This is a brief overview of the activities of Dominican Starfish Foundation working to help those suffering in poverty in the Dominican Republic. We work in 5 areas, Shelter, Food and Clothing, Health and Wellness, Education and Employment.

1. Dominican
Starfish
Foundation
• Our charity was started by a small
group of family and friends traveling
to the Dominican Republic to
vacation. After eventually going
beyond the beach, we became
aware of how the real people live
and started bringing school supplies,
clothing and household items to
members the community in attempt
to improve their living conditions.
We created the foundation in 2012.

3. Our foundation is named after the famous “Starfish Story”. Though the
need is tremendous, we focus on helping one person, one family at a time.

5. Food and Clothing
Though our
foundation has
grown to include
more lasting and
substantial capital
projects, we still
and will continue
to help the
impoverished
with these very
basic needs. In
2020 during the
pandemic, we
raised over
$250,000 for food
with a focus on
hungry children.

7. This is our distribution area in the community
center in Javillar. Volunteers arriving from
the USA and Canada bring donations. From
here leaders in many communities in Puerto
Plata take things to distribute among those in
need.

8. Health and Wellness
Our charity focuses specifically in the areas of emergency medical assistance and
facilitating volunteer groups. In our center, we have hosted dentists, doctors,
chiropractors, optometrists and more.

9. Before and
after
dental care

10. Education
A key to reducing poverty

11. We are currently sponsoring 120 children to attend school and helping 7 university students!
One recently graduated as a doctor.

12. Every fall we have a school
uniform drive. We help in the
communities of Javillar,
Baraguana, Munoz, Loma
Blanca, La Grua, Perez, Barrio
Angela, La Seiba and more.
Over 200 children are blessed
to be able to attend school
because of this!

13. We have sponsored courses in
manicure, pedicures and hair
dressing. We are helping
people to help themselves and
their families.

14. We collaborated with another
foundation called Hip-hop Heals to
build this employment and
education center in the community
of La Seiba.
Women are now working there
using the skills they have received
through our donations for courses.

15. Shelter—Home Building
In 2013 we raised funds to build our first home in the
Dominican Republic. Our goal was to build one home each
year. Now 10 years later, we are working on home #205!
We raise the funds in
Canada and the USA
and provide
employment to local
workers to build these
homes. 100% of
donations given go
directly to the projects.

16. At 17, Leonida already had 3
children. She was living in great
poverty and abuse. Zoe and
Gemma Palmer, age 12 years and
9 years from Edmonton, Canada
raised the money to build her a
new home. Her life has changed
dramatically.

17. Before and After one of our earlier homes
This is Abyani
pictured left
by their shack
and right 6
years later
with her baby
brother. Lives
have been
changed!!

18. Ramon, Luz
and family
From
Squalor to
Scholar!
With the help of Dominican
Starfish Foundation, Luz has
now graduated with an
education degree. We are
building a small addition to
their home so that she can
have a place to tutor
children. Though she hasn’t
yet found employment, she
has created her own!!

19. You can feel the joy they had
upon hearing that they will
receive a new home.
Marianyi has now graduated
from university and is assisting
the foundation!

21. We asked the mom how she felt about her new home. Her answer blew us away!!
“I feel human.”

22. Bringing hope and joy to the
sorrowful.
Little Jose Luis lost his
mother to a great tragedy.
Dominican Starfish
Foundation bought and
rebuilt a home for his
grandma to have a place to
care for him. We also found
him a monthly sponsor

23. The Jimenez family have two special needs
children. The baby has developmental delays
mentally and physically. The oldest is deaf
and mute. She cried so badly when our
workers tore down her home because no one
could explain to her what was happening.

24. Dominican Starfish Foundation would like to
thank all our donors!
You are helping us to change lives, one child
and one family at a time—changes that could
last for generations!!