Carolyn and Dave Brackenridge have been running the youth group at Centreville Presbyterian Church for five years now, and all but two of the original members are now in post-secondary school. Two years ago, a woman came to Squirrel Creek Farm with Easter Eggs she was selling on behalf of a missionary group headed to Guatemala in support of an organization called Doppenbergs in Guatemala (DIG). Carolyn was intrigued, and brought the woman to one of the youth meetings to discuss the project with the young members of their church. They liked the idea, and are now working on a mission of their own.
The DIG organization was founded by the Doppenberg family of the Niagara region of Southern Ontario. Their father Geoff grew up on a farm and owned a successful contracting company and his wife Rita is a Holistic Nutritionist. Together with their three children they ventured into a few humanitarian projects many years ago. Four years ago, they went to Guatemala and found a place where they felt they could make a real difference.
The DIG serves Indigenous Mayan people of Guatemala, with a direct focus on nutrition, health, personal empowerment and sustainable agriculture. Citizens of one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Guatemalans face the highest rate of malnutrition in the Western Hemisphere, with the fourth highest rate in the world. The organization operates on the concept of community empowerment, believing in giving villagers a hand up rather than a handout.
Last year they established a School of Hope for the special needs children of Guatemala, where children are housed and fed during the week and return home to their families during the weekend. They also hold Education Seminars on health, nutrition, education and host medical clinics, dental clinics in this facility. They hope to help the community learn how to plant, grow and prepare nutritional food using the resources at their disposal.
Meaghan Brackenridge is one of seven student participants headed to Guatemala in July 2018. A founding member of Centreville’s Youth group, she has been eager to demonstrate her faith in a mission like this one. As a first year nursing student at Nippising University, she looks forward to putting her skills to action in what she anticipates as a life-changing experience.
Most of the participants have post-secondary education expenses, so the church is organizing a variety of fundraising activities to help finance the mission, which will cost an estimated $20,000 for the group of 14 participants. The first such event takes place on February 11th in the form of a Valentine’s Dinner and Dance, to be followed by two breakfasts on February 19th and March 19th all taking place in the parish hall at their church on County Rd. 28th. For more information or to purchase tickets for the Valentine’s Day event, please contact Carolyn Brackenridge at 705-932-2958. KG
