What We Do
Cape CARES provides free medical and dental services to individuals and families living in the most remote regions of Honduras. Our brigades have been operating in two locations, Los Encinitos and San Marcos for almost 30 years, both residing in the rural, dry corridor of the country. The health and human service volunteer work we bring to the mountains of rural Honduras is focused in preventative and follow up care. During our one week brigades, a team of 15-20 volunteers will treat anywhere from 550-750 patients. Some of our most dedicated volunteers have provided pediatric care to infants, who now have children themselves. Our goal is to provide anti-racist and respectful care with a competency of our patients culture and values.
Our Sites
Cape CARES strives to create real and positive change in the lives of our patients and their communities. We strive to provide community based care, preventative care, and follow up care to our patients, a source of success for the overall health and well-being of communities. Historically, most of the dental care provided was surgical—extracting badly decayed teeth. As the years have progressed, we have emphasized education and prevention and, now we are able to provide fillings, dental cleanings and fluoride treatments. Learn more about our two clinics here.
Trip Date
Due to COVID-19, Cape CARES does not plan to have any more brigades in 2020. Our hope is that we will be able to return in early 2021, so we can continue our support of San Marcos and Los Encinitos. Though we have canceled our brigades, we have continued to pay the local workers who depend on our brigades, for the periods when our teams would have been active in 2020.
A Day In The Life
At all sites, the workday begins before daybreak, and ends usually by sunset, however some nights lasting until 10 PM. In advance of our arrival, the village leaders work with the surrounding villages in scheduling visits to the clinics. Some patients have to travel very far on foot, and we try and see those patients first to they can get back home before sunset. Although the days are long, and the patient load sometimes seems endless, our volunteers promise that all those who come, will be seen.
