The following are lists of materials needed at DREAM sponsored schools. Remember, every donation helps! Please note that all items must be hand-carried to the Dominican Republic.
Summer School & Camp Wish List (From our summer camp blog.) Note: If you have items you wish to send, please contact us so that we can coordinate sending them to a counselor to bring down.
School Supply Wish List
Montessori Supply Wish List
DREAM Community Public Library Wish List
Guidelines to Responsible Giving: FAQ's
As tourists are becoming more socially conscious and responsible, organizations
like the DREAM Project are giving travelers of all cultural backgrounds
an opportunity to make a lasting difference. Filling your suitcases
with books for children is a wonderful way to make meaningful contributions
to the people of the Dominican Republic. It is DREAM’s goal to provide
assistance and guidance so that the children will benefit from this
spirit of generosity. The following is a guide to help visitors learn
how to donate and practice responsible giving practices.
1) How do I make a donation within the Dominican
Republic?
The DREAM Project is happy to accept donations for visitors traveling
to Cabarete on the North Coast (about a 25 minute drive from Puerto
Plata Airport) as well as visitors staying in local resorts in Punta
Cana. Unfortunately, due to a small staff and limited operational budget
DREAM cannot currently travel to other areas of the country to pickup
donations.
Directions for Visitors staying in Cabarete:
The DREAM office is conveniently located in central Cabarete. DREAM invites
visitors to bring supplies to our office so that they can have the chance
to learn more about our programs. Our office can be found in Patio Plaza,
Calle Principal (near Banco Progresso and directly across from Dick’s
Bakery). In the case that visitors prefer to leave donations at their
resorts, DREAM asks that they contact the office at 809-571-0497 to
arrange for a pickup.
Directions for Visitors staying in Punta Cana:
The DREAM Project was fortunate enough to establish a partnership with
Les Pye, Resort Manager for MyTravel Canada, who arranges to pickup
donations from the local resorts in the Punta Cana region and deliver
them to Cabarete. Visitors should contact Les via email (Lez.pye@gmail.com)
or phone (829-259-2818) to arrange a supply pickup.
2) How do I make a donation from outside the Dominican
Republic?
The most effective way to make a donation from overseas is to send a monetary
contribution directly to the DREAM Project. Regrettably, it has proven
too costly to attempt to retrieve donations sent by mail.
3) Can I send donations via mail?
The DREAM Project unfortunately cannot receive donations shipped to the
Dominican Republic due to the exorbitant costs and taxes required to get
donations out of customs and the tendency for items to be lost or damaged
in transit. As such, at this time supply donations may only be hand-delivered
by individuals or groups.
6) What donations should I avoid?
In the past we have received many items that we unfortunately were
unable to use. Donations can often prove costly to receive and/or store
and we ask that you avoid donating materials unsuited to the needs of
the organization. If you have any doubts concerning a possible donation
do not hesitate to contact us for more information. The following is
a list of donations which should be avoided::
1. Literature that is not in Spanish or Creole
2. Literature that is above a sixth grade reading level
3. Damaged or unusable marker, crayon, and pencil sets
4. Candy
5. Anything you would not consider basic materials for a classroom
7) What donation practices should I avoid?
Unfortunately, throughout our existence we have seen many well-intentioned
donations prove ineffective and even detrimental to our children. The
following is a list of practices that should be avoided due to potentially
harmful consequences.
• Random gift giving: Gift giving to individual children that you do
not personally know can foster an attitude of dependency that can become
a way of life. Our children will learn that it is alright to accept
gifts from strangers and in turn come to expect and demand these gifts.
• Spontaneous school visits: Visiting schools unannounced disrupts classrooms
and intrudes upon the learning environment. It is not fair to the children
to have their school yards take on the appearance of tourist attractions.
• Direct donations: Direct donations to schools often go unrecorded
and never find their way into classrooms or the hands of the children
who need them. Donations that are unaccounted for can be stolen for
personal use, left unused or even thrown away.
8) How will my monetary donation be used?
The DREAM Project is currently seeking monetary donations to sustain our
programs. Our program needs range from stipends for Fellowship Volunteers
to building construction costs to classroom supplies. If you would like
to sponsor a particular item in our budget, please see our Sponsorship
Opportunities .
While we make every effort to use donations as intended, The DREAM Project
reserves the right to apply funds where they are most needed to meet
our mission of providing a quality education to children in poverty.
