For Rosa Marroquin, her heart for giving was instilled in her by her mother since she was a young child. Marroquin was born in Guatemala and spent her first nine years there before moving with her family to California and eventually to Georgia in 1994.

Since moving to the United States, her family has kept their community in Central America a priority.

“For as long as I can remember, my mother has always provided to those who need it the most,” she said. “Whenever she traveled to Guatemala, she would pack multiple suitcases full of donations for family and friends.”

In the last decade though, Marroquin has used her resources to start shipping large boxes of essential food samples like beans, rice, oatmeal, macaroni and other supplies like ketchup, mustard, oil, flour, spaghetti and instant soups. The boxes also include other non-perishables, tools, pots and pans for cooking, clothing, school supplies, shoes, and toys.

What started out as once a year holiday donation has since turned into multiple deliveries a year.

“Guatemala – as many Central American countries do – has large areas of poverty,” she said.  “This poverty became even more extreme during the COVID-19 pandemic and their needs are great. Our family’s hearts are filled knowing we have a small way of helping the lives of those who are less fortunate.”

At the end of September, Marroquin’s mother plans to return to Guatemala for the first time since the onset of the pandemic to distribute deliveries in the community and see family back home.

“We recently shipped three boxes of donations and it will take about a month to get there. Once she arrives, we have already labeled and bagged the items to give to each person. It costs about $300 per box to ship these items so far…but I don’t care about the money, it’s all about the emotions and the happiness of the people when they receive these boxes. That’s what matters.”

“Money comes and goes and it’s here to help you resolve needs in your life but not lead your life,” she said.

While Marroquin says the opportunities for an education and a career in Georgia have blessed her in a way to give back to the people of Guatemala, she also recognizes those who have made a point to support her family’s effort.

“We have friends from Georgia Power who have given us monetary donations to help with shipping costs or have donated their children’s gently used clothes once they have grown out of them,” she said.

The giving spirit instilled by Marroquin’s mother has also translated into her nearly 20-year career at the company. She has worked in customer service, energy assistance programs for customers needing extra support with their utility bills, and now works with community leaders and nonprofit organizations on the company’s corporate relations team.

“Working with customers in need requires you to have a heart and as we say at Georgia Power, to be a citizen wherever we serve,” she said. “I would often go into communities when I worked on our energy assistance team and customers would cry because of their situations and how we were willing to provide financial support through our programs.”

“Being able to relate and empathize with a specific community or someone’s situation allowed me to be a better advocate for those that we support. It’s really about meeting people where they’re at.”

Marroquin knows that this heart for others began with her parents and her mother’s love for helping people.

 This Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year, Marroquin is committed to serving Hispanic and Latino communities in Guatemala and in Georgia through her work at Georgia Power as well as her through her personal time and resources.

“I often think about how life could’ve been so different if my parents hadn’t left everything behind to provide opportunities for my brother and I here,” she said. “Sending care packages to Central America and serving my local communities is a simple way to make a huge difference and I have my mother’s heart for others to thank for that.”