Hands of Love
A community organisation founded in 2012 in Santa María de Jesús, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala dedicated to supporting families, children, and elderly members facing hardship.
How It Began
Monica Galindo founded Hands of Love in 2012 in Santa María de Jesús, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala — the same village where she lived and studied as a young girl. Returning as an adult, she saw the same families and elderly neighbours she had grown up around still facing hardship, and she knew she had to act.
Alongside her childhood friend Victor Chim, Monica built the organisation from the ground up. She provides the funding, direction, and vision; Victor and his wife carry the mission forward on the ground, organising monthly food basket distributions and community events that reach families, orphaned children, and elderly residents.
Monica has been supporting Santa María de Jesús in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, with the support of her family and communities throughout the MetroWest area of Massachusetts. Together, they help sustain her commitment to caring for families, children, and elderly residents in the community.
To date, Monica's organisation has supported more than 50 families in the community — providing food, financial assistance, and the simple but powerful message that they are not forgotten.
Monica and the Hands of Love team in Santa María de Jesús, Guatemala.
The Hands of Love community in Santa María de Jesús.
Monica connecting with community members at a Hands of Love event.
What We Do
Our Mission in Action
Monthly Food Baskets
Under Monica's direction, the local team organises monthly food basket distributions, ensuring families in Santa María de Jesús have access to essential provisions every month.
Financial Assistance
Monica personally funds direct donations and financial support to families, children, and elderly community members facing hardship — a commitment she has sustained for over a decade.
Community Events
Regular gatherings bring the community together, fostering connection, celebration, and mutual support — events Monica plans and funds from Massachusetts.
Care for the Elderly
Elderly residents receive special attention and support. The same compassion that drives Monica's caregiving work in Massachusetts is the foundation of everything she does in Guatemala.
Monica and her son Chris giving out food baskets to individuals in Santa María de Jesús.
Monica's Roots
A Connection That Never Fades
Santa María de Jesús is a village in Zunil, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Monica first came here at just 12 years old to continue her studies. It was here that her values took shape — her sense of community, her instinct to serve, and her faith.
Decades later, living and working in Massachusetts, that connection has never faded. Monica travels back regularly, bringing volunteers, supplies, and her presence. She is not a distant donor — she is the founder, the driving force, and a familiar face in the community she built.
Hands of Love is not a separate chapter of Monica's life. It is the same story — the belief that every person, wherever they live, deserves to feel seen, valued, and cared for.
The Same Heart, Two Communities
Whether Monica is caring for a senior in Wayland or funding food baskets in Guatemala, the motivation is the same: a founder's love for people and an unshakeable commitment to showing up for those who need it most.