Donations in Punta Cana

Lynn

New member
Oct 8, 2004
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We (six of us) are going to Punta Cana on October 24, 2004 and are bring a bunch of school and toiletry supplies with us. We would also like to bring them to an orphanage, school, or church. Any suggestions? Who would we contact?

Thanks,

Lynn
 

ricktoronto

Grande Pollo en Boca Chica
Jan 9, 2002
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It is pretty easy to find a church when you get there, they look the same as any other church. Pick one, go in , talk to the priest, give him the stuff and he will probably do an adequate job of doling it out. If there isn't a church school I am sure the father can get it delivered for you.
 

Snowbird

Member
Jan 17, 2002
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Try This

Lynn said:
We (six of us) are going to Punta Cana on October 24, 2004 and are bring a bunch of school and toiletry supplies with us. We would also like to bring them to an orphanage, school, or church. Any suggestions? Who would we contact?

Thanks,

Lynn

Fundacion Patria has a local person in PC. Please contact Sr. Andres Pichardo, General Manager of the Hotel Gran Paradise. I'm sure Sr. Pichardo will do every thing he can to make the arrangements you might wish to make.

Thanks for all you do!!

Enjoy your Dominican experience :)

SB
 

IrishKat416

New member
May 12, 2004
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Lynn said:
We (six of us) are going to Punta Cana on October 24, 2004 and are bring a bunch of school and toiletry supplies with us. We would also like to bring them to an orphanage, school, or church. Any suggestions? Who would we contact?

Thanks,

Lynn


go to www.dominicandream.org - they will appreciate anything you can give to the children for school. My daughter and I stayed in Punta Cana (she is 8) in July and we took an entire suitcase full of school supplies, etc...I had been in contact with them and they sent someone to pick up the items.
Hope this helps.

Kat
 

Lynn

New member
Oct 8, 2004
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Donations to Punta Cana

Thanks to everyone who has responded. All of the information is great. I will take it from there.

Again, thanks!

Lynn
 

thorndike

New member
Feb 7, 2004
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Greetings from the DREAM Project!
I have just spent a little while on the message board and read your many postings.
Thank you all for your interest in aiding the education of the underprivileged children of the Dominican Republic. Your help is greatly appreciated and needed. Supply donations have proven to be crucial, and a huge portion of our time and efforts are dedicated to collecting and properly distributing the necessary educational materials for our classrooms. In the past year alone, the DREAM Project collected and supplied classrooms with US $35,000 worth of fundamental learning materials such as books, paper, pencils, and computers
As our organization continues to grow we continually learn, adapt, and make the improvements necessary to provide a higher standard of education for the children of the Dominican Republic. By combining the experience and knowledge of numerous nonprofit organizations and following the ideas outlined by the International Ecotourism and the Philanthropic Travelers' Societies, the DREAM Project has developed new guidelines to giving in order to ensure that your contributions for the children of the Dominican Republic are utilized to their maximum potential.

Good intentions are hindered by a lack of awareness; it is our duty to help educate donors and provide a means for responsible giving. Our knowledge and experience combined with your fervor and generosity can make all donations both beneficial and effective.

On behalf of the many, many children and teachers that are receiving your donations from all organizations.
Muchas Gracias, Patricia Suriel
Executive director of the Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring Project.( The DREAM Project)

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL PHILANTHROPHY

As travelers are becoming more socially conscious and responsible, organizations like the DREAM Project are beginning to unite individual tourists so that people of all cultural backgrounds are able to make a lasting difference. Filling your suitcases with books for children and joining trustworthy organizations, like the DREAM Project, is the best way to make meaningful contributions to the people of the Dominican Republic.

DONATION PRACTICES TO AVOID

Unfortunately, throughout our existence we have seen many good intentioned donations not only prove ineffective but become instruments of detriment to our children.

The following list of practices should be avoided due to the unintentional harmful consequences.

oRandom gift giving: Gift giving to individual children that you do not personally know can foster an attitude of dependency that, without overstating the gravity of the situation, can become a way of life. Our children will learn that it is all right to accept gifts from strangers and in turn come to expect and demand these gifts, whether they be shoe shine boys on the street or kids running after a tour bus.

oSpontaneous School Visits: Random school visits can disrupt classrooms. As eager tourists snap pictures, the children become dehumanized, objectified, and turned into objects of pity.

oDirect donations: Direct donations to schools can go unrecorded and never find their way into classrooms or the hands of the needy children for whom they are meant. Donations that are unaccounted for can be stolen for personal use, stored away, or even thrown away.

