Dental Care

Last Thursday we had a dentist come in and teach the kids about the importance of dental health. Dr. Lepe came with his daughter, Alexandra, who is in dental school, and they did a lesson on things like how to brush your teeth properly, how to floss, and what a cavity is. You can see Alani in the picture as she was brought up to the front to demonstrate teeth brushing. A big thank you to Dr. Lepe and his daughter Alexandra!

Christmas Party

Yesterday was Dove Mission's Christmas party, and it could not possibly have gone better! We had a live DJ come to the party and all the kids had fun dancing and taking part in the contests to win prizes (merengue contest, hoola hoop, etc.) There was a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, potato salad, cole slaw, and cupcakes; everyone had a blast. We then took the kids back to the Club where we met the Moms and shared cake and spent some time together. When it was time to leave, we handed out a huge gift bag to each child, which they (and the Moms) were so excited about and gracious for. This will most definitely be a Christmas that they will never forget. Sonia, one of the Moms, told us that her son Yoandi didn't sleep the following night because he was too excited looking through his Christmas bag. Thank you to everyone who made this possible; we couldn't have done it without you!

Emma and Matt

The following testimony is written by Emma Hills. She and her husband came all the way from Scotland and spent 2 days volunteering with Dove Missions in November. In 2010 she will be running a half marathon to raise money to repair our kids' houses.

In November this year I made my 8th visit to the DR, but was fed up with the tour operator trips where they only show you the side of the DR they want you to see. This, I knew, was not the real DR so with a bit of internet reasearch i found Dove Missions, looked at what they did, read the blogs, read about the kids and just got an overwhelming sense to help these kids.

After a few emails to the DR and looking at the wishlist I packed what I thought could help along with a basketball hoop for the Club and a basketball Cathy had asked for to reward good behavior to 3 boys whom were looked after by their grandmother, who looked after 18 kids!

On the day planned to spend with Dove, Liz picked us up from our hotel then on to Dove's Club. It was only about 10:30 but there were already boys waiting outside the club and this is where i first met Almondo, Eddie, and Alberto whom introduced themsleves to me in English, very impressive!

First job for my husband Matt at the club was to put up the hoop, which the kids went mad for, Domingo took charge with the drill!! With a few of the boys myself and Lisa started to make up baby packs for the new mums at the hospitial we were going to visit later. Thanks to Lisa and my friend Tracey we had lots of baby things and made loads of packs.

The day flew by and we went for lunch, then gave Jose Carlos, Leori and Yeuri their basketball which myself and Matt found very humbling how much they loved the ball and they kept thanking and hugging us for the rest of the day. The other main things that stick in my head are Andy being so lovely and him asking Cathy to take our picture and Almondo asking Matt if I was married then hugging and kissing me all the time!!! Also Alberto made myself a bracelet with my name in it - what a talented boy - it did bring a tear to my eye that he wanted to do that for me when I'm here to help and give them donations.

We then spent a 2nd day at the club, a Saturday so we could meet the girls to. Here we also met Diane and went to Aguas Negras and saw the Haitian school and on to Domingo's house where we met his Mum and the famous Chumchum (pig)!!!! Morning was Boys Club and Andy wrote me a lovely letter with a picture and gave it to me with a flower, Almondo gave me more hugs and kisses and Luis Daniel just wanted to be picked up and cuddled! Also this morning Matt, myself and some of the other volunters sorted through the donations that the club had and put all the stuff for the xmas baskets, separated them, labelled all the arts and crafts stuff - that was some going!!

The afternoon was Girls Club and Diane had donated 2 false nail painting kits and we made them with the girls - paint and glitter eveywhere but they loved it! I also had some girls clothes donated by a young friend of the family, Jessica and I had a beautiful dress that we gave to Elizabeth - she looked beautiful in it.

Saying goodbye was hard but cant wait to return in April and I'm trying to raise funds and ask people if they have any donations they feel they would like me to take already - I've seen how much they are needed and what a smile they can bring. Also when we return, May 4th is my 30th birthday and I can't think of a better way to spend it than with these kids!

Myself and Matt were also so touched by the kids and their housing, that we are trying to get a place on a local half marathon to raise money to re-roof these kids' homes. I can't imagine my roof leaking when it rains when I'm trying to sleep and these kids shouldn't have to have this happen to them. I have never ran anywhere in my life and have just started training and it so hard but will be well worth it if it stops one of the kids from getting wet while they are sleeping.

