The DREAM Project is happy to accept donations from visitors traveling to Cabarete, located on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic (about a 25 minute drive from Puerto Plata Airport).
Wish Lists:
Library Amazon Wish List
DREAM Supply Wish List
To Donate:
DREAM invites visitors to bring supplies directly to our office in Cabarete so they can have the chance to learn more about our programs. Our office is in Patio Plaza, Calle Principal (near Banco Progresso and directly across from Dick’s Bakery), in Cabarete. In the case that visitors prefer to leave donations at their resorts, DREAM asks that they contact the main office at 809-571-0497 to arrange for a pickup.
Unfortunately, due to a small staff and limited operational budget, DREAM cannot currently travel to other areas of the country to pickup donations. Unfortunately, we 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.
Punta Cana Visitors:
At this time we are no longer accepting supplies from Punta Cana, a six-hour drive from our offices in Cabarete, due to the loss of our transporter from that area. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you will be in the Cabarete area, you can drop supply donations off at our office at Patio Plaza, Calle Principal in Cabarete (call ahead: 809-571-0497). Otherwise, we recommend donating to Beyond the Beach or visiting The Family Travel Network for a list of other charities in Punta Cana and other areas.
Donor FAQ’s:
1) What donations should I avoid?
The DREAM Project focuses mostly on collecting educational supplies rather than clothing and shoes, although we will accept such donations as long as they are in good condition. Donations can often prove too costly to receive and/or store and we ask that you avoid donating materials unsuited to the needs of the organization, such as:
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
2) 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. Instead, please bring donations directly to the DREAM office for cataloging and distribution.
3) 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 email info@dominicandream.org.
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.
