February 2023 was a busy month for Dominican Starfish foundation. Leaders of the foundation were on the ground helping with housing projects, food deliveries, educational sponsorships, local employment incentives, emergencies medical help and more.

4. LOTS OF FOOD PACKS IN FEBRUARY!
The McNeely and Peterson families donated and delivered food
packs in Javillar!

5. The Barno, Garlock and Mortenson families also donated and
delivered food packs in a different area of Javillar.

6. Doug and Kim Roylance and
friends donated and delivered
100 food packs to all the
families in the community of
La Chocolatera.

7. Bob and Tyra Hazen and friends donated and helped deliver food
packs to the communities of La Ceiba and Llanos de Perez.

8. Thanks to Myles, Carmen and
Makae Geurts, Stuart and Laurie
Wood, Carrie Jensen and Von
Lindsey for moving Odias to his
new home that we purchase.
They also tore down his existing
home.
Odias donated his
land (where his old
home was) in
exchange for a newly
renovated home
which we purchased
for him. His land is
donated to Dinora
and Jackson for their
home.

9. We raised funds to
buy a bed and a
stove top for Odias
for his new little
home that we
purchased for him.
He owns next to
nothing. He was so
happy!!

10. Wade Payne saw a need and
did something about it! This
was the basketball standard at
the Javillar government school.
He brought new hoops with
him, bought materials in the
Dominican and with the help of
his friends and Miguel and
Fernando made the basketball
standards like new!

11. Baseball is Dominican
Republic’s national
sport. Wade Payne
and his cousins
donated many items of
clothing and
equipment to some of
the local teams of
children.

12. The McNeely and Peterson families painted one of our new
Starfish homes.

13. Their families helped with the construction
of a home for Jackson and Dinora

14. February 14 marked one year
since the opening of the
playground in Javillar. The
McNeely and Peterson families
stayed close by in our Starfish
Center and hosted a little party
for 71 children!!

15. The Barno, Garlock and
Mortenson families donated
their time to give a much-
needed facelift to a home in
the community of Javillar. 13
of them from age 6 and up
joined in the painting party!!

16. Five months ago, in September, we purchased the land which
is pictured on the left. The picture on the right was taken
February 22 with 3 beautiful new homes. Thanks to everyone
who made this possible!

17. Zuleka and
Alberto’s home
in San Marcos
was started
January 19. It’s
coming along
well and will be
completed in
March.

18. In exchange for his
property, we bought
and renovated a little
home for Odias. We
changed the roof,
added a bathroom,
painted and more. The
land where he was
living is now where we
are building a home for
Jackson and Dinora.

19. Our competent work crew started
Jackson and Dinora’s home February 6.
They have made excellent progress!!

20. For the 12 Days of Christmas, we raised
funds to finish a home for Paly in Llanos
de Perez. That home was finished
February 9th. The existing structure that
her father started for her many years
ago was in disrepair and overgrown.

21. In October Kim Hamilton and her
daughter, Kamryn, started a fundraiser
to build a new home for Warly and
Wandy. They made and sold hundreds
of deluxe, gourmet caramel apples. By
the end of December, they had raised
the whole amount for Warly and
Wandy and their 3 children to have a
home. They came to the Dominican
and met their special family.
Construction on the new home will
begin in March.

22. Dominican Starfish Foundation is
starting a new community in the
area of Loma de la Bestia.
We visited a new home donated
by Wade and Kim Payne. This is
the first home to be built in this
area.
Through donations, we have
purchased an additional 4 lots for
families who own no property for
their homes.
We are so blessed that Walt and
Roxane from North Carolina
purchased an additional 3 lots.
The first one will go to the family
of Nairelyn who tragically lost her
hand.

