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Hug a Haitian Kid | Meet Some Haitian Kids | List of Huggers | Download Brochure | Map of School | Home School Progress Report We just arrived back from the Dominican Republic on a mission trip that included working on the Hugs for Haitian Kids school project in Cangrejo. The walls have gone up to divide the classrooms, painting has begun and some additional block work has been done to the structure. The building is in the finishing stage and is looking fantastic. We want to thank Phil Williams of Servant’s Heart Ministry for guiding the project from the start. Also, Pastor Rafael Perez who has served as the community leader for the project and Fernando the master bricklayer for the project.
Next steps include: Construction Report Construction of the school project is continuing very nicely and we look forward to the day when it opens completely – hopefully September 2009. Over the past two summers, teams with Hero Holiday have worked alongside local tradespeople to make a huge contribution to the project. Other work teams have also visited the area and contributed their labour, finances and love to the project…you know who you are! Besides work teams that have visited, local tradespeople and members of the Cangrejo community have worked on the project as donations have come in for materials. In all of these cases, the project manager, Phil Williams of Servant’s Heart Ministries, has worked tirelessly to coordinate all of their efforts. Compassion International is now considering the school as a sponsor project. If they agree to take it on, they will provide ongoing support to the operations of the school and to the children attending. We’ll be sure to let you know about this, as you may then have an opportunity to sponsor one of the children there.
Hero Holiday to Work on Project Again This Summer Once again, Hero Holiday participants will be donated their time to continue the construction of the school project. Hundreds of young Canadians will work on the project over the next few weeks and it is expected that they will build the washrooms and smooth coat the walls.
Roof Ready to be Poured for Second Floor The roof will soon be poured for the second floor of the school building, which will be the top floor. This work will be conducted by Haitian trades people, who continue to work on the project as funds come in. They are directed by the construction project manager, Phil Williams, a Canadian missionary from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Phil, his wife Donna and their family have been vital to the success of the project to date. For more about the missionary activities of Phil and Donna Wiliams, visit their website at www.servantsheartdr.org
Mission Teams Work on School Project Over the past few months, work has continued on the school project as funds have been raised and as volunteers have contributed their time to construction. A number of mission teams have traveled to the Dominican and helped with the construction, alongside Haitian workers. These mission teams have included people of all ages from Atlantic Canada and Ontario who generously donated their time and talents to the project and we’re extremely grateful for their support. For more information about mission trips, visit Real Missions at http://web.mac.com/davidsawler/Missions/Outgoing_Teams.html
Hero Holiday Builds First Floor This summer, approximately 300 Hero Holiday participants from across Canada tackled the initial construction of the Cangrejo school project. Most of the participants were high school and university students and they worked alongside Haitian trades people on the project. With funds from the Hugs for Haitian Kids campaign and labour from Hero Holiday, substantial progress was made with the site being completely cleared and the first floor completed. We’d like to thank the Hero Holiday organizers and participants for partnering with us in this important project. Hero Holiday is a project of Absolute Leadership Development and you can find out more about them at www.absolute.org.
School Project Announced Haitian refugee children in the village of Playa Cangrejo, Dominican Republic will soon have a new school thanks to a partnership between Hugs for Haitian Kids and Hero Holiday. ICON and Hero Holiday today announced a new partnership that will see hundreds of youth from across Canada traveling to the Dominican Republic to work on the construction of a school as part of the Hugs for Haitian Kids campaign.
“This is an example of what can be done when a company or a community decides to take on the challenge of helping those who are limited by extreme poverty,” says Vaden Earle, founder and CEO of Absolute Leadership Development, the Hamilton, Ontario-based company that runs Hero Holiday. “Our partnership with ICON to build the school funded by their Hugs for Haitian Kids program will enable over 1000 young Canadians to experience the beauty of helping those less fortunate.” ICON launched its Hugs for Haitian Kids campaign in November 2006 to raise funds to build a school for Haitian refugee children in the Dominican Republic. Most of these children do not have the opportunity to attend school and are therefore contained in a life of poverty. “The outpouring of support we’ve seen for this project is truly inspiring. We’ve received generous donations from our clients, suppliers, contacts, family, friends, and other globally minded groups and individuals across the country,” says Terry Smith, President of ICON. “Now, with this partnership with Hero Holiday, we not only have the opportunity to help Haitian refugees, we are helping to provide a life-changing experience that will shape a new generation of leaders in our country.” Construction on the school project is scheduled to begin in early July, with the ground floor to be completed by Hero Holiday participants. While classes will begin in the ground floor of the building, there is a need for a second floor which would double the capacity of the students. ICON is currently seeking donations to complete the second floor and groups or individuals interested in contributing are encouraged to buy a Hug.
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Hug a Haitian Kid | Meet Some Haitian Kids | List of Huggers | Download Brochure | Track School Progress | Map of School | Home For more information and to purchase Hugs, please contact ICON at: 902-539-0044 or info@iconzone.ca |
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