Each year, international volunteers join Agua Pura para el Mundo (APPM) . They help bring safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to Honduran families. In this process, they discover the power of teamwork, leadership, and humility. We are filled with gratitude for the Rotary Club of Safety Harbor Noon. We also thank the Rotary Club of New Port Richey, Tierra Verde Rotary, and Stephanie R. Zaragoza, Becky Bennett, Amber Ashford, Nikki Connell, Eric Johnson, and Barry Poppel. We also appreciate other Rotary Clubs and District 6950. Recurrent donors such as Paul Sofka and Stan Gallinsky donated to support the families of La Maquina. They provided water, hygiene, and sanitation in Danlí, Honduras. We are grateful for the committed volunteers who traveled here to serve.
The October 2025 service team volunteer trip was organized in the US. The organizers were Barry Poppel, Eric, and Scarleth Johnson. Rye Thompson and the Honduras APPM team also helped. It brought together volunteers from across the United States. This included Rotarians from several Florida clubs, the Bahamas, and new friends from Michigan, California, North Carolina, and other states.
They came with one shared purpose. To support the continued ASH program of APPM in delivering sustainable safe water, hygiene, and sanitation programs, 52 families. Volunteers accompanied APPM team members. They assisted as they installed bio sand filters. They completed the construction of sanitary facilities at the school. They brought games and pizza for the children. There were also activities for each household. This created a genuine bond—a sense of brotherhood—between families and volunteers.
As volunteer Kyle Poulain shared:
“The journey itself was a reminder of the challenges these families face every day. The reality was overwhelming some homes with collapsing roofs, no doors or windows, and no access to safe drinking water. And yet, despite the hardship, every person welcomed us with warmth, resilience, and gratitude that words can barely capture.
Together, we spent the day cleaning, assembling, and preparing the water filters that so many supporters helped make possible. And when the first clear drops of water flowed from a filter, it felt like witnessing a quiet miracle. Many of us fought back tears. For these families, this isn’t simply clean water it is protection, dignity, and a chance at better health.”
For Kyle, and for most of the volunteers and APPM team, the air was filled with overwhelming emotions. We felt joy and gratitude. There was also humility and a profound realization that human connection truly transcends borders. What began as a service project became a transformation. For us at APPM, it was more than a successful trip. It was a reminder of why we do this work.
