Dominican Republic Beachside Service Adventure

During my transformational service trip in the Dominican Republic, I experienced aspects of poverty that I have never seen before. Members of my volunteer group and I were told that we were going to be completing various tasks involving manual labor as part of several service projects that would help alleviate some of the symptoms of poverty seen in two villages and a Haitian Refugee camp in the Dominican Republic. I was introduced to many Dominican and Haitian children and was completely immersed into their culture. I made many new friends and felt that the impoverished communities that I had been working with provided me with the greatest gifts that I could ever ask for: awareness, empathy, and a drive to make a difference.