and getting to work alongside people transforming their own communities is an incredible experience. I cannot say enough about the impact on our community and how we are prompted to see the world and act in it differently. This is why we keep going back.
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I partnered with HSP and AMA to create the best cultural, learning, and trip experience for my youth team in our history. The way that our participants were prepared, guided, and led to build relationships while learning from and working next to local folks was beautiful. Our entire church community has been impacted and moved from the stories that our youth have shared upon their return.
HSP's work goes beyond simply providing community aid. They have always been about facilitating transformational change locally and abroad. The mission of their service and educational campaigns puts community empowerment first, having a tangible impact on people's quality of life. Lupe and Ben have put their heart into HSP since it was founded, and the care and effort that they put into their mission shows in the results of the HSP team's work and the strength of their community relationships.
Highland Support Project is so full of life. I love that they seek to make changes that last while building awareness. Their heart for the community is steadfast and pure and it shows in their sincere relationships with the communities they partner with. I can't wait to see what more they will accomplish.
I served as a trip leader for our church high school group which partnered with HSP. HSP was an amazing partner. Lupe was incredibly organized, flexible, sensitive and inspiring. It was a remarkable learning experience for our youth to discover more about local Mayan communities, histories and strengths. As a university instructor I have partnered with other nonprofits in Central America and HSP was partiularly remarkable. I would recommend it without hesitation!
I had the great pleasure of working with HSP through a pro bono initiative over the last few years. HSP does groundbreaking development work that is truly empowering to the women in this local community. They focus on providing sustainable, equitable resources, breaking from the dependency-focused approach that so many NGOs in this region unfortunately take. Keep up the good work!
My experience with HSP is a few years back now ... I felt like we were doing real work providing housing for war widows and their families. For anyone who is dedicated to service and wishes to see real people who are coming together to do relief and social justice the Highland Support Project is a class act! They've been around I'm guessing almost 20 years now providing housing, job skills training, immunizations and health screening. They provide supplies at reasonable prices to indigenous craftsmen and artisans... as well as supporting a market for their goods. They are dedicated to outreach and education about community, poverty, and how to cooperatively find solutions. I am always willing to give my time and resources to a fine organization such as this.
While working as a staff member for another Guatemalan NGO in Quetzaltenango, I had the pleasure of witness the Highland Support Project and AMA's inspiring work. Their emphasis on women's empowerment, their focus on working to break down dependence, and their longterm commitment to specific communities provides an excellent model for grassroots development and empowerment. HSP/AMA has a commitment to ethical practice that is rarely witnessed in the development field and has made a significant impact in the 20 years they have worked in the Guatemalan Highlands. I always readily use their organization as an example of Best Practice in grassroots development. Keep up the great work!!