Philanthropy
Dillon Gage’s President, Stephen W. Miller, believes in community service and to that end, he is a co-founder and President of the Dillon Gage philanthropic focus HELPS International (HELPS). HELPS is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1984 and created to provide relief and development for the country of Guatemala. With over 8,000 volunteers, HELPS has brought U.S. personnel and partnered with governments and individuals within the country.
In 2015, HELPS will celebrated its thirty-first year operating in Guatemala. One of their missions in to help women by installing ONIL stoves and water filters in their homes. The ONIL stoves have helped save over 180,000 trees per year or nearly 12,000 acres of forest land.
Services
Additionally, HELPS provides medical assistance by sending “MASH” style surgical teams into Guatemala. To date they have performed approximately 1,200 surgeries.
Another form of assistance provided by HELPS is in the form of agricultural and educational programs for the rural students in the Guatemalan Highlands. The assistance provided translates into an economic benefit in disposable income for Guatemalan families of approximately $100,000,000 per year from the stove and water filter projects. Agricultural education projects have helped triple the corn production of 3,000 farmers.
Now an integrated organization providing multiple services, HELPS has been given the Rodolfo Robles Award which is the highest civilian award given by the country of Guatemala in the area of medicine and the Monja Blanca Award, their equivalent of the US Congressional Medal of Honor to civilians.
For more information, please visit Helps International
