This is a summary of our foundation activity in January to March 2020. Most of this time was spent in the Dominican Republic. We added the last part from home as we have been very active in helping those suffering from hunger because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

1. DOMINICAN STARFISH FOUNDATION
SUMMARY
January-March 2020
By Louise ZoBell, Executive Director

2. Housing

3. Margarito and Maribel live in great poverty in the
Dominican Republic. They saved for many years to
buy a little home, but it is a disaster. It wasn't built
properly, and the land is slipping away making the
home badly tilted. I was afraid to walk inside. The
mother has vertigo, so a falling home is very hard
for her.
They have 3 children, Francina (12), Benjamin (6)
and Benyamin (3).
Their home is sliding down the hill. The floor has a
big slope and has huge cracks. The walls are being
eaten by termites. In the children's bedroom, a
whole section of the wall has been eaten away and
black tarantulas come in during the night.
There is no bathroom in the home. The worst
danger is having the home completely collapse
because of an unfit foundation.
January 19, We met Margarito and Maribel the first Sunday we went to church.
We went to see their home. We are still looking for sponsors for this family.
www.fundrazr.com/marabelUSA www.fundrazr.com/marabelCND

5. The pictures above are January 22.
The bottom right picture shows the
finished home on January 27.
Thank you to the Keech family and
others for making this home
possible for Clarens. Thank you to
Bruce and Mary Cahoon for
purchasing the land.

6. On January 26,
Anton, Christina Welke and
family were able to meet
Anna and her family and
see her current living
conditions and the new
home they had funded.

8. January 27, Painting Anna’s Home

9. The Welke family and others, spent a
very long day painting the home for
Anna and her family.
They also bought her a new bed and
a washing machine.

10. We were very blessed to get this piece of land to build
two homes. The homes will be for Rigo and Moreno.
Thanks you to Oscar and Liz Rosales for this donation.

11. We had Moreno on our list for a
home but until January 27, we
hadn’t seen his dire living
conditions—the worst we’ve seen.
It is a shed about 50 sq. ft.

12. February 17
Andy Perenek and his friends and family visited the Polanco
home that they were part of completing last year. Andy spent
much of the day looking at other homes to choose one to
sponsor. They have chosen to help with Moreno’s home which
makes us very happy. Here are the fundraising links and story.
www.fundrazr.com/morenoUSA
www.fundrazr.com/morenoCND

13. January 30
We met Arisleya. She has 5 children. Only 3 live
with her because there isn’t room. Little
Franklin age 5 is special needs. She has her
hands full. Her plight touched hearts and we
made a fundraising site for her to have a new
home. She doesn’t own property so it appeared
to be a challenge.
www.fundrazr.com/arisleydaCND
www.fundrazr.com/arisleydaUSA

14. February 6
Another visit to Arisleyda. Mahroo
from Vancouver will sponsor little
Franklin to go to school with her
foundation which helps special
needs children.

15. February 21
We spent a lot of time with
Arisleyda and her children. We
took her to the new land we
were purchasing for her and told
her the news that she would be
getting a new home.
Thank you so much to some of
our guests who made this
possible for this family.

16. March 5
Eric Allen met Arisleyda’s
family. His family donated
$5000 toward the funding
of their new home.

17. January 30
We saw the home of
Ramon and Cecerina for
the first time. It was
started earlier this
month.
Funds for this home was
donated by Steve and
Kay Clegg. The family
were not aware they
were getting it until the
day they moved in.
What a great blessing
for this family!

18. February 21
With 4 of our
grandchildren, we
painted the home
for Cecerina,
Ramon and family.

19. February 24
We had an amazing
celebration. Ramon and
Cecerina were asked to
come to the new home.
They didn’t know it was
theirs. All they knew
was they had been
hired to clean it for the
new owners. They
thought they were
coming to get their pay.
When we went inside
35 ILP teachers and
more were inside and
burst into song. It was
amazing.

20. Our grandchildren and
their families raised the
money so that Ramon
and Cecerina could have
a new bed and a cabinet
for the kitchen.

21. February 28, Steve and Kay Clegg meet their “starfish family”.
This family’s life will be changed forever because of their generosity.

23. Milly’s Home Repair
February 2
On November 12, 2019, Wade and
Kimberli Payne visited Milly in her home.
Milly lost her husband in 2019 in an
accident.
We visited the home on February 2 and
then again on March 5. It has become a
complete rebuild. I didn’t get a picture
before we left March 10
March 5

24. February 2
We went way out into the country to see the home of Ernesto and
his family. We met him last June. He had been building his home for
10 years. It looked like the first picture. There have been many who
have helped him since then. Though his home is not finished, the
family is living inside and no longer must pay rent. They are very
grateful.

