Take a minute and count how many times in an average week you use your car to see other people. Do you drive to work? Drop kids off at school? Go to church? Meet a friend for coffee? Take a class? 

Now consider how your family and your connection to your community would change without access to that car. Even if you live in a reasonably walkable neighborhood, your sense of community would likely decrease quickly if you weren’t able to drive to the places where you see people most often. 

Now imagine if there were a place in your neighborhood, or even on your street, where you could meet up with friends, get a hot meal, take computer classes, and your kids could have a safe place to play with friends. And it’s within walking distance from your house.

From Underserved to Empowered

In the most impoverished parts of the world, many people lack access to healthcare, education, running water, and safe housing, and have lost hope about the future. But hope is possible, even in the hardest places. 

Along with local partners, we're working to create sustainable impact in underserved communities, breaking the cycle of generational poverty and illiteracy,  so that kids and families can have hope for a different future–all within walking distance of their homes. 

Hope Community Center

More than a year ago, God gave Dino and Kenzie Herrera the vision to build a community center in Milton Bight on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Dino had previous experience in managing a community center on the mainland. But they knew starting something from scratch would be a huge undertaking. 

At the beginning of 2023, Dino and Kenzie started taking small steps. They looked at land for sale, talked to influential people on the island, and explored every option to make the community center come to life. They also spent as much time as possible in Milton, building relationships, getting to know the people, and discovering real, felt needs. 

In just a few short months, dreams became reality and the Herreras secured a small apartment to rent and established the first community center in Milton Bight. 

Meeting Needs

The center is currently feeding 50-60 kids 4 days a week. Other ministries include tutoring, helping with homework, leading a weekly soccer program, and hosting monthly community events. 

In September 2023, the community center received a donation of 16 laptops and started offering computer classes. For people in Milton Bight, learning basic computer skills can have a significant impact on future school and work opportunities. 

Empowering a Community

The impact of the community center goes far beyond homework help and sports. The community center provides structure and healthy, wholesome activities for kids to fill their free time, which keeps them from getting bored and looking for drugs or getting into other trouble. Kids get to connect with caring adults in meaningful relationships. Moms and other adults from the community lend a helping hand each day to cook, clean, and lead activities. 

Education in impoverished areas is crucial. Without an education, people have no hope of providing for their families. Many children have a strong desire to excel in school but need help understanding their work. They often don't have a parent at home that can help. The regular assistance they receive through the community center not only helps them achieve greater success in school but also gives them hope for a better future. It gives them options that may not have been accessible to them without intervention.

Lasting Impact

It’s easy to see the immediate change that can happen in kids and families through a local resource like Hope Community Center. But we believe there can be a much greater impact. The Herreras continue to build relationships with people in the community and are seeking out those who can lend leadership to the community center. This includes volunteers who can tutor, teach soccer skills, or serve food. It also includes parents who can work at the community center and earn a livable wage–instead of paying to take public transportation halfway across the island to work 12 hours a day for a few dollars.

Eventually, the community center will provide ESL classes, basic job training, more computer skills classes, and trade education for not only the kids but also the adults. The desire is to help the community raise up generations of educated people who have good jobs so they can provide for their families. 

This is life-changing work–providing education, confidence, jobs, life skills training, and hope. It’s our desire at Humanity’s Friend to see this model replicated in underserved communities around the world.