OPEN WIDE LEGACY DENTAL CLINIC ANNOUNCES 2027 VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE in GUATEMALA

 

Five Humanitarian Service Trips Offered -- March to October -- for Dentists, Staff, Family, Friends

SUNSET BEACH, CA -- OCT. 2, 2026 – Local Hope Guatemala, (known in Guatemala as “Xela AID”), has announced the 2027volunteer service trip schedule for its Open Wide Legacy Dental Clinic. For 34 years, the non-profit has provided healthcare, education and other essential services in Guatemala’s western highlands.

The two-year-old dental facility, located within Local Hope’s Xela AID Community Clinic, is the only venue in the Quetzaltenango area to offer professional dental care on an ongoing basis.

Local Hope is offering five turn-key volunteer trips in 2027, each lasting seven days with options to extend. The trips are geared toward dentists, but volunteers who wish to serve in other roles are also welcome, as are family members and friends. Each package includes sightseeing, a choice of local activities, plus transportation to/from Guatemala City, Antigua or Lake Atitlán.

2027 dates (Saturday-Saturday, with options to extend your stay)

• March 13-20, 2027  [SOLD OUT]
• April 3-10, 2027
• June 5-12, 2027
• August 14-21, 2027
• October 9-16, 2027
• Choose your own dates (Monday to Monday, Tuesday to Tuesday, etc.)

Note: We strongly recommend Saturday-to-Saturday schedules when possible.

“All are welcome to join these volunteer missions – members of the dental community, as well as the general public interested in humanitarian service,” says Leslie Baer Dinkel, CEO, Local Hope Guatemala. “Each trip is customized to the skills and interests of every participant, who will meet and work side-by-side with Mayan community members, learn about their rich culture and undergo a life-changing experience -- both for them and the people they serve.”

In addition to spending three days with patients in the dental clinic, Local Hope will match talent and interest with need so that volunteers also participate in many other important service projects and cultural activities. This includes teaching English, art or computer classes to children, experiencing life in a local home, partaking in Mayan cooking classes, building and distributing chicken coops to families in-need, learning about the ancient art of backstrap weaving, experiencing an authentic Mayan “Day Keeping” ceremony, and more.

Accommodation is at our top-rated Eco-Guest House, located on Local Hope’s Xela AID Campus. It features 12 spacious, comfortable, and especially well-appointed rooms and ensuite bathrooms with hot running water and full-pressure hot showers, soft towels and in-room electric heaters – plus robust Wi-Fi, an uncommon feature in the region. Both this facility and the clinic include an elevator and are fully accessible.

INCLUDED:
• First night's stay at the elegant Barcelo Hotel in Guatemala City and breakfast the next morning
• Private transportation to our Eco-Guest House, and a six-night stay including all meals
• Community welcome and village walking tour, and an in-home experience
• Staffing and logistics support for your service work, including translation
• Return transportation to Guatemala City, Antigua or Lake Atitlán 

COST: $1,939 per person - Double Occupancy/ $1,759 per person – Triple Occupancy
Single Supplement: $455 per person

The Open Wide Legacy Dental Clinic was made possible by members of the former Open Wide Foundation and The Rotary Foundation, in partnership with Local Hope Guatemala.

Founded in 2011, by Dr. Glen Wysel, Lisa Wysel and Imtiaz Manji, Open Wide Foundation's (OWF) vision was to bring long-term oral health solutions to the most vulnerable communities in Guatemala. After serving more than 250,000 patients and sponsoring more than 1,100 volunteer trips, OWF closed in 2021 due to COVID-19. The Wysels and Manji generously underwrote the new dental suite.

The Rotary Foundation provides Global Grants to support a range of health and social concerns. Through the Global Grant “Health for All,” spearheaded by the Rotary Clubs of Placentia, California, and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, TRF funding supports a year-round dentist to work out of the dental facility.

Before the recent influx of funding, dental care at Local Hope’s Xela AID Clinic had been inconsistent, with volunteer dentists visiting only a few times a month. This new, permanent facility and full-time, paid dentist, allow for regular dental care -- both as follow-up after special dental missions, like the five planned for next year, and for much-needed, ongoing treatment.

For more information about the trips: https://localhope.org/trips/dental  or call Mel Dinkel, (714) 322-0974.

Founded in 1992, Local Hope Guatemala, known in Guatemala as Xela AID (Agency for Integrated Development), is a not-for-profit organization that provides a range of 18 proven programs spanning health care, education, career development and related support, serving largely indigenous populations in poverty belts in Guatemala. We team with organizations, locally and abroad, who share values consistent with our mission, to empower families and communities to become healthy, educated and self-reliant. The expenses of our programs are supported by donations from individuals and foundations, healthy sources of earned income, and endowment income. Because our earned income covers all administrative expenses, 100% of all donations are applied to fuel our programs that provide direct assistance.  https://localhope.org

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