Volunteer Trip to the Dominican Republic

This Spring Break I will be traveling to a rural part of the Dominican Republic to work with a small non-profit called Una Vida, a 501©3. Una Vida was started by a high school teacher in Petaluma who served as a volunteer in the United States Peace Corps in the very town that we will be traveling to.

This trip is especially important to me because it is incorporated with my Senior Project at Casa Grande High School; a mandatory project for Seniors.  For my project I am promoting/marketing the Madres jewelry line, putting on jewelry parties/events, selling products, creating invoices and graphic binders along with designing new displays.  You can view the Madres website at www.madresjewelry.org. The profits made from this jewelry provide income to the women, both Dominican and Haitian, and their families, giving them the opportunity of a better future. 

The trip is a full immersion service-learning trip, meaning we'll work on projects "“ health, housing, education, etc. "“ while we soak up the lessons of cross-cultural exchange. We'll live and eat and laugh with Dominican families, and travel to rural mountain villages and markets.  I will also get a chance to meet the wonderful women who are part of the jewelry line and get to see the benefits of all my hard work in my Senior Project personally.

In preparation for the trip, I'm not only reading up on the DR, but raising funds to help cover the cost of my trip. I'm asking family and friends as well as local businesses to chip in to get me there!

Thank you so much! Also, please go to www.una-vida.org to see the wonderful work this organization is doing.