So what is the deal with all these fundraisers?
To explain why we are holding so many fundraising events we need to start with the why question. Our “why” is that we feel that God has been calling the people of Hope to the Dominican Republic for a number of years. Despite the beautiful beaches and all inclusive resorts, the Dominican Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the northern hemisphere where its people suffer from overwhelming and oppressive poverty.
In 2014 a group of volunteers from Hope went to the Dominican to serve in the area of Sosua. A second larger team of adults and youth returned to the Dominican in July 2016 to work with the Samaritan Foundation in building a new house for an impoverished family.
The high point for many of us was our 2016 visit to the Sosua Pregnancy Resource Centre (PRC). During our tour of the facility, Coralia Bohorquez, Executive Director, explained to us how a lack of material resources negatively impacts almost every aspect of Dominican society. We learned that the crushing poverty has a particularly insidious impact on young girls who are often forced into prostitution and sexual slavery to serve the robust tourist industry.
The staff and volunteers of the Sosua Pregnancy Resource Centre demonstrated a practical example of what it was like to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We marvelled at how the Centre was able to break the chains of despair and hopelessness by ministering to girls and their unborn children when they are the most vulnerable, afraid and alone. The girls who go to the Pregnancy Resource Centre looking for help are enrolled into a twelve month program that includes nutrition support for mom and baby, counseling, food, clothing, baby formula and diapers as well as mentoring on how to care for a new born. In addition to the support provided to the expectant mothers and their children, the Pregnancy Resource Centre operates a vocational training centre that provides ESL instruction, Cooking, Sewing, Hair Styling and more so that these women can find work and escape the sex trade and provide for their family.
It was this brief encounter at the Pregnancy Resource in 2016 where we fell in love with this ministry. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we truly believe that God placed us at the PRC at exactly the right moment in time to help further his Kingdom in the Dominican Republic. It wasn’t until much later that we learned that Jose and Coralia Bohorquez had been earnestly praying for help to keep the Pregnancy Resource Centre open.
381: Women in crisis supported by the Pregnancy Resource Center
263: Babies born that might have otherwise been aborted
102: Graduates from vocational training programs
128: Women who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour
To explain why we are holding so many fundraising events we need to start with the why question. Our “why” is that we feel that God has been calling the people of Hope to the Dominican Republic for a number of years. Despite the beautiful beaches and all inclusive resorts, the Dominican Republic remains one of the poorest countries in the northern hemisphere where its people suffer from overwhelming and oppressive poverty.
In 2014 a group of volunteers from Hope went to the Dominican to serve in the area of Sosua. A second larger team of adults and youth returned to the Dominican in July 2016 to work with the Samaritan Foundation in building a new house for an impoverished family.
The high point for many of us was our 2016 visit to the Sosua Pregnancy Resource Centre (PRC). During our tour of the facility, Coralia Bohorquez, Executive Director, explained to us how a lack of material resources negatively impacts almost every aspect of Dominican society. We learned that the crushing poverty has a particularly insidious impact on young girls who are often forced into prostitution and sexual slavery to serve the robust tourist industry.
The staff and volunteers of the Sosua Pregnancy Resource Centre demonstrated a practical example of what it was like to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We marvelled at how the Centre was able to break the chains of despair and hopelessness by ministering to girls and their unborn children when they are the most vulnerable, afraid and alone. The girls who go to the Pregnancy Resource Centre looking for help are enrolled into a twelve month program that includes nutrition support for mom and baby, counseling, food, clothing, baby formula and diapers as well as mentoring on how to care for a new born. In addition to the support provided to the expectant mothers and their children, the Pregnancy Resource Centre operates a vocational training centre that provides ESL instruction, Cooking, Sewing, Hair Styling and more so that these women can find work and escape the sex trade and provide for their family.
It was this brief encounter at the Pregnancy Resource in 2016 where we fell in love with this ministry. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we truly believe that God placed us at the PRC at exactly the right moment in time to help further his Kingdom in the Dominican Republic. It wasn’t until much later that we learned that Jose and Coralia Bohorquez had been earnestly praying for help to keep the Pregnancy Resource Centre open.
Here is what we have accomplished together.
Since 2016 the “Hope for the Dominican Team” has been supporting the Pregnancy Resource Centre in Sosua, Dominican Republic. We are thankful for how God has used us to play a small part in bringing “Hope” to women and children in crisis. Thanks to your support here is what we have accomplished together: 381: Women in crisis supported by the Pregnancy Resource Center
263: Babies born that might have otherwise been aborted
102: Graduates from vocational training programs
128: Women who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour
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