Katherine Muñoz is a community outreach advocate and founder of Navidad Sin Barreras – Christmas Without Barriers, which is not a foundation or nonprofit, but a personal mission to bring Christmas joy to children in remote communities across Colombia.
Born in one of the most dangerous areas of Colombia, Katherine’s commitment to helping others is rooted in the traumas she experienced throughout her own childhood. She grew up in a village where, as she describes it, it would literally rain bullets. Katherine and her siblings often went without; her parents didn’t have money for food or clothes, let alone Christmas presents.
“When I was much younger, I tried to go to a place where I knew they were giving away Christmas gifts to children,” Katherine explains. “I was in charge of my baby brother, so I had to take him with me. I wanted a gift so badly, and it was so crowded in that space that I almost lost my brother, and he was just a baby at the time.”
Katherine didn’t receive her first Christmas gift until she was 25, and it was a moment that very quickly changed her life.
“When I received my first present, I didn’t know what to do. Should I give a present too? How does this work?” Her friend explained she could give a gift to someone else if she wanted to. “It felt so good to receive a gift that I decided in that moment I wanted to give gifts to hundreds of children and make sure they all get something. Everyone should know that special feeling.”
Having received six years of support from a sponsoring couple in Australia as a child, Katherine understands the lasting difference care and encouragement can make. Her approach to helping others is personal, almost detective-like. Before each trip, she learns the names, ages, and interests of every child through teachers and family members, then matches a gift to each child’s aspirations. Not a generic toy that could be handed out to anyone. Every gift Katherine gives is something just for that unique child. If a child wants to become a doctor, perhaps a doctor set or a book to learn more is the gift.
With the next mission in play, Reaching the Unreached became involved.
“We are going to a very remote area with one school and over 200 children in need, in a town of 250 people that is difficult to reach,” explains Katherine. Max had heard about Katherine through a network of people in Colombia who knew about her Christmas trips and contacted him to see if Reaching the Unreached could support her efforts this year. The timing was perfect.
Katherine is now joining Reaching the Unreached as an Outreach Coordinator, bringing her experience connecting with children and families in underserved communities and her knowledge of the area. In this role, she is helping RTU strengthen local relationships in Colombia, and coordinating the outreach that connects our mission with the people we serve.
At the heart of Katherine’s work is a simple and similar conviction to Reaching the Unreached: every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and encouraged to dream.
You can help. This Christmas, we are thrilled to stand with Katherine to reach those hundreds of children and families in Colombia. Your support of RTU directly supports Katherine’s work to ensure children feel seen, supported, and encouraged to dream.
