Our History

Hanley Denning wanted to speak her students’ language

Hanley went to Guatemala in 1997 to study Spanish. As soon as she arrived in Guatemala, she began volunteering with children and adults living in small towns near Antigua.

At the time, she had been teaching in North Carolina after receiving her master’s degree in education from Wheelock College.

Hanley loved Guatemala. A one-year commitment became two years, but still, she never imagined she would stay. Just as she prepared to return to the United States in 1999, her good friend Regina Palacios asked her a favor: to accompany her on a trip to the slums by the Guatemala City garbage dump.

That same week she sold her computer. She sold her car. She emptied out her savings account. And she opened the doors of Safe Passage (Camino Seguro) in December 1999.

After she graduated from Bowdoin College in 1992, Hanley worked tirelessly on behalf of at-risk children. The hard reality of life in the Guatemala City garbage dump was unlike anything she had previously experienced in the United States. She felt a calling to do something.

Hanley enrolled 46 of Guatemala City’s poorest children in her new program. These children couldn’t afford the books, school supplies, and enrollment fees required by the public school system. Through Safe Passage, these children received tutoring, a healthy snack, and the care and attention they desperately needed. Another 70 children participated in a drop-in program when they weren’t working in the dump.

Over the next eight years, Hanley’s program grew

The educational reinforcement program found a new home in a safe and beautiful building further removed from the garbage dump.

An early childhood center and adult literacy program were established, thanks to the commitment and ambition of staff, community members, donors, volunteers, and international supporters.

On January 18, 2007, Hanley was killed in an automobile accident in Guatemala. Though her life was tragically cut short, her legacy lives on. Those she inspired continue to advance the mission she envisioned.

Safe Passage continues to bring hope

Safe Passage is a refuge for children facing difficult situations marked by extreme poverty, neglect, and abuse. Safe Passage is a gateway out of poverty.

Today, Safe Passage provides over 500 children and 100 parents with education, social services, and the chance to move beyond the poverty their families have faced for generations.

Hanley’s story reminds us of the power of one person’s vision to make a difference. The children in Safe Passage’s care remind us that there is much to hope for. View our timeline of events to see our progress since 1999.

Join Our Community

When you make a donation, join a Support Team, sponsor a child, organize an event or volunteer in Guatemala, you help a top rated charity empower people and change lives in one of the poorest places on earth.

Become a Hanley’s Helper

Join our recurring giving program and help us maintain consistent support for our students.

Donate

Your gift gives hope, education, and opportunity to our students and their families

Join a Support Team in Guatemala

Spend one week of service learning at our program in Guatemala

Volunteer

Contribute your time and experience in our U.S. office or program site in Guatemala

Contact Us

We invite you to visit our U.S. office in New Gloucester, Maine and our program site in Guatemala City.

Guatemala

6a. Avenida 11-95 Zona 7
Colonia Landivar, Ciudad de Guatemala

8am - 5pm (GMT)

TEL (502) 2440-4388

infoguate@safepassage.org

USA

49 Farm View Dr
Raymond Hall, Suite 302
New Gloucester, ME 04260

9am - 5pm (EST)

TEL (207) 846-1188
FAX (207) 926-8244

info@safepassage.org

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