Holiday Preparations

We are busy at the Club preparing for the Christmas party that will be held this Sunday for all of our children. We have a lot of volunteers coming to help out this Christmas, and the first of them arrived this week; Melissa Bazely (Dove's Volunteer Coordinator) and her Mom, Gail! So with their help, and two of the Mothers in the Club, we spread out little pieces of paper with the kids' names all across the Club to sort gifts for their Christmas baskets. Gifts were distributed according to age, gender, and size. Each child will be getting a basket full of toys, clothes, shoes, school supplies, and much more. One of the Mothers commented that this will be the best Christmas ever for her kids! The Christmas party is being held this Sunday, so you still have time to donate! We are going to need about $1000 total for everything. Thank you to everyone who has donated already, and to everyone who donated supplies to fill the baskets!

Mi Descripción

This is a picture of Anamilka and Genesis, sisters who attend our Girls Club. They are holding their "mi descripción" papers that they worked hard on during the Club one afternoon. These worksheets are a great way to get the girls reading and writing in a way that seems fun to them.

Around the Center

Here is what the Center is looking like right now with Christmas decorations and new supplies. The tree was a donation from Casa Nelson (a department store in Puerto Plata), and the cabinet was a donation from Shirley Smith, and Tony and Sharon Adams. A huge thank you to all of those people! The manger, pictured at the bottom, was created by our kids. It is made from palm tree leaves, and the pieces at the top are made from a specific palm tree leaf called Yagua, which is what the very poorest of Dominicans used to build their houses out of.

Meeting the Castillos

The following testimony was written by Celeste Bettino. She volunteered with Dove Missions for 2 days in November, and also sponsors Leuri's family.

My November 09 mission trip was certainly a unique first-hand experience.
I was very impressed with the building and especially the way Liz and Cathy have partitioned it off for different activities. The number of donations the Mission has received--clothes, games, education material and medical supplies was also impressive. I was at the Mission’s Boys and Girls Club for two days; the first day, Monday, November 9 was a holiday and Club staff were preparing for a holiday celebration later in the afternoon. The morning was devoted to home visits and delivering parcels to sponsored families. It was wonderful to glimpse their grateful and appreciative reactions.

Although I had previously done mission work in Cuba and observed impoverished areas with dilapidated housing, the housing conditions in the Puerto Plata slum areas were beyond dilapidated; they are utterly deplorable with families living in makeshift housing with substandard or non-existent sanitary facilities.

After we completed several home visits, we returned to the Boys and Girls Club and finished setting up for holiday party. An eager group of children were waiting outside for the Club to open and the party to begin. The children were elated to be at the Club and so appreciative that they kept thanking us over and over again for the party. It was obvious to me that the Club has had and continues to have a significant impact on these children.

At this party I was fortunate to meet my sponsored family, the Castillos. They have four sons; I am sponsoring Leuri, the Castillo’s oldest son. Mr. Castillo attended this party. I was told later that it was rare for a father to attend an event at the Club. It was obvious to me that Mr. Castillo is grateful for this opportunity and is very interested in improving the living conditions of his family. I was especially honored when Mr. Castillo told me I was always welcome in his home.

On my second mission day, Saturday, November 14, I along with other volunteers spent the day sorting through the mounds of donations and organizing them by content. The intent of which was to make Christmas gift baskets for the families.

The younger children arrived around 11:00 a.m. and were shown a video on respect and acceptable behavior. The Club staff teacher, Teresa, reinforced concepts in this video. It appears to me that she is totally committed to this Club. She was especially gentle in the way she handled the children and kept redirecting them to the lesson when they became restless and unfocused. I was told that the children have come a long way from the disorderly group they previously were.

The DOVE Missions staff is doing exceptional work with these children. The children I observed were so eager to be at the Club and enthusiastic in their use of Club resources. The children know that there are people who care. The education requirement that the Club imposes to be eligible for sponsorship is significant. Education is the key to improvement.

I look forward to returning to Puerto Plata and continuing my involvement with DOVE Missions.

A New Appreciation

The following testimony was written by Michael Varga about the 2 days that he spent volunteering with Dove Missions. He sponsors Yeffri's family.

