Hogar Emiliano Tardiff HET

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
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Good Afternoon, HET is an orphange located in Santiago. I have their permission to write this. Most of the kids have some family but drugs, crime, AIDS, or poverty has caused them to live there. For those of you who truly know Dominican culture it is extreme for a child to not have family or friends take them in. There are 27 kids ranging in age from 2 years = (1 boy) 5 yrs = (1 girl) 6 years = ( 3 girls & 1 boy) 7 yrs = (1 girl) 8 yrs =( 3 boys & 4 girls) 9 yrs = (1 girl & 1 boy) 10 yrs = (1 girl & 1 boy) 11 yrs = (3 girls) 13 yrs = ( 1 boy) 15 yrs = (2 girls) and 17 = (1 girl) with about 5 adults who either live ot work there. I know that my math is wrong as I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer but the count was done in the controled bedlam that is the fact of their existence. I am not Mother Theresa and I really do not like kids as they are just starting and I am finishing this adventure but I am my Mother's child and fair is fair. If anyone is interested in donating time (very important just to talk or rather listen to a kid) and/or goods/services please let me know. If you would like I will list some of the stuff that needs to be done along with stuff that is done. I want to thank Sensei Professor Luis Midence aka Hillbilly for his adult supervision to my meager efforts. When I get big I want to be just like him!
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
I was looking into this orphanage ad a place to volunteer when I return when I read about it in one of Hillbilly's posts. I will definitely start collecting things for my next trip. I do not like to send money as you never really know where it is going

SHALENA
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Good Morning Ladies & Thank you for your response. Let me first try and answer your questions directly. Yes I live in Santiago, there is no Pay Pal account, and as far as I know there is no immediate need for school supplies except for ongoing pencils etc. I do kmow that when I took a box of pens a couple of the kids immediately started drawing figures. I agree with Ms. Shalena regarding money so I would prefer not to directly handle money because for one thing I cannot keep my own check book straight! The other is that I spent 35 years in direct Law Enforcement on a local & Federal level so one of the first things that I did was to discretely inquire about transperancy of the stuff I was bringing. All donations are listed in a book as to arrival and use. I am checking because I am the cheapest man in the world with the possible excpetion of two retired FBI SA's and they know who they are.There was supposed to be a Board of Directors meeting last night but it was canceled. I was going to propose that a web site with Pay Pal be done among a gazillion other things. I have no idea how long a post can be so I will next post in my own meandering way what is doing and what needs to be done.
 

SKing

Silver
Nov 22, 2007
3,750
183
63
Good Morning Ladies & Thank you for your response. Let me first try and answer your questions directly. Yes I live in Santiago, there is no Pay Pal account, and as far as I know there is no immediate need for school supplies except for ongoing pencils etc. I do kmow that when I took a box of pens a couple of the kids immediately started drawing figures. I agree with Ms. Shalena regarding money so I would prefer not to directly handle money because for one thing I cannot keep my own check book straight! The other is that I spent 35 years in direct Law Enforcement on a local & Federal level so one of the first things that I did was to discretely inquire about transperancy of the stuff I was bringing. All donations are listed in a book as to arrival and use. I am checking because I am the cheapest man in the world with the possible excpetion of two retired FBI SA's and they know who they are.There was supposed to be a Board of Directors meeting last night but it was canceled. I was going to propose that a web site with Pay Pal be done among a gazillion other things. I have no idea how long a post can be so I will next post in my own meandering way what is doing and what needs to be done.

Yes, keep me up to date. I'm rabiosa on here but my soft spots are children (I have 4) and pregnant women.:)

