Hello everyone!

My name is Tracey and I am raising funds for Andrea, a kind, hard working woman in the Dominican Republic.

Andrea has been helping with me on a casual basis with cooking, cleaning, and caring for my elderly mother when I need an extra hand. She’s reliable, hardworking, and unfailingly kind — the kind of person who shows up with a smile, no matter what’s going on in her own life. She often brings us mangos and avocados from her trees. She has taught Coby how to cook Dominican food (his favorite)

Andrea is a single mother of four — three boys and her youngest, a bright little girl who dreams of becoming a doctor one day. She lives in the countryside (el campo) and commutes nearly an hour each way on the public bus to get to work.

Her home is extremely modest — built of cement blocks and a zinc roof. The walls are unfinished, showing the raw blocks. Over the years, Andrea saved little by little, buying cement blocks whenever she could until she had enough to have a simple home built for her children. It’s far from perfect, but it’s theirs — a place of safety and pride.

During the recent passing of Hurricane Melissa, Andrea’s home flooded. Water seeped up through the blocks and into the house, soaking everything. It took days for her to dry things out, and much of her small amount of furniture was damaged.

About a year ago, Andrea faced another challenge. Two of her sons needed surgery due to urinary blockages caused by kidney stones. (Kidney stones are common here due to high temperatures causing dehydration, dietary factors etc.)

The public hospital couldn’t help them at that time, and she did what any mother would do — she found a way to get them treated. Desperate, she turned to a private money lender in her community (predatory lender) and borrowed the money to cover the surgery costs at a private clinic.

The interest on this loan is crushing — 13,000 pesos (about $285 USD) every month — and that only covers the interest, not the principal. After making those payments, Andrea is left with around $100 a month to feed, clothe, and support her four children. This "lender" took advantage of her vulnerable situation.

I’ve been helping her with groceries and school supplies since learning about her situation, but I can see the constant worry in her eyes. The lender pressures her regularly to start paying back the principal, and she’s under tremendous stress.

Andrea is always looking for additional work and will often switch her days with me when she finds something else to do to generate income. Most permanent housekeeping jobs require her to live-in — which would mean leaving her children alone in the countryside, something she can’t do at this point, so she takes on odd jobs as she can.

Her children are excellent students, and she has worked so hard to keep them in school and on a positive path.

This GoFundMe is my way of trying to ease her burden and help her regain stability.

Your donation will go directly toward:

Paying down her high-interest debt to reduce the constant financial pressure

Making small repairs to her flooded home

Providing stability and relief for her children

Andrea is a humble, hardworking woman who has always carried her family on her shoulders. She never asks for help. When I explained how GoFundMe works, she was genuinely surprised that a wider community might care enough to support her — she still can’t quite believe it. My hope is we can show her the kindness this community is capable of.

Thank you for taking the time to read her story and for considering a donation or sharing her campaign. Every bit of kindness makes a difference. ❤️