In November 2009, I went on two service trips. The first trip involved the setup of a party for the kids and parents of the Boys and Girls Club along with some home visits. The second trip involved the sorting of various donations that the Boys and Girls Club had received. I also met the child that I am sponsoring, Yeffri, during the trips. At first, I felt extremely sad to see the conditions that they and their families live in. But as the day went on and as I started to interact with kids, my sadness was slowly replaced with an overwhelming sense of happiness as I saw how appreciative the kids were with everything we were doing. The service trips were truly a life altering event for me. I now have a whole new appreciation for every day life and for everything that I take for granted that those families just do not have.

November Newsletter

Below is a short excerpt from the November 2009 Newsletter. Click HERE to read it all!

Greetings from the Dominican Republic!

What an exciting year! As the holidays approach there is much anticipation here to celebrate all of the great things that have happened with Dove Missions this last year. We were blessed with over 200 volunteers visiting us, sharing their time, talents and donations. With your support, we offered much needed help to the girl’s orphanage, hospital, Mustard Seed and Casa Nazarete disabled children’s homes. We painted houses, rebuilt schools and bought 50 children school uniforms and supplies. Your donations provided education, food, clean water, clothes, medicine, pampers and formula to hundreds of desperately poor children and families.

With your help we started our “club” in January as a pilot program with 12 street boys and by June we added 60 more children, and included girls programming. We had to utilize churches and schools for our classrooms until our new space was renovated. By September we were up and running in our new Vocational and Recreational center. We have over 80 children enrolled in our programs and a lengthy waiting list as well. Our programs include 6 main areas: Library and Computer Lab, Sports and Recreation Center, Health and Wellness, Art and Theater, Learning center, Vocational Training.

All of these programs are in need of sponsorship. We are able to provide a safe place for these children to receive a meal, opportunities to learn and grow and give them the hope they need to survive their current conditions. They have been sold into prostitution, violated in pedophilia rings, have parents dying of AIDS, on drugs and in jail and some are living with other family members or friends and are used as child laborers. We have kept them off of the streets and in school. We are keeping them fed and provide emergency medical relief. For every single child in our program, the “club” is a safe haven from the violence in the streets and in the home. A sandwich and juice at the club may be the only food they receive that day. It is a beacon of love and security that they have never experienced before.

Starting the New Year, we do not have the funding needed to keep the center operational, especially with the programming we have planned. I am asking you to partner with us by sending a financial gift this Christmas. Without our presence in this community, these children will be sent back into the streets, sold into the sex trades and used as child laborers and thieves.

Thank you for your continued support in Dove Missions programs. We especially need your support this coming year. Please know that whatever you can give will go a long way—and it will be very special because you cared enough to give it! With your help, we can fulfill our promise that Dove Missions will provide these children, who face so many uncertainties to know one thing for sure: Dove Missions will always be there with a smile, a word of encouragement and the gift of hope for the future.

Thank you,
Elizabeth McKie
Executive Director and Founder
Dove Missions

Girls Club Crafts

In the picture below you can see (from left to right) some of our Divas; Alani, Yohani, Carolina, Rosemary, Anamilka, and Loraina. They are sitting in Girls Club and working on a craft, made with white rice. You can see the results of their work to the side. These girls have been coming to the Club for almost 6 months now, and they have come so far. Back in June, when the Girls Club started, we would try to organize crafts for the kids. The girls had never done anything like that before, and were so self conscious about their abilities. They were unwilling to even attempt the craft on their own; even the simple act of drawing a flower or colouring in a picture. They would want one of us standing behind them; often asking for us to do it for them or to hold the pencil with them. These pictures show how far they have come. Not only are they now able to have fun creating crafts and working independantly, but they are also able to gain self confidence in their abilities.

Calling All Sponsors!

Just a quick note to all of those people reading who sponsor a family through Dove. Eventually, we are hoping to be able to get Internet in the Dove Missions Center; this will be a great tool to helping the kids learn and teaching them computer skills. In anticipation of this, we are asking that all sponsors email us a short paragraph about who they are, and a picture or two. The kids love knowing who sponsors them, and this way, we can pull up the blog during the Club and show them pictures and information of their sponsors.

You can see Loraina and Kathiana's page for an example of how this will work. If you are interested in this, email your photo(s) and info to Nikki at ncochrane3@hotmail.com. Feel free to add any little details (for example, if you have any pets) that you think kids might be interested in knowing. Thanks!