Fr.Ron's involvement

In 2002 as I was preparing to retire from the active ministry of the Diocese of Rochester,NY, I set up a non-profit ,tax-deductible foundation which as its incorporation papers state-This foundation was formed for the purpose of raising funds and providing contributions, grants and other funding to support the care, well-being and Catholic development of needy children in the Dominican Republic which includes nutritional as well as educational development.

I named the foundation, El Portal de Belen Foundation after the daycare center of said name in Monta Plata in the DR where now the foundation exercises an advisory capacity.

The foundation also supports the Sisters of the congregation , Hijas de Nuestra Senora de Misericordia working in the parish of Don Juan in the DR with $500 a month to buy food , gas electric etc..

The Pde B Foundation secured a grant of $90,000 to complete school for children with learning disabilities there.

At present there are 340 children soon to grow to 550 in two yrs as each year they are adding a grade to go to the full complement of 8 besides the preschool ages 3-5 and kindergarden.

The school as well as the Daycare center in Monte Plata and the Daycare and after school program in Hato Nuevo provide breakfast, milk and bread ,lunch , rice , protein vegetables and snack in the afternoon ,milk bread or cake.

Hato Nuevo is our newest project which consists of a daycare center and after school program ( children not in school or have problems learning) for very poor Dominican. as well as undocumented Haitian children.

Next fall the sisters there will open an elementary school for these children.They are Claretians sisters, one from Mexico, one from Venezuela and one from Argentina.

The cost of milk is 44 pesos a liter , about $1.30.

for people with average daily income of a dollar a day per person milk is not that common in the average family in th DR.

The PdeB is helped the sisters in Don Juan buy property for an adult training center in Don Juan, now completed and operating.

Donated $10,000 to P.Lorenzo Vargas to buy property for a daycare center and school for poor children in the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary ,Ceuta , barrio outside of Santo Domingo.

The sisters in Don Juan run and carry out the ministry in the parish of San Juan Bautista, 12,000 people and 17 communities.

These wonderful dedicated women are from Argentina It is a testament to the quality of their work and who they are as women dedicated to God that there is now two young women in Argentina from the parish studying to become sisters, two in four years,percentage wise better than most dioceses in the United States.

Two priest from the parish have recently been ordained from this parish.

57% of the people in the DR are without jobs or adequate income to support themselves and their children.They are literally scratching out a meager livelihood. 16-25% can’t read or write. Why education and nutrition is so important.

Average family needs more $400 a month to live (2 parents and 4 children) but earn on average $143 amonth, a dollar per day per person.

The bulk of human kind is made up of poor persons-those whose lives are seriously threatened at all levels.You and I , we of the affluent societies are the exception not the norm.