Flood Relief - November Newsletter 2016

Newsletter
November 2016

Flood Relief

November rains have placed much of the Dominican Republic in a state of emergency, flooding many of our core communities and placing hundreds of our families in harm's way. DREAM has coordinated services for those affected from day one, hosting displaced community members and distributing supplies in coordination with the Mayors of Sosúa and Cabarete, Ilana Neumann and Raquel Sierra. How can you help? Click here to donate funds to go towards one of our "DREAM Solidarity Kits", buy a mattress for a family in need, or make a cash gift to allow us to help those who need it most.

Sueños 2016 Takes NYC By Storm

Thank you to everyone who attended Sueños 2016! We celebrated with our DREAMer of the Year Dascha Polanco of Orange is the New Black, Taye Diggs of Empire, and Univision's Katiria Soto. We also recognized Corporate DREAMer of the Year, JetBlue, and Educator of the Year, Ana Galán, and were joined by special presenter Ace Bailey. Our big night would not have been possible without our amazing sponsors Fast Enterprises, JetBlue, UBS, DR Ministry of Tourism, Brugal, ROC Nation and the 40/40 Club. Whether it was through buying tickets, spreading the word, or making a donation, we appreciate all who helped make it possible for more than 7,000 youth to receive a quality education.

Although the event is over, our last step is the online auction, with four amazing DREAM Getaways to paradise. Bid, donate and come see our work firsthand this winter!

It's DREAM Holiday Brunch Time!

The holidays mean one thing here at DREAM: time for our favorite Cabarete event, the DREAM Holiday Brunch! This is our very best Sunday, with amazing food, incredible holiday shopping deals in our silent auction, live music, and fun activities for all. The amazing Amy Bishop will perform to launch our favorite time of year. It has been a long November, so buy your ticket here and support our local community!

MVOL Returns for a Third Year in the Dominican Republic

To celebrate our first book fair of the year, DREAM was honored to host National Head Start Literacy Ambassador, actor Taye Diggs along with illustrator Shane Evans. Diggs read aloud from his children's stories, Mixed Me and Chocolate Me, delighting a group of enthusiastic Young Stars students. For the third year in a row, My Very Own Library is collaborating with DREAM to ensure 2,000 children receive ten books during the school year. With book fairs in six communities, DREAM is able to significantly increase access to children's books in the region and provide opportunities for students to develop a love for reading.

School Mural Brings Vibrant Colors to Rainy Days in Cabarete

Groundswell artists José Rodriguez and Joiri Minaya joined DREAM for two weeks to collaboratively design and paint a school mural as part of a creative arts grant from the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo. The artists worked with students and community members to identify key ideas, symbols, and values to include in the mural. This project came at a perfect time when the DREAM Center was being used as a refuge for displaced families from the floods. Children sleeping at the school were happily able to paint the mural alongside Young Stars students, which provided a fun distraction during an otherwise stressful time. Stop by our school and check out the inspiring mural, named "Callejón de Sueños", which perfectly represents our DREAM community! Thanks to the Groundswell artists for their dedication, creativity, and leadership.

Georgetown University Students Launch Evaluation of the Montessori Program

Five graduate students from the McCourt Policy in Practice (MPiP) program at Georgetown University trained 26 A Ganar students on how to administer cognitive and social-emotional assessments with more than 250 first graders as well as demographic surveys with their families. This research will help document and compare learning outcomes for Montessori graduates with those of first grade students who have never participated in early childhood education programs. The group will return in March to present the results of the study, which is being conducted in collaboration with local school leaders and DREAM staff.

DREAMer of the Month

Jesús Maria Aponte Sánchez

This month, we honor a man that has put himself behind each and every community member in Cabarete throughout this month of severe flooding: President of the Neighborhood Council, Jesús Maria Aponte Sánchez. Jesús is always there and ready to make our community a better place, especially when the worst is at our door. Thank you for your leadership, Jesús!

Donors of the Month

A special thank you to all who gave this month, including:

Jennifer Tuvell & Ace Bailey     Tribeca Pediatrics
Isla Dominicana     Mr. Kashyap Bakhai
The RC22 Foundation     UBS     Michael Goldfarb
Chandler Joel Reedy     Benny Torres     John Comfort
William S. Friedman     FSU     Ana Galán     Ben de Menil
Claudia and Harmony Management     Celines Toribio
Michel Zaleski     Scott Siegel     Adam Sabath
Jose Veras Pola, MD     Mirtha Cabral     Ursula Barshi
Carola Pimentel     Dagan Kasavana     Michael Harness
Jeanluc Burggraeve     John Zalewski     Robert Friedman
Robert Plankenhorn     Oceanside Christian Fellows
Peggy Kiousis     Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Darwin Salsa Scene     Caroline Heller     Richard Lappin
Cameron Francisco     Christopher Lopez     Henrik Falktoft
July Joyce     Kitty McVitty     Mary Slattery
Miss RD US and 203 Lena Inc.     Peter Seidenberg
Sarah Parker     Victor Alcala     Gregorio Ortega
LBTR Sociedad Anonima Henicas II     Jean Baril
Sabine Schnatz     MPiP at Georgetown University
Annelise Wunderlich     Bettina Brockhaus     Brian Thomas
David Mansy     Isabel Paiewonsky     Margaret Hung
Darlene Corder     Shavely Peralta     Danielle Alvarez
Jovan Rosario     Kim Schwede     The 40/40 Club
Island Touch Dance Academy     Wine Emporium     Brugal
Villa Windsong     Villa Vacation For Change
Ultravioleta Boutique Residences     Millenium Resort & Spa
JetBlue     Casa de Campo     Villa Castellamonte
Casa Kimball     Amanera     Casa Colonial     Cigar Country

and all those who donated to our Flood Relief efforts and all those who purchased tickets or donated to
Sueños 2016

A special thanks to our Shared Responsibility Partners!