Dominican Republic Service Trip, 2009

On March 12, 2009, seven service-minded students from HSC left for a 336-hour adventure in the Dominican Republic with Power Trips Inc.  Brianna Schatz, Caroline McKenna, Claire Pilon-Robertson, Deborah Liendo-Kaufman, Megan Husband, Spencer Meens, Yiyong Lok along with Mrs. Kirkpatrick (AKA Kirky) were the HSC pod who put aside fears of spiders, street dogs, peeing baby goats, mosquito bites and cold showers to fulfill the purpose of this 2-week service trip. 

“We went to help empower communities through school and community development and improvement”, said Mrs. Kirkpatrick. Working closely with local teachers, directors, parent associations, and community members, the service team successfully beautified, expanded, improved and made safer and more sanitary four individual primary/elementary multi-grade schools around the city of Moca, Dominican Republic.

The HSC group were exemplary artists and painters, ditch diggers, concrete block and gravel movers and translators. Some of the non-work-related activities included the distribution of donated school resources, a professional development forum for local teachers, home visits and distribution of donation items, four free medical clinics with local Rotary Doctors and our donation medicines, visits to cultural museums, churches, a cigar factory, and La Mosca - a community built on the Santiago dump/landfill.  A highlight for everyone was meeting the fourth sister, Doña Dede Mirabal of the famous “Butterflysisters”- who were the leaders of the resistance against Dictator President Trujillo. 

“For many of us, the hugs, laughter, smiles and farewell tears of the children we served are permanently etched in our hearts and minds”, added Mrs. Kirkpatrick. Poverty has a real face for each of the team members now and they are forever changed because of the D.R. Service Trip 2009!