Cambiando Vidas (Changing Lives)

Cambiando Vidas (Changing Lives) is dedicated to building homes in strong communities in the Dominican Republic for those families that don't have their own resources. CV takes volunteer teams to the Dominican Republic to work side by side with the family, friends and neighbors to complete a hurricane proof home in a week. The team ends the trip with a special celebration of the first meal in the new home with the family and local volunteers.

Description:
Cambiando Vidas is a US based 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that was founded in 2007 by Jose Abreu - a Dominican who has dedicated his life to non-profit work- and a small group of Americans.

Together with Volunteer teams, CV builds a concrete block home in a week with the family in need and local Dominican volunteers. Prior to leaving, the team is able to see the entire home built and celebrate their accomplishment with the family through the first meal in the home.

The family then pays back the cost of the materials to CV over 7 years. This money is then channeled back into the mission and the community for future work.

History:
Cambiando Vidas was founded in April 2007 by Jose Abreu, a Dominican, and 4 Americans.... Chris Goodrich, Rebecca Tate, Sonya Sirrs and Tom Boucher. All had met during prior non-profit trips to the Dominican Republic. Jose had worked with several non-profit groups both in the DR and Central America. He wanted to form a non-profit that would put the majority of it's resources into the mission and the community, not running of the non-profit organization. Additionally, he saw the community and local families as the driving force of the project with the volunteer teams and organization only supporting the local efforts. Today, the Dominican community and committee screen and chose the family to receive the home. They then work together to dig the house foundation by hand in preparation for the team. Once the team arrives, 30-50 Dominican volunteers arrive to work together to complete the home in 5 days.

Contact people:

Rebecca Tate, Co-founder & Board Member, (203) 482-1855, (email) Jose Abreu, Director/DR & Founder, (809) 844-1508, (email) Chris Goodrich, Board President, (203) 740-1789, (email)

Office fax number: (413) 622-9895

Address:

PO Box 5015 Brookfield, CT 06804

Web Site: http://www.cambiandovidas.info

Last updated on November 4, 2009