SHALENA
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
None of these kids are starving but not ONE is even chubby. They do not eat meat regularly and need a steady source. I do what I can and what I can weasel out buddies but at just one meal a day is over 200 portions a week. They are all in school but have no recreational books to read but my daughter is in a volunteer service Latina Sorority and I am in the process of applying for age appropriate books from a source she found. There are over 30 people total to do washing for and they have two rinky dink Chinese washing machines when they need an industrial one. They have a small TV that works but no DVD player which if they had could be used maybe with popcorn to complement a planned Saturday inspirational Speaker. A lawyer who graduated from PUCMM on a half athletic and half good grades scholarship gave a very good up by bootstraps talk. More are planned.
The ladies that work there appear to be very good but it is like herding cats but some volunteer counselors that could come in the afternoon and talk/listen/play/read etc would give them some individual attention. Especially a couple of the boys are potential major problems if they do not get turned around now. The boys are working on teamwork, no violence, and no throwing trash on the ground for now with a minor in manners. Diapers for the 2 year old are always in short supply along with toilet paper, clothes soap, powdered milk, chocolate powder, cooking oil etc.
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
The location of HET is giant and was a major drug trafficker’s mansion that was confiscated but it is really rundown. The swimming pool is a lagoon of mess but apparently someone affiliated with the board is going to fix it. The basketball backboard got fixed with a ball and the volleyball net & ball are in place. Some 50 peso balls served for dodge ball and four square was laid out and explained. But if no one leads or instigates a game no one plays. The ping pong table is in the process and net, paddle, balls were donated. A garden competition is planned but I do not have a clue as to how to actually do it although the boys and I started to clean a section of land. Today hopefully we start actually preparing the dirt and start a compost pile.
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Good Afternoon, I will pick up any substantial donations in Santiago or as far as la Vega, The orphange is named after a Canadian born in Quebec Catholic Priest who apparently was a really good man. Does anyone know the current Spanish language equivalent of books like Tom Swift, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew? Books that are fun to read. Anybody know of a place to buy Spanish language comic books? It is planned to have a surprise modest birthday thing for each kid. There is one coming up Saturday. To that end is any one coming this way with perhaps a coloring books & crayons? Or do you know where I could get a wholesale price for such? Just as a human observation a UTESA student who occasionally volunteers texted me that she was buying a fingernail clipper because she noticed a need.
 
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Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Don't sweat the grammar. Break up your story into shorter parragraphs. Internet reading needs spaces between ideas

You are writing like it was one of your old "5"s ...Relax, this has been studied and it seems we read on the Internet
a different way than we read a book. Actually we read more like a newspaper with narrow columns.

Folks. this is one of my pet projects and Stevie and Maine Girl know the place and have done some great projects. Thing is the scale (Yeah, I know, you think two dozen kids isn't much, gee I remember the movie "Cheaper by the dozen" it can't be all that hard...yeah right!!) that boggles. Eggs: a carton of 30 at breakfast = RD$150 x 30 = RD$4500 = RD$54,000 a year (no let up ever!)

If you start thinking about this place you really cannot enjoy those ribs at TGIFriday or at Chili's... or the big Mac or that overpriced coffee at Starbucks...And this is a tiny operation with incredible women and a couple of guys, so any help you can give them...

Just my 2 ? worth....a little bit every day...And ol' Santiaguero is a real dynamo.....I think he scares the bejesus out of those women...





HB
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Breaking news the girls (lamentable) are ahead of the boys in the garden competition mainly because an old generic looking man made a poor selection of location but never fear. Da boys had a meeting about the need for planning and discipline and plan a comeback tommorow!

The Professor never ceases to amaze me with his breadth of knowledge
for instance how many of you know what the "5" reference was???
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
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38
What vegetables are easy to grow in Santiago? Should the garden be laid out in full sun, partial sun, or mostly shade?
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
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Did you know that you can learn Spanish by listening to little kids? Yesterday as I sat exhausted from a combination of gardening & basketball I listened to a bunch of the 7-10 year old girls who were trying to guess my age (100 was the closest), my "good hair", and my size (God made up in quantity instead of quality) and I realized that I understood what they were saying. They speak relatively slowly and use simple words! They also understand my Japanese prison camp commander level Spanish
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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514
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You will be amazed at what your positive attitude will allow your brain to do...and I am sure I will notice it when I come back in 10...Hopefully with my batteries re-charged!!

HB
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
Today it a great pleasure for the staff & children of Hogar Emiliano Tardiff orphanage to meet DR1 member Humble Hindu. He brought a great smile and positive attitude along with more than 50 pounds of fresh string beans and peppers. He took pity on my miserable attempt at a garden which actually looks like a 105 shellhole and gave excellent advice on how to do it correctly. We all look forward to his next visit because his cheerful attitude is as valuable as his other contributions. THANKS Humble Hindu
 

SantiagueroRD

Bronze
Apr 20, 2011
766
1
38
HET lost its littlest member because the male half of the 2 year old twins was returned to his parents. Blond hair blue eyed cute kids. Rafael got new sandals to replace his umpteenth hand destoyed Crocs. Tommorow is the first of the surprise birthday parties with some small gifts and a cake. Hopefully two more pairs of sandals to the most needy at the party.