Day Six – Shopping

Sunday started early, with an 8:30 call to go grocery shopping with Hero Holidays volunteers Jocelyne, Heather, Rode, Heather and Nettie to buy provisions for the six new homes. It was fun – each house had a $100 budget – with six shopping carts trolling the aisles of La Sirena (The Mermaid, the D.R.'s version of Walmart). There's no way to sum up the what we did, so here's a picture of the cart I was pushing.

Here's what was in it:

Mop

Toilet brush

Bucket

Pail

Bleach

Laundry soap

House cleaner

Candles

Matches

Rice

Cooking oil

Ketchup

Bread

Pasta (two kinds)

Eggs

Doritos

Cookies

Sugar

Canned tomatoes

Salt

Milk in tetra packs

Vinegar

Toilet paper

Corn Flakes

Sardines

Coffee

Dish soap

Beans (white and red)

Chicken broth

Pear juice

Plastic mixing bowl

Melamine plates and bowls (five)

Jug

Cooking pot

Stirring spoon and slotted spoon

There were also donations of soap and shampoo as well as toys and school suplies from the OHBA members, so these items were not on the shopping list.

The check-out line.

We delivered the goods to Aguas Negras and were helped by community members take each of the packages to the family homes, which were mostly completed (some still needed painting).

The local children welcome us to Aguas Negras.

The sense of accomplishment is unbelievable. Participating members of the OHBA Humanitarian Build were puffed out in pride, and they should be. This was a daunting task and but they were up to the challenge. They worked without any of the tools that we take for granted – like pencils, tape measures and power saws – and did everything the old-fashioned way.

This may seem like a small thing to us – one week of our lives given to make a difference in six families' lives – but it was a monumental challenge.

 

 

Comments

[Dee Brun]

You rock sister...I am so proud to call you my friend...