Grant Spotlight: Raising Homes From Earthquake Rubble

Homes from the Heart Representative with a Romero Community, El Salvador family of five, in front of the home where they lived.

Last year the Federal Association awarded a $20,000 grant to Homes from the Heart to aid its work building homes in communities struck by earthquakes. Kansas City’s former Hospitaller, John Massman, regularly volunteers with others with the group.

After a 7.7 magnitude earthquake brought extensive damage, injury, and death to El Salvador in 2001, a group of Kansas City businessmen founded Homes from the Heart to help rebuild some of the 335,000 homes damaged or destroyed. Since that time Homes from the Heart has built over 400 homes as well as a school, daycare, and two medical clinics.

After another earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hit Haiti in 2010, Homes from the Heart expanded its work to that country and then to Guatemala and Nicaragua. 

Romero Community family in front of their new home, built for them by Homes from the Heart.