Thank you for your Patience!

So the good news is I am feeling better-thank goodness for antibiotics! Although I have been extremely busy these past couple of days, we know many of you are patiently waiting for us to upload some pictures. We thank you kindly for your patience :)

For the purposes of this post, I will simply be uploading pictures. Hopefully by mid September when the madness on my end dies down, I will be able to walk you through this incredible experience! Who knows, maybe I'll squeeze some time in between now and then?

Please stay on the look out for more updates! We have a lot of things planned, and would really appreciate your help and contribution!

 

There may not be a lot of money in this organization, but one thing I can tell you is there is A LOT of love! The viejitas (said with love) are clean and filled with attention. I am SO glad we found this organization who make something out of nothing by simply caring for their patients. 

The Camelia Institute hopes to replicate this pilot project in other areas, there WILL be more to come! Stay tuned!

What's Taking SOOOOO long?!

I know it is taking a VERY llooooonnnnngggggg time for an updated post illustrating all of the exciting things that took place on 'D' Day (Donation Day :) Sorry!!!!

 I am presently recovering from a stomach virus which has kept me from posting all of the amazing pictures we took that day! As soon as I am back to normal, and as soon as I have the opportunity to catch up on some things I've been pushing aside, I will make the next post my main priority.

Until next time!!

Delivery Day

Members of the Camelia Institute with the Director of the nursing home, Fatima.

Dreams DO come true :)

Equipment has been delivered to the nursing home!!!!


Pictures and details to follow!!

We found a nursing home!!!

We will be donating the equipment to a new nursing home in St. Vincente De Paul. This nursing home is perfect for many reasons.

Esperanza, one of the residents of the home, was serenading us with her sweet voice. 

1. St. Vicente De Paul is located in Los Minas Sur, a poor area in the Dominican Republic. Poverty is visible throughout. Garbage thrown throughout the streets, houses run down, beggars all over the streets (common in the DR). 
2. St. Vicente De Paul nursing home is presently located on the third floor of the Catholic School. The nursing home is only temporarily located there while a new location is being built (slow process given the low resources). 
3. Because the area is predominately Catholic, and locals are avid church goers this nursing home also gives equipment to those in need. In other words, locals who do not have the resources to pay for medical equipment ask the church for help. This is great news for the Camelia Institute in that we will be able to donate to more people than anticipated-- the seniors and community members.  

We anticipate the actual donations to occur on Thursday, when a few family members will be in town. Because the organization is named after my grandmother Camelia, many want to be a part of the first donations a day before her 5th anniversary.

One of the rusted wheelchairs presently at St. Vicente De Paul. 

Until next time!
-Jen

Raining Cats and Dogs

It has been raining continuously since I landed in the DR. Even though I'm not made of sugar and won't melt, I really hope the rain stops. It will help us ask around for different centers, and actually enable us to be able to visit different nursing homes/ community centers.

Until next time <3 

Greetings from DR!

Greetings from the Dominican Republic!!

Quick update:

• Baggage was lost for 3 days, traveled more than I did (Atlanta, Mexico, Panama)... thanks, Delta? First couple of days was spent on the phone with Delta, travelling to and from the airport, tracking baggage status, etc. This put me completely off my game, pushing back a few things...
• We have sorted and cleaned the equipment, and are presently looking for a nursing home with a visible need of the equipment. We've seen some nursing homes which fare better than others, we want to be sure the ones we donate have an immediate need for the equipment. AKA drastic improvement to their quality of life 
• The Camelia Institute originally wanted to donate equipment to Dajabon, a province boarding Haiti. Though things in our plan have changed given the increasing black market in the area, my family and I went to the area with a few walkers and canes to donate to elders. Unfortunately, we were only able to donate one cane to an elder man, given the deplorable conditions in the area. More than medical equipment, the area needs a clinic, doctors, and equipment. This will enable seniors to get the care they deserve, and help seniors and their families have a higher quality of life. (Future project?)

To Be Continued...