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Frequently asked questions about Start with a Smile Project

Answers to what people ask us most before giving: what Start with a Smile Project is and why it isn't a registered charity, who runs the GoFundMe fundraiser, where the money goes, how to see that it arrives, how to drop off donations in Antigua, Guatemala, and when the Christmas delivery happens.

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Two donors smile behind a table piled with crayons and school supplies in a home in Antigua

What is Start with a Smile Project?

It's a community initiative that Amalia Jarquín, a Spanish teacher who lives in Antigua, Guatemala, started at Christmas 2014. In Spanish it's called Proyecto Sonrisas. It supports the schools of Las Delicias del Jobo, in Taxisco, Santa Rosa, and every December 24 it brings gifts to the children who wait along the road to Tecpán. Read the whole story on About us.

Is Start with a Smile Project a registered charity or NGO?

No. It's a nonprofit community initiative, apolitical, non-religious and non-governmental, but it is not registered as an NGO. It runs on the work of Amalia, her family, friends, volunteers, donors and partner projects.

Are donations to Start with a Smile Project tax-deductible?

No. Because it isn't a registered NGO, Start with a Smile Project doesn't issue tax-deductible receipts. The GoFundMe is a personal fundraiser, so it doesn't provide a tax-deductible receipt either.

Who runs the GoFundMe fundraiser?

A volunteer of the project who lives in the United States organizes it, with Amalia Jarquín as co-creator. It's a personal GoFundMe fundraiser, and you can see it here: Start with a Smile Project on GoFundMe.

Where does my money go?

To the children the project works with: school supplies, furniture and repairs for the schools of Las Delicias del Jobo, and the packages for the Christmas delivery. Thanks to donations, those schools have received more than 4,000 notebooks, more than 100 desks, electricity, a kitchen, roofs and restrooms. In a recent year, the project also handed out 500 Christmas packages.

How do I know my donation reaches the children?

Deliveries and progress are posted with photos on Facebook and Instagram (@proyectosonrisas.gt). On this site you can browse the photo gallery, and two independent outlets have covered the project: Prensa Libre (2021) and Guatemala.com (2022). Both stories are on the Press page.

What can I donate in kind, and how do I drop it off?

This is the project's packing list:

  • Hygiene: toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, sanitary pads, towels.
  • School supplies: notebooks, crayons, markers, pens, paints, backpacks, children's books in Spanish and used computers.
  • Toys: dolls, jump ropes, toy cars, coloring books, soccer balls.
  • Clothes and shoes: clothes, shoes, sandals, socks, caps, sunscreen.
  • Food: vitamins, fortified flour, powdered milk.

To drop them off, write to us and we'll arrange how to receive them in Antigua, Guatemala. Amalia and the volunteers take them to the children. More on How to help.

When is the Christmas delivery?

Every December 24, since 2014. We leave Antigua, Guatemala at 6:00 am and, after an hour and a half on the road, hand out packages to the children waiting along the road to Tecpán, in Chimaltenango. Each package has a toy, a nutritious food item and a toothbrush with toothpaste. This year's campaign is on Christmas 2026.

Where does Start with a Smile Project work?

  • Las Delicias del Jobo, Taxisco, Santa Rosa: about 90 km (two hours) from Guatemala City. The project supports 7 schools there, primary schools and telesecundaria middle schools, with more than 700 children ages 6 to 16.
  • The road to Tecpán, Chimaltenango: near Iximché, where the Christmas delivery takes place.

Everything is coordinated from Antigua, Guatemala, where Amalia lives. More on Help Las Delicias.

Can I volunteer with Start with a Smile Project?

Write to us and let's talk. Start with a Smile Project doesn't have a formal volunteer program: it's a group of family, friends and volunteers who join in, for example, for the December 24 delivery or to paint schools. If you're coming to Antigua, you can also help by packing donations in your suitcase.

How do I contact Start with a Smile Project?

If you'd like to help today, you can donate through GoFundMe or write to us to arrange an in-kind donation.

Our projects

  • Help the Community of Las Delicias

    The 7 schools are located in the village of Las Delicias Del Jobo, Taxisco, Guatemala, 90 kilometers from the capital.

  • Paint Smiles for Christmas

    The most special time of the year is Christmas, and with it the opportunity to share and bring joy to hundreds of children.

How to help us

Whether through a donation, or because you decide to volunteer, or because you want to stop by while traveling in Guatemala and drop some gift, any help is welcome! #travelwithapurpose