The Schwab family’s volunteer trip to Guatemala helped them get through a death in the family.

Sometimes, you have to help others to help yourself heal.

When Lauren Schwab died of a blood clot in her lungs in April 2013, she left behind a loving family and a legacy of helping others. She was always the one to step up and organize a benefit, or give blood, or take on a big project.

“She was always volunteering, always looking out for other people,” Beth Schwab, Lauren’s mother, said.

Yet before she died, Lauren had asked her parents for a big gift: She wanted to go to Guatemala through Hormel Foods Corp.’s Project Spammy volunteer program that July. Beth, her husband, Pat, and her children, Nathan, 21, and Paiton, 15, weren’t sure at first whether to continue on the trip.

“We met as a family, and we all decided we needed to do this for Lauren,” Pat said.

That’s how the Schwabs found themselves on a plane bound for one of the most lush, naturally beautiful countries in the world.

Hormel has become well-known in recent years for their record profits, but the company is also garnering attention for its philanthropic efforts, which includes an anti-hunger initiative known as Project Spammy.

Spammy is a fortified turkey spread used to feed malnourished children, which the company has produced since 2007. Hormel has worked with charities in Guatemala over the years to provide Spammy to children.

That’s not the only thing Hormel has done for Guatemala, however. Several times a year, volunteers from the company fly to Guatemala for a week to do charitable projects, whether it’s cleaning buildings or helping to feed people.

“It’s really a rewarding experience,” Joe Swedberg, Hormel’s vice president of legislative affairs, said. “We’ve got people on waiting lists now who want to fly down and help.”

The Schwabs were on the list in 2013 when they flew down as part of a team of 25 volunteers to Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. The first night there, everyone gathered to tell stories about why they decided to volunteer. Pat, Beth, Nathan and Paiton all shared their stories about Lauren.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” Pat said. “We all ended up bonding over that, and the trip kind of became for Lauren.”

Yet the work was all for Guatemalans living in poverty. The group ended up cleaning several places, including a school in San Jose, Guatemala.

The school took on a special significance for the volunteer team, however. While Pat and other people helped clean and organize, Beth found ways to keep some of the smaller children entertained, including a fun arts project with pipe cleaners. During their work, the volunteers learned the school needed funding to build and finish a second floor. After their trip, the group gathered their resources and started an online fund for the school, which many Hormel employees contributed to.

“It was just a way to finish our job,” Beth said.

Much to Pat and Beth’s surprise, school officials decided to dedicate the building to Lauren’s memory. They installed a plaque bearing Lauren’s name and now provide fresh flowers for her monument every day.

“We were so touched,” Beth said.

The Schwabs were on hand last December for the project’s dedication ceremony, where they each spoke on how much Lauren’s monument meant to them. Paiton even read several Psalms in Spanish during a church service at the school.

“She had practiced those for quite a while,” Pat said.

Through their volunteer experience, the Schwabs found themselves closer than ever as a family.

“We really loved helping the families and children out,” Beth said.