How it All Started

    During an extended visit to Guatemala, I spent time at a small community hospital in Chichicastenango, where I gained a greater appreciation for the medical resources available in the United States. The hospital in Guatemala faces ongoing shortages of medical supplies and equipment, due to the expense of keeping medical supplies in stock. Despite these challenges, the hospital continues to offer excellent and compassionate care to the community and have become exceptionally resourceful in order to conserve supplies and ensure that patient's receive the necessary care.

    Along with a renewed sense of gratitude, I also began to consider how many medical supplies are wasted or thrown away. How many low resource healthcare facilities could be helped by collecting even a fraction of the supplies that get wasted? How much money could the hospital save on disposal costs if some of these items were donated instead of thrown away? The "Because We Care" Project was born.