Joe decided to return to Guatemala as a volunteer.  He volunteered over the next 2 years on 14 different occasions for another NGO. Joe believed if he started his own organization he could be sure that most of each dollar donated went to help the poor.  In 2004 FHTH became a registered 501©3  and Joe started by building one house at a time, with the help of a team of Guatemalans he had met while volunteering.

We started building homes in 2004 but we realized that housing, education and health care go hand-in-hand to break the cycle of poverty. “Escuela Kemna'oj” is a Pre K- 9th grade school, which we have operated since 2011. Many of the children who have been recipient of homes attend the school.

Identifying the need for quality healthcare we opened our medical clinic in 2012.  On average we treat 300 people a month, with approximately 75% of those being women/ girls.