What is Guadalupe Project?
Guadalupe Project is an outreach in Flora, IL.  The first program that Guadalupe Project will offer is a helping hand, providing basic essentials to babies and their parents during the early months of life.
 
When will Guadalupe Project be open?
Starting June 1, 2015, we will be open on the second Monday of each month, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon.
 
Where will Guadalupe Project distribute items from?
We will distribute items from our NEW location at 124 East North Avenue, Flora.
 
Who can Guadalupe Project help?
Guadalupe Project is open to young families and is equipped to offer assistance from any time in pregnancy up to the child’s first birthday.  We are open to families in Clay County and beyond.
 
What does the name Guadalupe mean?
Guadalupe Project is named for Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mary as she appeared to St. Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is pictured as the expectant mother of Jesus Christ, and stands as a beautiful image of the sacredness of all life, especially that in the womb.
 

What is the goal of Guadalupe Project?
The short term, long term, and constant goal of Guadalupe Project is to build a culture of life, where all life, from conception to natural death, is protected and valued.

Aren’t most needs met by other groups, programs, or agencies?
Many material needs are met by other programs, but Guadalupe Project is fundamentally different from these programs. Through the way we serve the clients and our consistent prayers for each of them, we hope to make Guadalupe Project an entirely different, positive experience in their lives.

Is Guadalupe Project just another handout?
While the first step of Guadalupe Project includes giving out items, Guadalupe Project’s mission is to help all people realize that they have dignity and value that does not depend on anything or anyone else, and that God loves each person and created each of us for a purpose. The need of each person to recognize his or her own inherent value is much greater than any material need that we could possibly fill.

What are the clients asked to do in return?
Those who come to Guadalupe Project will not be asked to “earn” the charity, to pay us back, to fill out paperwork, or to attend a program. They receive the charity on the merit of their own inherent worth as a child of God. Clients are asked instead to thank God and then pay it forward, by showing kindness to someone whom they meet in need of the love of God.

What is the attitude of Guadalupe Project towards the clients?
With our clients, those who work or volunteer with Guadalupe Project will always be in a position of gratitude. We are thankful to them for allowing us to serve them, as we all strive together through life as children of God. Our goal will always be to show, through our service to them and interaction with them, their inherent value and worth as a child of God and bring them closer to Christ.

What if a parent is making poor decisions and/or abusing the program?
An important aspect of Guadalupe Project is helping innocent babies, who deserve to be treated well and provided with food and clothing in spite of whatever decisions their parents are making. Unless absolutely necessary, we will not deny a baby the help he or she needs because the parent is making poor decisions.
Of course, safeguards will be put in place to prevent the program from being abused. However, those who irresponsibly abuse the program also have inherent dignity and worth that comes from their Creator. God has entrusted these parents with the ultimate gift of a child, and this parental role is something that only they can fulfill. We will do our best to assist the parent as well as the child, for both have inherent worth and are made in the image of God.

What makes Guadalupe Project different than other pregnancy help centers or government agencies?
Many government programs, pregnancy resource centers, food pantries, and other charitable programs offer “free handouts” and in exchange for these free items often require those receiving the charity to do something to “earn” the charity, such as filling out extensive paperwork, listening to a lecture, taking a class, or attending a program. Instead of requiring our clients to “jump through hoops,” Guadalupe Project will be a service of love with unconditional respect for human life as its foundation. The dignity of each and every person is the focus of Guadalupe Project. As a new kind of organization, we can establish our own relationship with the clients, based solely on seeking their good as a child of God.