Help The Schools Via Fundacion Patria - Page 5

Snowbird · #41 04-22-2004, 08:51 PM

Thanks for the posting. As many have mentioned before, there are many, many school children that can use our help. It doesn't matter so much WHO you donate to, just that you donate.

Enjoy your Dominican experience :-)

SB

Remote · #42 04-22-2004, 09:22 PM

SB, I wanted to tell you that I wrote a story for the newspaper where I work about our trip to the DR, mentioning that we had toured a school and made donations. I have subsequently heard from our DR guide that at least a dozen people have contacted him to take a similar tour, so I hope that some of those folks may have made donations along the way.

Thanks again for your guidance!

Pat

P.S. E-mail me if you'd like a copy of the story (Remote57@hotmail.com)

frank alvarez · #43 04-23-2004, 11:28 AM

Allow this humble Dominican to thank all of you wonderfully generous people for your concerns and help to our kids; a special thanks to Snowbird who I see, in another post, is thinking of coming down to live with us. I will be checking out Fundacion Patria and only wish there were concerned tourists coming to all parts of the country which would really make a big contribution and not just the Puerto Plata area.
I have a small, weekend cabin in the hills near Santiago and my neighbors are all poor, many with dirt floors and very basic housing; I have made it a point, always, to help the neighborhood kids every September with their school supplies as well as a small gift for the Xmas holidays...this is not really a big
sacrifice and the happiness I can create with these unfortunate children is more than worthwhile so I understand how everyone can get a kick of helping these kids. Keep it up and I hope more and more people can become involved.

Snowbird · #44 04-24-2004, 10:14 PM

Great posts. All the Dominican school children will benefit from any and all donations that we can so generously share with them.

Frank, as you have probably read on other threads, there are other groups that are trying to help as well. Scoobster posts for Dream Project, which helps Cabarete kids. The Sosua project is self explainable. Fundacion Patria has contacts in 3-4 other cities which have already been posted in an earlier thread. People are trying to reach out to all parts of your beautiful country, to assist your very beautiful school children. It just takes time, and many frequent reminders.

Speaking of reminders, I would encourage all readers to go to www.debbiesdominicantravel.com, go to the North Coast forum in the message board, locate Help The Children-Challenge Number 2 thread ( I believe it's now on page 3 ), read and reply. Please do the same at www.popreport.com,
where you are looking for the Fundacion Patria thread.

If we can keep this project on page 1 of these message boards, we can be assured that more visitors will see what we are trying to do. If they see the genuine enthusiasm that is shown by you, they might be more motivated to do the same.

Thanks to all the are giving from their hearts.

Enjoy you Dominican experience :-)

SB

Snowbird · #45 04-25-2004, 12:55 PM

I was incorrect on the thread at www.popreport.com please look for Want To Feel Good. I had also started at Fundacion Patria thread earlier, but it was getting too many looks, so I went with WTFG.

Please excuse my senior moment.

Enjoy your Dominican experience :-)

SB

cjbrooks · #46 04-28-2004, 04:33 AM

Hi SB
We are travelling to DR in July and are really looking forward to it. My 11 year old daughter is very keen to get donations from her school and I wondered if there are any photos anywhere that i can print off to show the kids in her school just how lucky they are in having computers, IT equipment etc when the DR children struggle to even get paper!

We are staying at the Iberostar in Puerto Plata which I realise is a little outside the other AI hotels in Playa Dorada and wondered if you have a contact in that hotel?

many thanks

Caroline

Snowbird · #47 04-28-2004, 10:45 PM

Here is a site that will help you. Go to www.fundapatria.com This is the web site for Fundacion Patria. Once at their home page, look in the left column for the photos link. Click on it and you will see some of the local school buildings/rooms. Granted, most photos are of schools out in the countryside, but believe me, the schools in Puerto Plata proper are not much better. The city school that my wife and I visited was one room, and it was about
20 x 20, if at all that big. The neat thing about any of the schools is that the children are excited to learn. They are also very excited to receive any donations that we can share with them. Your efforts will be greatly appreciated.

While you are at the FP site, click on all their links. They are seeking cash donations as well, and you will find a cash donation form available for your use if you so desire. In an earlier posting I stated that the schools are in dire need of blackboards. FP can purchase these blackboards for about 500 pesos, so if you want to donate cash, you have a way to do so. They are also in need of cash to develop an IT center in Puerto Plata proper. They will put any monies designated for this project toward the purchase of an adequate facility and toward the purchase of reliable computers.

I hope this information will help. Thanks for all you are willing to do. While you are staying at Iberostar, you can contact Sr. Miguel Goncalves for assistance. If he is not available, feel free to conatct Ramon Ripoll at Riu Merengue, 809 320 4000, or Mario Mattana at Fun Royale, 809 320 4054.

Enjoy your Dominican experience :-)

SB

Snowbird · #48 05-04-2004, 08:41 PM

In an earlier posting, it was noted that a visit to your local Dollar Store would be a great way to collect school suppplies without costing you an arm and a leg. I also think that it might be helpful to visit your local Office Depot and/or Office Max store and see if the management people would be willing to contribute to the cause. If you have access to Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart, etc., I would suggest that you approach those managers as well. I would believe that you may get referred to a corporate person somewhere, but at least you would have planted the seed. It makes sense to me to leave no stone unturned when asking for donations for this worthy cause. Shoot, you could even suggest that the management types read this thread.Just make sure you tell them how to get here. Be sure to tell them that you will be more than happy to transport the donations for them when you make your next trip to Puerto Plata.

Thanks for all your efforts.

Enjoy your Dominican experience :-)

SB

Snowbird · #49 05-13-2004, 11:23 AM

As you travel to your Dominican hotel, you will more than likely find a management person you can contact regarding your donation to Fundation Patria, the school aid project for schools in the Puerto Plata area. If you have a specific hotel, I will be happy to post the contact person.

If you are headed to Cabarete, contact the Dream Project. If headed to Sosua, contact the Sosua Project.

Again, please try to bring an extra checked bag filled with the basic school supplies that are needed by the kids. Your efforts will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all you bring.

Enjoy your Dominican experience :-)

SB

Scoobster · #50 05-14-2004, 11:27 PM

Thats right SB....no matter where you travel to in the DR, there will be children that could use your kind donations.

So save a little room in your luggage...pack some school supplies for the children of the DR.

A little room now will make a BIG difference in the future of these children.

It feels great to donate!

Cheers
Jimmy