How has a humble shipping container become a vessel of opportunity—far from home?
At St. Gerard Majella Parish in Kirkwood, parishioners are transforming a 20-foot shipping container into a ready-to-deploy soap-making microbusiness, destined for Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. There, teenage girls aging out of orphanage care will run and eventually own the venture, gaining invaluable business skills and independence.
Parishioners in Action: Love in Every Screw and Wire
On a hot, sunny Saturday, Marilyn Schoolman climbed a ladder, tightening electrical brackets inside the container, as Steve Long guided wiring from the fuse box to wall outlets. Their aim: to turn a bare container into a fully operational workspace.
“We’re making an electrician of you yet!” joked Long, embodying the hands-on spirit behind the project.
This creative outreach marks the debut mission of their new Hands of Christ Missions ministry, aimed at sustainable development and community empowerment.
A Business That Travels with You
Once finished, the container will be outfitted with insulated walls and ceilings, solar panels, and electrical wiring. Other customisations—like windows and doors—will be completed in Guatemala.
Long founded One Spirit Engineering, a nonprofit dedicated to engineering innovations for underserved communities. Through this project, teenage girls at the Hands of Compassion Children’s Home will continue their journey into independence by operating the soap enterprise themselves—and, better yet, owning it. The container’s portability lets the business follow them anywhere in Guatemala.
“I’ve been blessed with health and energy, and I felt very guided to be here.”
— Marilyn Schoolman
This story shines a light on what modular innovation and faith-driven community can achieve. Want help adapting container-based projects for youth programmes or charities? I can assist with design templates, funding pitch packages, or global shipping logistics.