DONATIONS NEEDED

Top 10 Items Needed for 2004-2005
1. Children books in Spanish (These are what we really, really, really need!)
2. Chalk and erasers
3. Pencils (Both colored and regular)
4. Wall mounted pencil sharpeners (to affix to cement walls)
5.Puzzles (less than 90 pieces for ages 4-10)
6.Games (Examples: Dominoes, Checkers, Memory, Cards)
7.Construction paper
8.Glue
9.Flashcards (basic addition, subtraction and multiplication)
10. Notebooks

If you plan to bring supplies with you on your vacation, we suggest bringing colored felt pens, chalk, puzzles, maps, permanent markers, educational CD-ROMs in Spanish, dot to dot books (or other light newsprint books), educational audio cassettes, children's scissors, Lego educational sets, and Play-dough. These items are easier to find in the United States than in Cabarete. They are also light and easy to carry.


DONATIONS TO AVOID

In the past we have received many items that we unfortunately are unable to use. These items are often costly to receive and/or store and we ask that you avoid donating materials that unintentionally hinder our speed and efficiency. If you have any doubts concerning a possible donation do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

1. Literature that is not in Spanish
2. Literature that is above a sixth grade reading level
3. Damaged or unusable marker, Crayola, and pencil sets
4. Clothing & Shoes
5. Candy & Toys
6. Anything you would not consider basic materials for a classroom

**Important Note: The people of the Dominican Republic are in need of many things, including basic items such as clothing; however, the DREAM Project is dedicated to collecting educational materials. There are many wonderful organizations working to help the people of the Dominican Republic, and we do not wish to discourage any donations. We are simply asking donors to seek the organization that best suits their specific donations.

INABILITY TO SHIP MATERIALS

The issue of shipping to the Dominican Republic is extremely important when considering donating materials. DONATED MATERIALS CANNOT BE SHIPPED TO THE DREAM PROJECT. This is due to exorbitant costs and taxes and the tendency for items to be lost or damaged in transit. Items must be hand-delivered by individuals or groups.
 

Scoobster

New member
Sep 30, 2003
296
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"Reach the Beach" Donation Drive

Lynn said:
We (six of us) are going to Punta Cana on October 24, 2004 and are bring a bunch of school and toiletry supplies with us. We would also like to bring them to an orphanage, school, or church. Any suggestions? Who would we contact?

Thanks,

Lynn


Hello Lynn!

Just another option for you, and you many kind donations!

We are currently running our "Reach the Beach" Donation Drive for this travel season, and will be in the Punta Cana region this coming March, collecting all of the many generosities of the good travellers, such as yourself.

We also have a contact in the PC area who will, and is collecting kind donations from all travellers, to add to our drive, and "Fill the VAN!" this coming March, so no matter when, or where you are going, you can be a part of this excellent promotion.

All of the donations raised will be going to The DREAM Project.

For more information on this, and other events, please go to the following link

www.fiesta.webcentre.ca

Thanking you for your kind intentions.

It Feels Great To Donate!

Cheers
Jimmy
Fiesta Committee Member
 

elaine123

New member
Nov 1, 2004
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Hello,

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice? I am travelling to the Sirenis Cocotal Resort on 15th November from Scotland and will be bringing some supplies with me which have been donated by a local school in my area.

From previous posts I know the types of supplies you require - paper, pencils, chalk, puzzles etc - but can anyone tell me the nearest place to the Sirenis Resort where I can go to make my donation to the DREAM Project? I understand that the Sirenis Resort is a little isolated!!

Many thanks!

Elaine
 

Lynn

New member
Oct 8, 2004
8
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Our Visit to a Punta Cana School

We had a wonderful trip to Punta Cana (Bahia Principe hotel is wonderful in all aspects).

At the hotel, we arranged for a taxi driver, Leo (Siutratural Taxi Service #841-7443), to take us to a school close by. He was a great driver and helped us out. We went to a school in Plalla-Macao. We brought school and toiletry supplies to the school. It was the most rewarding experience that we ever experienced. Also an eye opener. The teacher and children were very appreciative.

The hotel was beautiful. New - opened in June 2004. Food, entertainment, hotel, staff - all wonderful. The only negative thing (if it is even considered negative) was speeding us through the Japanese restaurant. Other than that, absolutely nothing to complain about. Highly recommend the hotel.

We would go back another time.

We walked by the Super Breezes hotel, which we were originally booked for. It had a lot of damage, including the beach from the hurricanes. I hope that they can get it in shape soon to bring in the tourists. It looked like it was a very nice hotel.
 

elaine123

New member
Nov 1, 2004
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Thanks for the advice Lynn - I'll be sure to take Leo's number with me and hopefully we can arrange a visit to a school as well.

Your hotel sounds amazing - can't wait to fly out now!!