Church Projects and More
Dominican Republic
It's always a great feeling to reflect on what we've achieved over the years. We've been led to unexpected places and projects by God, and we've had the privilege of meeting some amazing people. Our organization has been blessed, and these blessings have extended to the neighborhoods and communities where our facilities are based. The ministries in these areas are thriving, reaching out to more individuals, and making a positive impact on their lives through Jesus Christ.
2024 has been an incredibly exciting year for us, as we completed and dedicated two church buildings, setting a record for our organization!
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our generous donors whose contributions have turned our dreams into reality. May God bless you abundantly!
But we're not done yet. God has brought several new projects to our attention, including Camp Bethel and a church in Los Alcarrizos. We need your support. Only through the generosity of people like you and churches, are we able to continue this crucial work, ensuring that these ministries can grow and thrive for years to come.
We hope you will consider how you can help. You can donate online by clicking the button, or you can mail a check to us, specifying the project you're interested in on the memo line. Then, mail it to HHU. Thank you!
Continuous Projects
Camp Bethel
Near San Juan de la Maguana
Since around 1980, Camp Bethel has been located just south of San Juan de la Maguana. It is owned and operated by the Evangelical Mennonite Church in the Dominican Republic. The camp is crucial for the denomination, serving as the location for their annual conference, a camping experience for young people, and retreats for couples, women, men, and pastors. Other churches and denominations also use the grounds for their meetings. The site includes a chapel, dining facilities, dormitories for kids, housing for couples and families, a swimming pool, basketball court, sports field, and a playground. Construction has begun on a building to add to the housing facilities and they need help funding this project, as well as the construction of another similar building and the remodeling/upgrading of existing dormitories for kids. Helping Hands Unlimited is assisting by raising money for materials and supplying work teams to help. This is an ongoing project that will benefit generations to come.
Projects Underway
Los Alcarrizos Church Project
Suburb of Santo Domingo
Los Arcarrizos is one of the fastest growing and newest suburbs located on the north side of Santo Domingo. Its population consists mostly of poor people. Not many have jobs. There is very little spiritual influence there. It is sort of the "Wild West" of the Dominican Republic. Alcohol and drugs are prevalent there.
But, a group of believers began meeting there. They have grown into a church in a meeting space lent to them. They know sooner or later, they need a place of their own to grow. They were able to secure some land and using the money they had, they began a building. They ran out of money between being poor and having a bad economy. They were aware of the other church projects we have been doing, and with the blessing of the EMC-DR denomination leaders, they approached Helping Hands Unlimited to help complete their project. This is now the next church project we need help to fund. The people of Los Alcarrizos need Christ. This church is a great way to begin reaching them.
Restoring Lives Church
San Juan de la Maguana
The Restoring LIves Church in the central part of San Juan de la Maguana is a relatively young church. Their pastors are Dionisio Valdez and his son, Dr. Sandy Valdez. Both are good friends, and their church is growing quickly. They first met in a hotel and decided they needed a bigger place. They rented a storefront building, and before long, they filled it. They then decided rather than continue to pay a lot for rent, it would be best if they had their own property. So they bought a piece of a nearby property, set up a tent, and began having their services there. The money saved from not paying rent was used to buy construction materials for their new building. They also began a campaign to raise funds locally.
They also had several friends in the US and other countries who wanted to help, but there was no good way to handle that money. That was when they asked Helping Hands Unlimited to be a fundraising partner for this project. Helping Hands Unlimited now accepts funds for the Restoring Lives Church construction project. We also accept contributions to help them plant churches throughout the Dominican Republic. You can click one of the buttons below to give to either initiative.
