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COUNTRIES

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Though known for its pristine beaches, all-inclusive resorts and golfing, it has a varied terrain comprised of rainforest, savannah and highlands, including Pico Duarte, the Caribbean’s tallest mountain. The Dominican Republic has the largest economy in the Caribbean and Central American region. Though long known for agriculture and mining, the economy is now dominated by services. Recent growth has been driven by construction, manufacturing and tourism.

COUNTRY FACTS:
  • Capital: Santo Domingo
  • Population: 10.77 million
  • Language: Spanish
  • Baseball is the national sport and is enjoyed as a family activity. More than 500 baseball players in the MLB have hailed from the DR.

Our History in Dominican Republic

In 1979, Food for the Hungry (FH) provided relief assistance to survivors of Hurricane David and Tropical Storm Federico. Soon after, a field office was established in the capital city of Santo Domingo to reach vulnerable communities in the western and central regions of the country with humanitarian assistance and child development programming, making this one of the first and longest-running field offices within FH. Since then, FH has focused efforts on community development including livelihoods, health and education.

kid in Dominican Republic

Stories From Dominican Republic

FH Sponsorship Opens Doors to Education

Children living in El Kennedy, a community in the Dominican Republic (DR), didn’t always have access to an education, clean water, and medical resources. They had little or no hope of ever finding a brighter future. The area was designated as part of the DR’s vulnerable population. The World Food

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Praying for God's Rescue

Does God Always Answer Public Prayers?

Have you ever spoken confidently about God’s power to rescue in a situation, but secretly wondered if He really would?  Dr. Larry Ward, who founded Food for the Hungry (FH) more than 50 years ago, trusted God for great things. However, sometimes God didn’t respond in the way Dr. Ward

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Key Challenges

27% of the population still doesn’t have safe sanitation services | 28% of children under 5 suffer from anemia | Around 40% of Dominicans live in poverty

You are about to embark on a new FH Donor Experience

If you need assistance, please contact us at donorhelp@fh.org or 866-307-3259.

Gift Policy:
You may send small, flat paper-based items that can fit into a standard #10 size envelope, have a value of less than $5 dollars and weigh less than 4 ounces. We ask that you send small, flat items of this size because shipping is expensive and even small gift items can cause issues clearing customs.
You can send postcards or photographs, however, we ask that you visit here for more details about culturally appropriate guidelines for photos and other images. Please write the child’s ID # on the back of each item that you enclose with your letter to ensure that it reaches him/her.
 
Best gifts to send your sponsored child:
  • Paper dolls
  • Postcards
  • Pictures of yourself or family
  • Sports cards, individual cards (baseball, soccer, football)
  • Stickers (flat, paper-based, only a few at a time)
  • Paper-based simple bookmarks, stationery, drawing, or writing paper (single sheets)
  • Coloring pages (single sheets, not books)
  • Please do NOT send:
  • Monetary gifts
  • Liquids, candy, or food
  • Batteries or magnets
Please note, all items should be compliant with airline transport and safety regulations. Gifts that don’t meet the gift policy will be donated to a local Christian non-profit organization in Phoenix, Arizona, that works with low-income families. We will not be able to return them.