Who are we?
We are a group of individuals who went to the Dominican Republic on vacation. Upon seeing the needs of the people there, we started taking items of clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies and school supplies to assist those who suffer in poverty there. We have now become a registered charity and our work has grown significantly. We operate with a 9-person board of directors.
What do we do?
- We have built a distribution/community center where people can come to get essential needs for their families. Here we have clothing, shoes, hygiene supplies, some food and school supplies. This facility also is a learning center where we teach vocational classes. We host medical teams in our center. On the second level, we now have accommodations available for those coming to do humanitarian service.
- We have brought in a shipping container with over 600 boxes of shoes and clothing and continue to bring supplies in every few months for the distribution center.
- We have rebuilt a school and playground in the community of Maggiolo and continue to give support there. We also built a baseball backstop for that community.
- We built a library to service the communities of El Estrecho and El Luperon.
- We have a home-building program. Since April, 2013, we have built over 170 homes for families in need.
- For 4 years, we supported a school lunch program where we helped to feed 315 hungry children one hot lunch daily in two different schools.
- We have found over 50 monthly sponsors to help children attend school.
- We have supported and continue to raise funds for several medical emergencies.
- We have helped with the set-up of a volunteer English program in the schools.
Where will the money go?
All of the donations to Dominican Starfish Foundation go directly to the projects there. The directors are all volunteer and pay for their own travel and accommodations.
How can I help?
We are grateful for any and all contributions. Below is a list of all the ways that you can help.
- General monetary donations can be donated by following our “donate now” link.
- Donations to specific projects can be made by following our “current projects” link
- “In Kind” donations are always welcome, click here to see what we are currently in need of.
- Join us on a trip to the Dominican Republic where you will be able to enjoy the beautiful island and spend time in the communities that we serve. For more information on a Dominican Starfish Foundation service trip, please follow this link.
The 5 Arms Of The Dominican Starfish Foundation
Shelter
In January of 2013 at the grand opening of the school we rebuilt in Maggiolo, we were approached by a senior lady, Mela who was caring for three young grandchildren. She presented us with a letter asking us to help with her home which was falling down around her. At that point, building homes was not part of our plan for the foundation.
Upon returning from that trip, the foundation’s executive director was given a surprise birthday party by her family. The party was a fundraiser and money was raised for Mela’s home. April 1st, 2013 the foundation workers took down Mela’s home. Since then, home-building has become a major focus of the foundation.
We now choose several families for our list of possible recipients. The foundation in Canada and the Dominican have several criteria for the families chosen. We then get approval from our nine-person board of directors. Families, businesses, groups of friends, etc. choose a family to sponsor and raise the funds for the building of the home.
See the homes and read the stories below starting with the most recent finished project.
Food & Clothing
Through our distribution center in Javillar (Puerto Plata), we distribute food packs and clothing to Dominicans in need.
Education
Dominican Starfish Foundation believes in the importance of education. We continue to provide school supplies and learning materials to several schools in the Dominican Republic.
Health & Well Being
Through various donations, the Dominican Starfish Foundation has been able to help numerous people in need in the Dominican. Some of our projects have included aiding with various individual medical expenses such as raising funds for burn victims, various surgeries and prosthetic limbs as well as purchasing formula and medical supplies and hosting medical groups to come and personally serve those in need.
Employment
Unemployment abounds in the Dominican Republic. A huge percentage of the people have no work, no skills for employment and no hope. The Dominican Starfish Foundation strives to provide vocation training opportunities and to employ workers to help in our home building projects.