Jesus the Way to the Father Church
Elias Piña
Jesus the Way to the Father Church is a relatively new congregation in a neighborhood in Elias Piña. In 2009-10, they built a building on the land they owned with the help of an American team. The church is a vibrant one, and it did not take long for the church to be packed. They needed more space, and it needed to be in the same spot as the existing building. We aimed to remove the metal roof, move some walls, and put a concrete roof over the expanded sanctuary. But it wasn't that easy; once we started, it was discovered that the existing columns were not strong enough to handle the weight of the concrete roof. We had to put in new footers and columns for the new roof. The project was started in the fall of 2023. The building was dedicated in July 2024. (HHU had to borrow some funds to complete this project. We still need some help paying off that loan. Please click on the Donate Now button to help.)
Completed Projects
Luz y Vida Church
El Piedra de El Toro
After discovering that the metal roof of Luz y Vida Church in El Toro was leaking, the congregation decided to replace it with a concrete roof. This decision was made in order to transform the church building into a hurricane shelter for the community. However, the installation of the concrete roof necessitated the insertion of columns in the walls, which in turn required strong footers under the floor, ultimately leading to the need for a new floor. In essence, the church received help from HHU to construct a new building that will hopefully benefit the impoverished rural farming community for many years to come. (The new building was dedicated in July of 2024.)
Source of Light Church
"Villa Hermosa" near La Romana
Pastor Santiago Gill mentioned that his church was facing a challenge and needed assistance. The youth group had grown larger than the available space, so they required a dedicated area, including a meeting room and a shaded patio. HHU provided support for the project, and it is now being utilized by the youth group. (A photo of the completed project will be posted soon.)
Church in Como Quiera
Near La Romana
Walls were started to expand the church nearly 15 years ago. They withstood the beatings of the weather to the point they became weak and had to come down. HHU partnered with the church to construct a new building. Construction began in April of 2021. The building was dedicated in November 2021. Several ladies caught us to thank us for building the building strong enough that it could be used as a hurricane shelter. It is the only building in Como Quiera strong enough to withstand hurricane winds. In the fall of 2022, a category five hurricane did pass over Como Quiera. The people decided not to evacuate. The women and children and the men stayed in the public school building. Miraculously, even the many of the homes were severely damaged, there were no injuries or deaths.
Jehova King of Kings Church
Juan Felipe (near Elias Piña)
Construction began on this church in s small village on the Haitian border in July 2018. Most of it was built by volunteers in the church and the community, with HHU purchasing the materials. The church was dedicated on January 19, 2020. The community was very excited to have a new building to replace the old metal shed they used for a church. The new building serves as a central meeting place for the community for public meetings to help the community—things such as public health education, evangelism, and medical teams.
Luz y Vida Christian School
The Foot of El Toro
HHU completed the construction of the three-classroom building in July 2017 and classes started in August. Since that time, they discovered they needed to add more classes. During the summer of 2019, walls were constructed and doors were added to double the classroom space. (2017)
Christian School in Barrio George
La Romana
We sent a team to this school in Barrio George in La Romana to put the finishing touches on this project. Our part was to pour the concrete sidewalks and paint the building, inside and out. Before we left, the classrooms were being used. (2014)
Good Shepherd Church
San Juan de la Maguana
Helping Hands Unlimited provided some help to complete the second floor of the church. The new space was used to house the pastor and his wife. (2013)
Emmanuel School
Orville Fricke School Classroom Project (San Juan de la Maguana)
Helping Hands Unlimited's next project was the construction of 2 classrooms and an office for the school. It would also be used as a vocational school and was named after Orville Fricke, one of the founding board members of HHU. Construction began in January 2011, and the project was completed in 2012. The classrooms add much flexibility for the school and also serve for some adult education classes on evenings and weekends. Donors also helped equip and furnish the classrooms. (2012)
El Peñon Church Project
(near Barahona)
Helping Hands Unlimited had some teams help with the construction of a church in the town of El Peñon (near Barahona). The church was built to replace a church destroyed by Tropical Storm Noel (2007). The new building was constructed to serve many purposes. The building was constructed strong enough to withstand a category five hurricane. El Peñon is located near the coast and feels the effects of storms passing by the area. The building was officially opened in late 2010.