23. We took our guests from Utah to meet Wasner,
Annie and family. Their living conditions are
extremely difficult. We started a fundraiser to help
them, and it is almost ½ way completed. We are
looking for more help. Their home will be built on
top of her grandmother’s home.
Canadian donors:
www.fundrazr.com/wasnerandannieCND
USA donors: www.fundrazr.com/wasnerandannieUSA

24. After many years of
looking, we have
found sponsors to
help with Tata’s home.
Thank you so much to
the Barno, Garlock
and Mortenson
families who will be
fundraising to make
this blessing possible!!
USA donors: www.fundrazr.com/tatahomeUSA
Canadian donors: www.fundrazr.com/tatahomeCND

25. On December 31, Nairelyn tragically lost her right hand. It was cut off
by an angry man with a machete who thought he owned the property
where they had built a little shack. She and her husband have 3 small
children. She is only 18 years old.
We are fundraising to build the family a home.
Funds were so kindly donated for property by
Walt and Roxane from North Carolina. We are so
grateful to them. We also hope to help Nairelyn
get a prosthesis. To donate to the home go to:
Canadian donors: www.fundrazr.com/nairelynCND
USA donors: www.fundrazr.com/nairelynUSA

26. April 1st will be 10 years since we dug our first foundation
for a home in the Dominican Republic. The home was for
an elderly lady, Mela who lives in Maggiolo. We have
found someone who we would like to help for our
anniversary project. His name is Pedro. He is an elderly
man in the community of Tres Palmas. His desperate
conditions touched our hearts. More details to follow.

27. We finally got the starfish added
to our homes. We got way behind
during covid. Thanks to Jack, Joan
Harker, Jose Taxi, Fernando and
Miguel for helping to install over
40 of these on the homes.

28. Dominican
Starfish
Foundation is in
the people
business. Our
motto is to
make a
difference to
“that one”, one
person, one
family, one
school class,
one
marginalized
group at a time.
We continue to support university students,
high school students and a sponsorship
program in the Youth Upliftment School.

30. The McNeely Family met their
sponsored children and along with
the Peterson family helped with
activities at the school. Valentine
cards were made to send out to the
sponsors of the children.

31. February 21 was a party day
at the school with 15 people
from the Barno, Garlock and
Mortenson families. The
children had so much fun!!

33. We participated in raising funds for family
members of the Youth Upliftment School to get
birth certificates and passports to make them
legal citizens of the Dominican Republic. Without
this they risk being deported to Haiti. This has
happened many times. Moms are torn from
their families. The 12-year-old girl pictured here
was left alone when her mother was deported to
Haiti. A teacher assistant from the school who
has nothing herself is caring for her and 3 other
children in the same situation.

34. Humanitarian Missionaries from the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
attended the 10th anniversary celebration
at the Youth Upliftment School in October
of 2022. Impressed with what they saw,
they invited Dominican Starfish
Foundation to submit an application to
the church to add an additional 2 rooms
to the school and provide 100 new desks.

35. After months of
preparation work and
building quotes etc. the
project was approved on
February 13th. We are
thrilled. Thanks so much
to Elder and Sister Call for
their help in making this
happen. Thanks also to
Miguel and Fernando,
leaders of one of our
construction crews, for the
many hours spent in doing
blueprints and getting
quotes!!

36. Construction will begin in
March. The projected
opening of the new
addition is November 2023.

37. Our first building project as a foundation was to
rebuild a school in the community of Maggiolo. The
school re-opened in January of 2013, ten years ago.
We visited the school and found everything running
very well. With our guests, Bob and Tyra Hazen we
delivered school supplies and gifts for the children!

39. On February
23, we
visited again
and provided
a teacher for
the day. The
kids loved
their class
with Jack
ZoBell, and
he loved
teaching
them too!!

40. In partnership with a US foundation, Hip Hop Heals, we helped build a
center in La Ceiba where the ladies who took hair and nail courses that
we provided can have employment. The nail salon is up and running.
There is also a barber shop and a little kitchen which sells food. A hair
salon is underway. Several people from the foundation have helped to
make this possible. Special thanks to Clarens who is the leader of this
project. He has done this while going to medical school. He completed
his schooling to be a doctor on Christmas Day, 2022.

41. Joan was able to meet Judi who
she and her family have helped
go to dental school. She is an
amazing girl who has 2 more
years to finish her program.
Judi catches the bus at 4:00 each
morning for a two-hour trip to go
to the university in Santiago. She
arrives back home at 4:00 each
afternoon.
We are looking for more sponsors
for university students.

42. One of our mandates is to help
with health and wellness,
particularly medical
emergencies.
We recently learned about
Antuaneli. She is 21 years old.
She lost both legs due to a
botched surgery. We have been
asked to help her to get
prosthetics. We are just starting
to look at different resources
and funding to make this
possible.