26. February 16
We met Dulce Marie and her family. She cares for 8 grandchildren,
including 4 who live with her. She lives in extreme poverty. We
started a fundraiser to build her a new home.

27. Here Dulce is pictured with
Bonnie Arnold, her first
donor. Other major donors
were Debi Blackburn, Reed
and Susan McNeely, Jon
Duncan, Mary Jane Leaver,
Jon Millard, Jane Keech and
others. THANK YOU SO
MUCH!

28. March 5
Eric Allen and his son,
Trevor met Dulce Marie
and her grandchildren.
Their family donated
$5000 toward the
building of them a new
home.

29. February 16 It’s always a great
experience when donors meet
their “starfish” family the first
time. Debi Blackburn and Allan
Charlesworth helped to fund half
of the Toribio home. Jim and Jane
Keech helped with the other half.
Such a blessing for this family.

30. February 17 Another group meets their “starfish” family. Thank
you to Andy and Sarah Perenek and friends for helping with this
beautiful home for the Polanco family. Other donors for this home
were Josh and Brandi Spears with friends and family.

31. February 25
In the evening I posted this on my Facebook just because of a feeling that I should
do it:
“Last November one of the maintenance workers, Julio, came into our villa to fix
something. He showed us a picture of his home that he has been working on for 10 years.
He asked if we could possibly just help him with a roof. Bonnie gave him the money for
that and more and we have helped him since. Now his home is looking like the bottom
picture. We love helping those who help themselves.”
I wasn’t asking for
money, nor had I made
a fundraising site.
Within hours, I had an
offer to help Julio and a
donation of $3000 from
the Richardson family
in Utah. I met them
when a group from
Ayuda dentist and
doctors came to
volunteer a few years
ago . Blessings!

32. March 18
This is a photo of Julio’s home one week after we returned home.
Thank you so much to Bonnie ZoBell and the Richardson family for
helping this to happen!

33. February 17
We met Zaida and her family
for the first time. A neighbor
had come to tell Amarilis
about their plight. Zaida’s 16-
year-old daughter lives here
with a brand-new baby.

34. February 28
We visited Zaida’s home again with Steve and Kay Clegg and met her
daughter and the new baby. The picture in the middle bottom is the
sun shining through the holes in their roof.
March 4, the Clegg family donated the first $10000 to rebuild this
home. Such blessings!!!

35. March 8
We visited Ramon and Zaida with the Greiner family. They were touched by their conditions
and offered to match the next $1000 that was donated for the home. We told the family that
they would be getting a new home.

36. February 22
With the Arsenault family, we visited their “starfish”, Kelvin Silverio
and family. We enjoyed a meal with them. They love serving those
who help them. After our visit we
took them to
Javillar. We picked
up Amarilis and
saw some of our
projects. We went
to Arisleyda’s
home. They were
so touched that
they committed
to donate $2000
in matching funds
for the home.

37. March 5
We met Margarita and her family of 11
who live in a small shack near Kate’s
school. Amarilis suggested that we
really need to build a new home for this
family and we all totally agree. Pearl
Giles (our US President) plans to hold
another golf tournament in Utah to raise
funds for this project.

38. This is one of Amarilis’ students.

39. March 5
We saw for the first time the
home that is being build for
German Castillo and his
family. This project was
funded by Wade and Kimberli
Payne and Wade’s siblings.

40. Food and Clothing

41. January 8
A group of young women from Raymond made 40 baby packs to donate to mothers
in the Dominican Republic. Michele ZoBell brought them with her when she came to
visit, January 14 and helped distribute them throughout her stay.

42. In total, over forty, 50
lb. bags of donations
came during our stay.
February 5
February 18
January 13

43. January 29, Sorting in the Distribution Center

44. January 22
We delivered 80 food packs in
Baraguana. Thank you to Kevin
Keech and family.

45. February 9
Jean and his wife, Erika
delivered 10 suitcases
of clothing to the
people of Monsovi.
Jean is a salesman at
the resort. We gave
him the clothes from
our center.

46. February 13
Sharing food and clothing in
the community of Maggiolo

47. January 26
We delivered 40 Food Packs in
Javillar. This included some
people we met at church from
Utah, all of Sandra Nelson’s
group of 16 and some of our
group.

