Strength for the Journey needs your help!

Aug 21, 2007
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Last summer, dr1 members were extremely generous when we were collecting books for our children's library. As always, we are grateful to each of you. In addition to reading one of these books to the children every day, we run a small lending library. Doing so has helped our parents learn to read right alongside their children!

We are now again in a position to ask for your help. After running the preschool and observing the extremely low development level of the children (when compared to world standards!) we decided that we need to teach beyond just preschool. Our children have gained so much, but they still are not on level. The next level would be pre-premaria (kindergarten in US and Canada.) And in order to teach that level, we have formed a Colegio (small private school.)

I guess we did too good of a job - we are already full for next year with a waiting list. That is good, but we now need to charge a small tuition of 2,000 pesos a month, which includes a snack. (about $37 USD) That is a lot of money for our families who earn on the average between 8,000 - 14,000 a month. ($148 - $259) Some of our families have no income at all! And others have no work during rainy days - and thus have no income on those days.

We are asking if any of you would be willing to provide a full or partial scholarship for one child. You could monthly, or you could pay for the year. We charge tuition only 9 months of the year, so the annual total is 18,000 RD or $333 USD.

We will inform you about the child you are sponsoring, sending you photos and updates. Without your help, we will need to eliminate those who are unable to pay and accept only those who can, but SFTJ is established to help the poor and we are committed to our mission.

If you are able to help out one of these children, please contact me via private message. Your contribution can be sent to us in the US or here in the DR, whichever is more convenient.

Thank you for all your love and support. Together, we are Strength for the Journey.




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Aug 21, 2007
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You dr1 members are truly great!

In less than 24 hours, we have enough sponsors for this next school year! Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts! After completing the registration process, we will send you a photo of your child(ren) and throughout the year, will send periodic updates.

YOU are Strength for the Journey.

P.S. If you are just now reading this thread and want to be part of our group, we welcome contributions for books and learning materials, too. You can donate online via our website. Any amount is welcome!

www.sftjourney

Or you can make a transfer here in the DR to our account in Banco Santa Cruz. We are a legal non-profit in both the US and here. Message me if you want the Banco Santa Cruz transfer information.
 
Aug 21, 2007
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I have been asked by a member to post a list of children's books. I will post a list of the Strength for the Journey kids' favorites. If, a member is interested in donating a book to our library, the best way to do it is to give us an Amazon e-gift card. We will order a title that we do not already have and send you a photo of the book when it arrives. We place the donor's name inside each book so our children understand the gift given to them by others. Anyone interested in doing this can contact me for my email address to send the gift certificate.

Here is a short list of the favorite books in our library. They are mostly story books to be read to a child because our students are not yet readers, but I included a few books for beginning readers.


1. Any board books in Spanish. These are books for babies or very young readers, but we use them as our lending library books. They are durable with cardboard pages.


Strength for the Journey Kids’ favorite books (Picture story books.)

1. El topo que quería saber quén se había aquello en su cabeza, Holzwarth, Werner
2. Atrapados, Oliver Jeffers
3. Buscar, de Dios, Olga
4. Cómo atrapar una estrella, Oliver Jeffers
5. Un poco perdido, Haughton, Chris
6. Se venden gorras Espher Slobodkina
7. Silvestre y La Piedrecita Magica William Steig
8. El Arbol Generoso Shel Silverstein
9. El Cuento de Ferdinando Munro Leaf
10. Silvestre y la piedrecita William Steig
11. El Pez ArcoIris Marcus Pfister
12. La Oruga muy hambrienta Eric Carle
13. any book by Eric Carle

All these books are available on Amazon


Books for a beginning reader 7 - 10 years old

1. La Teleraña de Carlota E.B. White
2. Charlie y la fabrica de chocolate Ronald Dahl
3. Desperaux Kate DiCamillo