Recently, Cheque and Hope Garcia, Back2Back D.R. Co-Directors, attended a local conference with their whole staff team that gathered people from the Dominican area who have a heart for the vulnerable. They hosted a booth, sharing about the work they are doing in-country and what Back2Back does on a global scale.
“It was such a refreshing weekend for us,” shared Hope. “We were encouraged because we were able to meet other organizations working in the area, and we got connected with the church who hosted the event.” The local church is passionate about calling their congregation to step into the gap for orphaned children by visiting children’s homes and hosting children in their homes for short visits. Foster care and adoption were also discussed and presented as options to advocate for the vulnerable. For the Dominican Republic, this sort of call is a big step in caring for the vulnerable.
Hope and Cheque were connected with a group of young professionals who have a heart for orphaned and vulnerable children and started a group called Hesed, the Hebrew word for compassion. Together, the group serves at local children’s homes and helps connect locals who want to serve. They also facilitated a Trauma Competent Care training for 40 other locals who want to invest in the vulnerable of their communities.
“They want to do more,” shared Hope. “They want to show up, build relationships, and break cyclical poverty for their communities. They want to mobilize people, and we are excited to work alongside them.”