The orphanage is very poor, as is the community surrounding the orphanage. The things that we don't use, and would normally get rid of in a yard sale or even throw away, can be used in the Dominican Republic. Please take this opportunity to bring items with you to the D.R. On most airlines, you are allowed to bring two fifty pound suitcases plus a carry-on. I encourage you to put your personal items in your carry-on, and bring items for the orphanage in your suitcases Needed items are noted in the table below. We encourage each volunteer to bring at least 3 of the following 7 high priority bulk food items (expensive in the D.R.): peanut butter, jelly, pancake mix, oatmeal (not in the large round tube, they burst), canned tuna, gatorade or kool-aid mix, grated parmesan cheese. When someone says "What can I give you other than money?", these are good suggestions. Please remove as much "packaging" from your donations to minimize the creation of trash at the orphanage. The following is an updated list of the current needs:
Food (highest priority)
- Pancake Mix
- Syrup
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly and Jam
- Tuna Fish
- Rice
- Cake & Cookie Mix, Frosting, Sprinkles, Cupcake Paper
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt and Pepper, Cinnamon & Oregano
- Pudding and Jello
- Mac & Cheese
- Canned Vegetables: corn, black beans, green pigeon peas, green sweet peas, tomatoes & mushrooms
- Salsa for our Mexican Dinner nights!
Household Items
- Dish soap
- scrubbing pads and brushes
- Deodorant
- batteries
- liquid hand soap
- wooden clothes pins
- hand sanitizer (large bottles with pump)
- Oven Mitts (HEAVY DUTY)
- Can opener (HEAVY DUTY)
- Kitchen Aprons (Cotton - Heavy Duty)
- HP PRINTER CARTRIDGES: HP 60XL Black, HP 60XL Tricolor, HP 21, HP 22, HP 56 & HP 57
- Shower curtains & rings - HEAVY DUTY!
- Combination locks
- Tape: DUCT & MASKING TAPE
- Lexmark Ink Cartridges: 105XL Black, 100 Cyan, 100 Magenta & 100 Yellow
- Manicure & Pedicure sets
- Padlocks: Combo or with keys
- Disposable Hairnets (for our kitchen staff)
Clothing and Shoes
- Tee-shirts
- One-piece swimsuits
- Girls dresses (for everyday and for church -- age 3-8)
- bras: 32B, 34A, 34B, 36A &36B
- Dress Sandals (for female adult sizes 7-10)
- jeans (for boys age 8-17)
- Tennis shoes (for male adult sizes: 5,6,7,8,8.5,9,10.5)
- Sturdy sandals with velcro for boys and girls
- shorts (for boys only, age 3-17)
- Underwear for boys and girls all sizes
- Socks for boys and girls all sizes
Educational Needs
- G or PG rated DVD's with Spanish language track
- DVD players
- Pencil sharpeners
- Colored paper
- Copy paper
- Arts and crafts supplies
- Multi-lingual games
- Working notebook computers
- Whiteboard Markers & Whiteboard cleaner (spray)
- Construction paper
- Face paint
- Notebooks: sturdy and bound (NO spiral)
- Nametags
- Friendship bracelet making (non-elastic) supplies
- LAMINATING FILM
- Permanent Markers: Black & Coloured
- Bilingual Books for Children (Spanish-English)
- Lexmark Ink Cartridges: 105XL Black, 100 Cyan, 100 Magenta & 100 Yellow
- HP PRINTER CARTRIDGES: HP 60XL Black, HP 60XL Tricolor, HP 21, HP 22, HP 56 & HP 57
- Super large children's books to read aloud to a large group of kids
Sports and Recreation
- Volleyballs
- Kickballs
- Basketballs
- Basketball nets
- pumps for balls
- pylons
- bubbles and wands
- Decks of playing cards
Health Program
- Pepto Bismol & Immodium
- Adult Vitamins
- Children's Vitamins
- Hypertension medications like Atenolol, Nifedipina, Enalapril, Amlodipina, Furosemida
- Dermatology Creams
- Antiparasite Medications
- Cold Medications
- Eye Drops
- Antibiotics
- Anti Allergy Medications
- Asthma Medications
- Crutches
- Wheel Chairs
- Physical Therapy Equipment
- Dental Instruments
- General Medical and Dental Supplies
- Cough & Cold medicine
- Menthol rub (VICs)
Please do not bring the following:
- Jig-saw puzzles
- Stuffed animals
- Heavy sweaters
- Candy
- Gum
- Balloons
- Girls shorts and tank tops
- Jewelry
- Nail polish
- Paperclips
- 1" 3 ring binders