48. February 17
50 food packs were delivered in
Javillar and San Marco. Thank you to
Andy Perenek and family/friends and
Debi Blackburn/Allan Charlesworth.

49. February 24
We delivered 20 food
packs to more hungry
people in Javillar. Thank
you to Toni ZoBell

50. March 7
We delivered clothing, shoes and
gifts to more than 50 children in
the community of Javillar at our
“Starfish Center”. Thank you to
Wade and Kim Payne and Doug
and Stacey Farrer and their friends
for these donations.

51. March 6
We shared 80 food
packs and baby
blankets at the
community of La
Chocolatera.
Thank you Wade and Kim
Payne, Doug and Stacey
Farrer, Trena and Seth
Anderson, Eric Allen and Pearl
Giles for the donations for
this wonderful day.

52. Education

53. January 18
We visited Youth Upliftment School
for the first visit of many on this trip.
Kate Bateman is the founder and
director of a school for Haitian
Refugee Children.

54. January 24 Visit
Pure bliss!

55. January
30
Visiting
Kate’s
School

56. From February 4-5 we paid for Kate and a friend to come stay with
us at our villa at Lifestyle Resort. We were able to give her a
chance to break away, but it also gave us a good opportunity to
visit, set goals and plan for the year ahead. What a different world
from where she spends her daily life! She has given up everything
for her mission here in the Dominican Republic. In 2019 she was
awarded the Governor General’s award in Canada for her
humanitarian work.

57. February 6
There were so many children at the crowded
school. We took Judy Gardiner who sponsors
Lonise. Because of that, we saw for the first
time her very humble home behind the
school. where she lives behind the school.
Her mom Lunise is 24-years-old and expecting
her 5th baby. Her oldest is 11. She put on her
very fanciest clothes to meet Judy.
We also walked to see where one of the
teachers live. It’s awful. We are blessed.

58. February 7 was another trip to Kate’s school,
this time with the Juul-Larsen family from
Denmark. This is the family that donated
$15000 last year to help with Kate’s school and
with the playground.
They were so impressed. They will be
sponsoring 3 children at the school.

59. February 13
We visited the Maggiolo school
with Toni ZoBell, Debi Blackburn
and Allan Charlesworth who
took donations of toys, school
supplies and sports equipment.

60. February 13,
Debi Blackburn, Allan
Charlesworth, Toni ZoBell and
Jack ZoBell assembled 120
Valentine packs for Kate’s school.

61. February 14
We volunteered at the Valentine’s party at
Kate’s School. From left to right:
John Enman, Kate Bateman, Kathy Enman,
Natasha, Jusline, Toni ZoBell, Monika
Fleischer, Gilles, Debi Blackburn, Allan
Charlesworth, Louise ZoBell
We had an amazing time partying with the
children on this special day. Thanks to all
the volunteers who came with us.

62. February 24
Another visit
to Kate’s
school with
school
supplies, toys
and
entertainment
.

63. February 28
We visited the school with Steve and
Kay Clegg. The purpose of so many
visits with each of our guests is to
create awareness for our huge
project of building a school in 2020.
The estimate for land and building is
$200000 USD. Help is needed!

64. March 4
We visited Kate’s school
again. This time we took
books in Creole/English and
Pearl Giles brought beautiful
school packs made by her
niece and skipping ropes
made by a friend.

65. March 5
This was our 10th and final visit
to Youth Upliftment School on
this trip. This day was
miraculous. See the following
page for the story!

66. MARCH 5, THE DAY OF MIRACLES!
On our final visit to the school for this trip, Amarilis came with us.
It wasn’t in her plan for the day. When we neared the school, she
asked us to let her out. She said that she wouldn’t visit the school,
but she would walk around the area looking for land for the school
we hope to build in the future. All the land we had looked at so far
that was big enough for the building was at least $80000 USD just
for land. I kept feeling like we would find something.
Amarilis walked around the community talking to everyone. She
met two girls (ladies) who had been her former math students.
She teaches 280 adults high school math in the evenings. They
said the place next door was for sale. Amarilis went there and
discovered that the building was being sold for 4 million pesos
($76000 USD). The place is much larger than where the school is
now and only ½ a block away. There is a much larger yard, and
everything is fenced.

67. We had Kate and all our guests come to look. We were all so excited about the
possibilities and talked about how we could raise the funds immediately, so we didn’t
lose the opportunity to purchase it.

