Donations

DREAM Project:
The office is located in Cabarete at the back of Plaza el P?tio. The plaza is in the center of Cabarete across the street from the German Bakery and behind Banco Progeso. The office does NOT face the street. The office phone number is 809-571-0497 - just in case you want to phone them to check their hours.

If you do go to their office, they have a short form they ask you to fill out with the approximate value of your donation as they track statistics for their reports. Also, if you would indicate on the form you found out about the organization via Beyond The Beach Children's Foundation , it also indicates to them that we are spreading the word!

Mustard Seed:
Any items for Mustard Seed can also be dropped off at the DREAM offices. They will make arrangments for pick up. Also, donations for Mustard Seed can be left at Checkpoint Bar in Sousa or Isaira Tours in Puerto Plata. We cannot have donations dropped at the home as it would be too disruptive to the people at the home. We hope that people understand that the home has to have a "routine" and we try to intrude as little as possible.

The phone # of Isaira Tours is 809-320-1433 . They are in a plaza across from The Iberostar Costa Dorada.

Cabarete is a 10 minute drive from Sos?a, 30 minutes from Playa Dorada, 45 minutes from Puerto Plata and 45 minutes from Rio San Juan. It is easy to reach Cabarete by taxi, rental car or public transportation.

You have to dial the area code before the number even if you are across the street.

Bob, if you're arranging to meet your friends in Puerto Plata centre (they can get the Rui shuttle bus in to centre) you can take them to the Cathedral & they can donate there. The Rui shuttle drops passengers very near the Cathedral I seem to recall. I think the shuttle still runs but maybe someone else could confirm?

I believe the shuttle from the Riu complex was stopped quite a few years ago when the taxi drivers "objected".

The only charity I am aware of on that side of Puerto Plata is the Elliott Foundation at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi but I have no experience with them on which to base a recommendation.

Contact info is :

809.970.3364 x 20050
children4change@sunvillageresorts.com

Welcome to Sun Village Resorts - Foundation

Good luck.

Gregg

Okay Bob.
Assuming you have had no PM's to offer assistance I will go over to Riu to pick the clothes up. Can your people from the 'other board' to advise ages of children these might be suitable for please - it will help me determine the best outlet. Some inexpensive TOYS would be nice to hand out too, as it is Christmas!!

They can e-mail me (I think you might still have my address) or contact me via you - whichever you find most suitable. Please advise dates they will be here, which Riu they will be staying in & which days are best for me to visit them; or will clothes be left at reception??? ~ Grahame.

Nice offer Grahame - Merry Christmas to you and Ginny.

Gregg & Giselle

Grahame...thanks and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Wud & the Warden

Another Option

Bob,
The organization Fundacion Patria, is set up specifically to assist the children in the Puerto Plata area. Sr. Mario Mattana, Managing Director at Fun Royale-Fun Tropicale, will be more than happy to come to the Riu property to pick up the donation.

Pls. pm me and I will be happy to give you the contact information for Sr. Mattana.

SB

We are going to the Bahai Principe San Juan Jan 15 and bringing school supplies for varying ages. Last time we were in the DR, we gave the supplies to hotel staff members with school age children, but would like to spread them around a bit more. Is there is some where nearby to drop them off?

The DREAM Project office in Cabarete...

DREAM Project: Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring Project

Gregg

Bob K said:

Grahame,
Thank you. I will forward on your contact information to them. Again they will be here mid January. They indicated they had clothes from toddler to young children.
thanks again

Bob

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Well here we are 15 days later & nothing heard from your contacts Bob. Are they still interested in donating? Are my srvices required or have they made contact with someone else?

It would be nice to have SOME form of feedback.

BTW - Mustard Seed children go to the Rehabilitation Center next to the public hospital every Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday I understand so if anyone wants to make a donation & finds it difficult to get to the Mustard Seed offices, they can get along to the Rehab center about 11.00. And/or they can also deliver to me for onward delivery to the Rehab center. I go every Tuesday. ~ Grahame.

strudel said:

We are going to the Bahai Principe San Juan Jan 15 and bringing school supplies for varying ages. Last time we were in the DR, we gave the supplies to hotel staff members with school age children, but would like to spread them around a bit more. Is there is some where nearby to drop them off?

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It is of course best if you can make the delivery yourself - you get far more involvement this way & can SEE where the donations are going. HOWEVER, if ALL ELSE fails & you need them picking up from you whilst at the hotel, let me know & I'll call by when returning from Playa Grande one weekend. How long are you staying at Bahia Principe for? ~ Grahame.

We will be there 2 weeks. We had explored the Cabarete area on a previous trip and were planning to poke around in the Samana direction, but do not go with any set plans. We really appreciate your offer to pick them up. Can we make arrangements through this thread while we are there if necessary? Thanks for the link to Dreams too, it has given me ideas for a few more items I can add that I know for sure are needed.

strudel said:

We will be there 2 weeks. We had explored the Cabarete area on a previous trip and were planning to poke around in the Samana direction, but do not go with any set plans. We really appreciate your offer to pick them up. Can we make arrangements through this thread while we are there if necessary? Thanks for the link to Dreams too, it has given me ideas for a few more items I can add that I know for sure are needed.

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I have no problem with discussing it here but this thread really belongs to Bob K & is about his friends coming to Riu Merengue (or ONE of the Riu's). Perhaps as the collection/meet up arrangements do not really hold much benefit to other readers on this thread, we ought to take it to PM status. Click on my username, look for 'send a PM' & we will communicate that way.

I shall be in Rio San Juan on Saturday of this week - if I remember I will ask the golf Pro if he knows of any charity organisations locally this donation ought to go to & then get back with any suggestions he has for your consideration.

15th Jan is a Tuesday I believe, so the chances are I will be down on Sunday 20th or 27th & will arrange to meet you on one of those two days! ~ Grahame.

Bob K said:

Grahame,
I do want to thank you for your help and offers. The folks (who i do not know) did PM me and said that they donated the clothes to "someone" at the hotel who would distribute it. Too bad as I am now sure the stuff is now for sale somewhere. I was just trying to help and you know how that goes sometime.

Bob K

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Now you have me REALLY confused Bob. Two previous posts indicated (no, .... STATED) that these donators were coming down in mid JANUARY!! Did they perhaps mean they WOULD donate it to someone at the hotel who would then distribute it maybe?? Or maybe they came early - i.e. late December 2007?

As they PM'd you they are obviously DR1 members. It would seem logical (& very easy) for them to have made contact via this thread & advised you & us what changes to their arangements they had made & thanked YOU for trying to help organise things. To coin an English North Country expression "Eee by gum lad, thars none so queer as folk"!! :ermm: :cheeky:

Looks like this thread is open for your use if you want it strudel. :surprised ~ Grahame.

Ooops, my mistake.

Ooops, I just realised that they could, of course, have contacted you on PM via the 'Other Board' you are involved with!! Ignore 2/3rds of paragraph two folks & put it down to Bush having another of his 'Senior moments'!!aranoid::ermm:aranoid::surprised: ~ Grahame.