SUMMERTIME and a glass of lemonade

I recently received in the mail a calendar from an organization that I volunteered with several years ago, and I knew I just had to share this information with more people! Orphanage Outreach is an orphanage in the town of Monti Cristi in the Dominican Republic whose mission is to provide opportunities to orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children. During my college years I volunteered at the orphanage during my spring break and feel in love with the organization. They help the students at the orphanage, as well as in the town of Monti Cristi in so many ways. Not only do they provide a safe and loving environment for abandoned children, but they also provide summer camps, English school, extracurricular activities, computer training, and scholarships to local universities.

I highly recommend the volunteer program which allows individuals or groups to volunteer at the orphanage any where from one week to months. As a volunteer the assignments are varied depending on your interests from English teaching to construction/landscaping to sports coaching to leading vacation bible school. When I went I spent my morning teaching students at the orphanage (students only go to school for half of the day because they are so many kids and not enough schools), and then in the afternoon I helped with work around the orphanage or played baseball with the kids. They are sooooo good! Evenings were spent having craft night or watching a movie with the orphanage kids. A life changing experience for sure!

Even if you can't make the trip to the Dominican Republic right now, there are many ways to help with a monetary donation. Their website allows you to decide exactly where you would like your money to help out whether that be a construction project to add on to the orphanage or to fund the English education program. I know it is Christmas time and so many local organization are asking for money, but I hope you will also consider the children in need in other countries as well. I know from personal experience they appreciate every single dime of it.