68. After returning to the resort, I texted Steve and Kay
Clegg who had visited the week before to share the
exciting news. Within ½ hour they had committed to
pay for the whole school. What a huge miracle!
And the miracle didn’t stop there. Monika and Gilles
and Debi Blackburn who visited the school on
February 14, donated the money to replace the roof
and more.

69. March 6 DOVE MISSIONS
We took donations to Dove.
Trena Anderson gave them an
English program which they
were so excited about. They
said they had been praying for
something exactly like that!

70. Trena taught an English class to
the children. Everyone wanted
her to stay forever!

72. On December 24, we started a fundraiser to help Raul
have a kidney transplant. His father is donating his
kidney. Raul was an active 35-year-old teacher of biology
and chemistry when he was struck with dreaded kidney
disease.
Raul is a very kind man and was always striving to
motivate his students to achieve their goals and dreams.
He has been on dialysis for 3 years now. He travels 2
hours by bus 3 times per week to receive the dialysis in
Santiago for 4 hours and then returns.
As we continued to raise funds, I was able to meet with
his wife Alise several times on the trip to give her money.
I also had the opportunity to meet Raul.

73. January 27
I was able to
meet with
Carmen
Almonte to
give her the
money we had
raised for her
to have brain
surgery.
February 29
Carmen had her surgery.
March 11
We had waited and waited for news. Finally
her sister came to Amarilis’ home and told
her that someone had broken into their
home the day of the surgery and stole many
things including her phone. We gave her
$500 for assistance. Many people donated
to help with the surgery.
Sadly, the doctors couldn’t remove the
whole tumor.

74. February 16
We visited Brenda and Francesca in their
home. Jack noticed Brenda’s toe was
infected. They couldn’t afford to go to
the doctor.
February 26, through a series of
miracles, Amarilis was able to get
surgery for Brenda and Jesenia. Jesenia
had an infected finger. Together it
normally would have been $1500 USD
for the two surgeries. She was able to
get them for $375 total including
medication and return check-ups.

75. January 28
February 15
January 15 Jude is one of our construction
workers. He was hurt in an accident
and we weren’t made aware until he
was in very serious condition. We
were able to raise funds, get help for
him and today his injury is almost
healed.

76. February 20
A friend Leo introduced to a man who needs a prosthesis. He is 59. He stepped
on a nail and got blood poisoning, then gangrene and then had to get his leg
amputated. Leo also send a pictures of 2 others in need of prosthetic legs. I
made an inquiry to the Humanitarian Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints. We will have to follow up to see if there is any possibility
of assistance. They have helped us before with prosthetics.

77. March 5
Trena and Seth Anderson
visited the volunteer
foundation at the hospital.
Trena and her friends made
400 IV boards to donate.

78. Miscellaneous Assistance

79. February 20
When Jim Keech from Utah visited this family in the countryside a
year or so ago, he fell in love with these little twins. We met them
because we had helped the girl’s cousin Luis Geronimo get a new
prosthetic leg. Jim Keech sent a donation and asked that we visit the
twins and do something to help the family. We visited and found that
what they needed most was a refrigerator. The auntie who cares for
the twins also had a dream of them being able to take dance lessons..
Luis took them that very day to get a fridge and food to go in it.
Dance lessons will be in the future for these two little ones.

80. February 24
Tamara was so thrilled to receive the much-
needed new stove from our grandchildren.
They and their families raised the money
before coming to the Dominican to visit.

81. March 5 a group of our guests took
baseball equipment, uniforms, hats and
more to teams at San Marcos.

82. March 7
We visited Habitat Cacao. One of the long-term
goals of Dominican Starfish Foundation is to
provide employment to the Dominican people.
Pearl and Lynn Giles (the US side of our
foundation) along with Kevin and Melanie
Keech have started a business in the Free Zone
roasting cocoa beans and making cocoa nibs for
export to the United States. They have already
employed several Dominican people and look
forward to great expansion in the future.
(This is a separate business not part of
Dominican Starfish Foundation.)

83. March 8
On a very rainy Sunday we went with Chad and Tonya Greiner and family to Javillar. We visited
the playground that they donated most of the money to pay for the land.
We also visited “Little
Jose” with many gifts. He
is the one who found his
mother hanging when he
was 7 years old. The
Greiners support his
grandmother monthly to
look after him and his
older brother.

