The Kite Shop has become an iconic part of the Lakeside experience. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

Forty years ago, when Kim Honeycutt was 15, her mother insisted that she and her brother find a job during their summer stay at Lakeside. They were given just a few days to find a job, or their mother would find one for them.

“We knew whatever we came up with would be better than her ideas,” Kim said. “We decided to sell kites off the dock.”

Kim grew up, became a teacher, and kept selling kites during her summers off from school.

“I never intended to do it this long. I just kept doing the next logical thing,” she said.

A donation of $2,500 will fund the construction of a six-person home like this one in Guatemala. (Submitted photo)

Four decades later, The Kite Shop, located in the Pavilion by the beach, has become an iconic part of Lakeside. It is now filled with t-shirts, ballcaps and tote bags, and Kim’s brother left the business long ago. Kim’s husband, Will Honeycutt, has co-owned the shop with Kim for years.

The Honeycutts are celebrating 40 years in business by turning attention away from the shop and onto a cause they have committed their hearts to: helping the people of Guatemala. Hobby travelers, they felt a deep connection to the country during vacations.

“My husband and I are interested in traveling and engaging in off-the-beaten-path places,” Kim said. “We honeymooned in Guatemala for eight weeks. We loved Guatemala more than all the other backpacking places.”

Kim Honeycutt started The Kite Shop 40 years ago. She is celebrating the shop’s 40th anniversary by rallying community support to help the people of Guatemala. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

During their visits, they became acquainted with the God’s Child Project, which helps improve the lives of the Guatemalan people by, among other things, building homes, providing financial support for children, and fighting malnutrition. Will has led trips to the country and helped build four homes. Now, the Honeycutts want to help more families have safe homes because many of the country’s residents live in substandard housing.

“Their homes are made with what they find in the dump. They are lean-tos made with cardboard. When it rains, water goes everywhere,” Kim said. “The homes that are built for them have poured floors, not dirt. They have a window and a door.”

The Kite is asking for support to build homes for impoverished families in Guatemala. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

For $2,500, the God’s Child Project can build a simple, safe, six-person home. The Kite Shop is celebrating its 40th anniversary by raising money to fund homes and by organizing a volunteer trip to Guatemala. The word of their mission spread across Lakeside, and money has been pouring in. Among the Lakeside business donors are The Patio Restaurant, Gifts that Give Back and SmoothieSide.

“One of our employees donated an entire paycheck back, and the change jar at the shop already has enough money for a quarter of a house,” Kim said. “A family told me they are all pulling their money to buy a house instead of giving gifts.”

A Guatemalan family enjoys their new bed in their new home, thanks to God’s Child Project. (Submitted photo)

There are many ways to help the Honeycutts help the Guatemalan people. Donations of any amount will help, or donors can specify where they want their money to go. A water filter can be purchased for $50, a stove for $235, or a bunk bed with a mattress for $280. Donors can become child sponsors for $420 a year or crib sponsors for $1,428 which funds care for baby patients at Jackson Hospital for Malnourished Children. Home sponsorships for $2,500 can fund an entire home.

“There’s a waiting list for families,” Kim said. “When you donate money to help build a house, you’re going to change the course of somebody’s life that you don’t even know. If we focus our efforts, there are so many things that we can do.”

The Kite Shop is located in the Pavilion inside Lakeside. It can be reached at 423-903-3148. For more information on donating to the Guatemala annivesarty project, visit www.lakesidekiteshop.com.