dominican presentation 2013
TRANSCRIPT
Our first humanitarian efforts in the DominicanRepublic was at an orphanage. We, like many others thought that was where the poor live.
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Next we started taking gifts to the staff at our resort.
Everyone was so excited to take gifts home to their children!
Our first visit to a poor area
This woman lived in this tiny house with 6 very smallchildren. Our daughter gave her $10 and it was like shehad given her the world.
Our first walk with “Papa”(below) to an impoverishedarea near our resort.
Handing out used clothing to the poor.
The bathrooms for the whole communityof over 350 people.
The water supply for the community of Maggiolo
Doing laundry
The communi
tymarket
My January 29, 2011 facebook message home to my friends and family who were
coming
• Wow. I just had a most incredible experience. One of our guides that we have know for a long time took us on a walk to a poverty stricken area that is just minutes from our resort. We didn't even know it existed. Unbelieveable experience. I was in tears and couldn't help it. We gave away 20 peso bills equal to 60 cents and people were fighting to get to us. We had a suitcase of used cloths. I couldn't believe how they were crowded around just to get a used t shirt. Please bring lots if you can. West Jet allows one 50 lbs suitcase per person that you can bring for free. I've been to orphanages, schools, poor areas etc but I've never seen anything like what I saw today. Wow. We brought 300 lbs of humanitarian. It is almost gone already. I have saved some of it for other weeks but it could be gone today! Toys, cloths, hats, shoes, treats---anything.
Our return tothe communityto pass out clothing.
Luis, who we met at ourresort, invited us to his home.
Luis and Kathy’s kitchen
A home in the area where Luis lives
Passing out clothing in the community of Javillar.
Hands held out for mini chocolate bars.
Our friend Jose Fernandezwho is pastor at three churches and has created a free school whereall children can attend including the Haitians.
The homes in the area whereJose is Pastor.
Our first visitto
Jose’s schoo
l
Where Jose told
us he would build a
playground
Jose’s kitchenHe spends the money he earnsworking at the resort to paythe teachersat his school.
Jose’s dream was to feed the children in the schoolone meal a day. Now a group of us send money every month to feed 165 children each day.
The school supplies donated by Barry and Laura Webster from Mountain View Fund-Raiser
Uniforms and gifts For the children
Luggage full of school supplies
The playground beforeand after.
Though poor herself, thislady has been conducting a Christian street ministry withthe very poor in this area for over 20 years.
The children all linedup to learn about Jesus from theirteacher.
Louise, sitting on
the sidewalkwith the
children.
Sandra withthe children
Buying food packs at the localmarket to deliver to the needy.
Delivering food packs
Visiting the hospital
Notice the mattresses.People are required to bring their own sheets.
Joan and Louise givingbaby packs to new mothers at the hospital.
Assembling babypacks at Louise’s home
This baby was severely burnedOver 90 % of his body. Withoutintensive medication and care,he would have died.
With the help of friends and familyin Canada and the USA,we were able to raise$4200 for medications, doctor’s care and surgery for the baby
The baby’s father is aBishop in a local congregationin the Dominican Republic. The family lives in very humble circumstance.
Recovering
The miraculous
recovery. On the left is
Eliezer and his father, Carlos
onlyeight months
after the accident.
Passing out clothing to the workers at the villa
Passing out clothing tothe restaurant staff.
Over 450 workers received clothing for
their families.
VISTING IN THE COMMUNITY
Former staff at the resort, now unemployed. She is a
single mom with three children and has no income.
Pictured above the bathroon
For the community.
Left is outside and inside of a home we visited on our way to the Santo Domingo
Outdoor kitchen and laundry
Company Logo
Inside Jack and Louise’sliving-room, packed to go January 2012
Company Logo
Company Logo
We paid for a pasta night and our friend, Amarilis preparedfood for 300 children.
Company Logo
Four of Louise’s grandchildren give away hundreds of their own toys and stuffies they brought from home.
Jack, Norma, Abi and Zach ZoBell from Magrath, donating their toys to the children
Passing out hygiene kits made byLaura Webster and the
Mountain View School to the people in Maggiolo
Company Logo
Bringing shoes to the
people in Maggiolo
The lady in the window has no leg. Her daughter, (holding the baby) asked our son, Grant to get her a new leg.