84. March 11
We returned from our amazing trip. From January 14-March 11 we had received a
record amount of$186400 USD in our joint Canadian and US Dominican Starfish
Foundation.
Within a couple of days of returning home, schools, churches and businesses were
shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was grateful that we had found a
school, had 4 homes ahead for building and that we wouldn’t have to be
fundraising.
Enter Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic

85. March 20 was my birthday. I celebrated by
fundraising. The day before, Dominican Republic
had closed it’s borders for international travel and
ordered all non-essential businesses closed. I got
word that the little store next to Amarilis would
close that night.
I am very hesitant to post but feel an urgency to do so, so here
goes. I just spoke with Amarilis. People have been lined up at her
home the whole morning to try to get food. Thank you so much to
a very kind donor who sent $1400 to help the hungry people. That
money is all gone. So many people this morning have got food
packs. Almost every person on here knows of the little grocery
store right next to Amarilis' house. It is closing today at 7:30
according to quarantine orders. We are trying to get every bit
possible for the families in great need. Almost every Dominican is
without work at the time, including Amarilis. I know there is
tremendous need everywhere. If you are OK and would like to
help with food today, you can donate
on dominicanstarfish.com/donate Thanks so much!
We raised $2600 that day to help the people of
Javillar have food. In the Dominican many people
don’t have refrigeration or extra money to
purchase ahead and they buy their food day by
day.

86. March 20
I got a message from Calvin Mclaren who lives in New York. He used
to be our concierge at Lifestyle resort. He started a fundraiser to help
Lifestyle workers. The resort has been shut down for a month and the
workers are without pay. We joined the cause and started posting on
the Chairman’s Circle and Shareholder pages.
March 25
Calvin and our foundation had each raised about $2000 USD. Lifestyle members, plus Yanira
and Francisco helped us put together a list of 50 Lifestyle workers (3 more were added in the
process). Amarilis added each person to her contacts, then to WhatsApp and called
everyone personally. They all came to her home to receive donations of 4000 pesos each.
There was many grateful people!

87. March 25
My FaceBook post:
I received a desperate plea from Clarens in Baraguana today. The people in the village are
"starving". The little store by Amarilis has closed but they have agreed to make 100 food
packs for Haitian settlement in Baraguana. We have helped this community before, now it
is critical. Canadian donors fundrazr.com/baraguanaCND
USA donors fundrazr.com/baraguanaUSA
March 28
Thanks to many kind donors, we not only had enough for 100, $10 food packs but for
100 double size packs. Clarens chose to get 200 $10 packs so that he could help more
people, Dominican and Haitian in his community plus another community as well.

88. March 26
Amarilis and Luis Miguel delivered forty $40 food packs and sixty $20 food packs in
the communities of Javillar and San Marcos. They were even threatened by a guy
with a knife to have a bag of food. People are very hungry and desperate.

89. March 28
We added the communities of La Jugua Maggiolo (112 families) La Chocolatera (80
families) to our list to raised funds for. Donations kept coming in. THANK YOU!
Jensen Emery, a
former ILP teacher
asked if she could raise
funds for food packs
for Javillar. I was
happy to build a
fundraising site.
By the next morning
it was already at
$800 and by March
31, $2600

90. March 30
Our food packs have
been brought to
Amarilis’ home for
disbursement. Today
they went to La
Jugua Maggiolo for
112 families there.
We received over
$7000 in donations
for food in just one
day! THANKS TO
SO MANY!

91. March 31 was a very busy day of food distribution. 85 packs we delivered to the
impoverished community of La Chocolatera.
In Javillar, Luis Miguel and Amarilis delivered over 100 food packs. The money for these was
raised by former ILP teachers.

92. Sadly, the word got out that food was
being distributed. There were hundreds
of hungry people in line hoping for food.
Though in the past week we have fed
thousands of families, we can’t do it all. I
must humbly bow my head in thanks and
say:
“Made a Difference to That One”
The work continues……

93. It was a very busy productive
first quarter of 2020. We
hope and pray for the people
of the Dominican Republic
and the whole world in this
now troubled time.
Thank you to so many donors
who have changed lives in
the Dominican Republic.
Louise ZoBell
Executive Director
403-393-3491
dominicanstarfish@gmail.com
Pearl Giles
USA President
801-352-7737
palhumanitarian@gmail.com
Doug Palmer
Canadian President
780-902-0220
dougepalmer@gmail.com
Amarilis Urena
Dominican Republic Director
829-966-3759
www.dominicanstarfish.org