Our return visit
Our new distributionfacility in the processof being built. October2012
WHAT THE FACILITY LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE ARRIVED ON OCTOBER 31
WHAT THE FACILITY LOOKED LIKE WHEN WE LEFT ON NOVEMER 20.
INSIDE OUR DISTRIBUTION FACILITY
OUR DOMINICAN DIRECTORS,AMARILIS AND JOSE LUIS
AMARILIS RUNS OUR DISTRIBUTION FACILITY AND JOSE LUIS IS OUR PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTIONMANAGER.
THEY ARE VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIMEAT NO CHARGE TO THE FOUNDATION
In addition to our foundation projects, at our own expense, each year we personally take about 5000 pounds of school supplies, clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, toys and household items to the needy in the Dominican Republic. In the past we have gone to various communities and given these away. Now our foundation has built a distribution center and we have initiated a “Pay-it-Forward” program. Now people volunteer at the hospital, seniors centers, neighbors and do community clean-up. They can then come to the center and receive clothing, shoes and other items for their families.
After seeing the very littered condition of the streets in almost every community, Louise suggesteda community clean-up as a possible service project. Though she was told it would never happen,it has and continues to happen twice a week in the community of Javillar. Our Dominican director will be taking the program to other local communities. We participated in and witnessed the first clean-up.
What the streets look like now. The people clean twice a week.
Flooding in Javillar
Buying food packs forpeople who were floodedfrom their homes November 9th 2012. We delivered 80 vouchers for these.
We also purchased anddelivered 100 hot meals.
I was not preparedfor what we saw. Ihad to be mentallytough to get thisproject completed.
People lined up to redeem the food vouchers for the food packs we purchased.
For the first time,we took someonewith us that couldtranslate for us.
We learned that the condition of the school hadbecome dangerous for the children. The floor had fallen in and the walls were in risk of falling down.
We determined that doing the much needed repair on the school wouldbecome our next majorproject for our foundation
On November 14, when we returned to bring Christmas to the children we brought our foundation directors with us to make assessments. The children had never seen a Christmas tree and each got a decoration to put on it. They were so excited.
Permits were acquired, supplies were purchased, workers were hired and only 10 days after the initial assessment, work began on the project, November 24, 2012.
Little did we know when we brought Christmas decorations, just to bring a little joy to the children, that the real gift would come with the rebuilding of their school.Our project manager saw the immediate necessity of repairing the school.
Soon the many children who also wish that they could attend school will have that opportunity!
Ground-breaking for the school was
November 24, 2012. Work progressed quickly.
December 7, 2012December 10, 2012
December 28, 2012
January 8, 2013
Grand Opening of the School January 23, 2013
Passing out gifts to the people of Maggiolo on the eveningof the Grand Opening of the school.
The cistern built for the school and community—donated by Sandra Nelson and family
OUR CURRENTPROJECTS IN
THE DOMINICAN
The land we recently purchased to build a school near Javillar. This land was kindly donated by Sandra Nelson from Stirling.This school will be in operation from 8:00 am to 9:00
pm six days a week. Here we will be having classes for children from age 3 through grade 4 during the daytime. In the evenings it will be a vocational school where we will teach trades, life skills and English. This will be our major fund-raising project for 2013.
After taking shoes to this baseball team,the children asked if we could help them get a back-stop. Because of the great initiative they have shown, (even using their meager lunch money to help) we have agreed to help them with this project.
We have received a few donations to help with this and will be sending more.
This lady asked for help inrebuilding her home.
Communityleaders concurred that the
homeis in dangerously bad condition
and that the woman is in dire need.
Work started on this projectApril 3rd 2013. If we raise
sufficient funds, the home could be
finishedas early as April 24, 2013.
She confided in our director that
she has been praying for 11 years for
someone to help her with her home.
We are rebuilding a tiny home forthis family. Initial funds for thiswere donated by Donella Sewellfrom Cochrane (pictured above). We are raising additional funds to complete this project.
We will be rebuilding the home of Carlosand Elizabeth Gardnerand adding to it a grocerystore so they can earna living and a distributioncenter for our foundationThe car wreck you see below was his friend’s carHis friend was seriously injured and Carlos hasbeen doing his job as well as his own for 5 months,working 16 hour days.