Does DHP still exist?
After 27 trips, the project seems to have died. Covid-19 canceled the 2020 and 2021 trips (see Covid-19 update) and then once the University reopened it was unable to continue providing insurance for the trip and the group could not travel through Drew without it (regular travel insurance was not considered sufficient, and all of the groups we considered working with required participants to sign liability waivers). Unless a group or organization is able to insure the group to the University’s satisfaction, the group we will not be able to continue our volunteer and civic engagement work.
Some amazing students have led and participated in this project and it has been an honor to share this experience with them. We have been invited to work with some inspiring organizations and gracious community partners. Most of all, we will never forget the children we met and the people who welcomed us to their countries. We are richer for these experiences and carry them with us always.
As the group had collected money to pay for the 2020 trip, we have continued to provide donations to the children’s homes and organizations we previously supported financially and through our labor.
How can I help the DHP?
If you are part of a group or organization that would sponsor DHP students and provide insurance, please reach out to our faculty advisor: Sandra Jamieson at sjamieso@drew.edu.
What was the Drew Honduras Project?
The Drew Honduras Project was a totally student-run volunteer program. The Project was run by student board members and advised by a faculty member. The students made the plans, developed community partnerships in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, raised the money, selected the participants, organized the pre-trip meetings, planned fund-raising events, managed the budget, monitored conditions in the country we were visiting, arranged the work schedules in country, lead the reflection sessions on the trip, raised all the money (did we mention that?), and generally ran around a lot! In the process, they refined their leadership and interpersonal skills, organizational strategies, understanding of budgeting, and knowledge of fundraising methods. They applied skills and knowledge have learned in the classroom and also learned a lot about Honduras and the Dominican Republic–and about Themselves. From selecting group members to developing community partnerships and working on community-selected work projects, they learned about civic engagement in a hands-on manner enhanced by their Drew education. Participants lived the principles of Drew’s mission statement, and learned what it means to share our knowledge and use our education with the highest of impacts! (See our Mission Statement and Philosophy to learn more)
Why was it called the Drew Honduras Project if you also worked in the Dominican Republic?
In 2013 the US State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a Travel Warning urging caution for those traveling to many parts of Honduras, and as a precaution Drew University decided it would be wise for the Drew Honduras Project not to visit (see more here). We were lucky enough to be connected with a children’s home in Bonao, Dominican Republic, and visited for the first time in May 2013. We have returned every year since then, and plan to return again in May 2020, building strong relationships with the place and the children there; however, we remain connected to Honduras and the many people we have met over the years, both directly via the internet and also through monetary donations to the organizations with whom we built partnerships. We would like to return whenever the situation improves, visiting the DR and Honduras in each trip, but until then we plan to continue to support the country and the people who have welcomed us for so long. We generally refer to the organization as DHP, and it has been suggested that we rename ourselves “Drew Humanitarian Project.” Maybe we will. On the other hand, for many of us Honduras has a deep symbolic meaning and the name reflects our indebtedness to all we have learned from Honduras and her people. The work we do in the Dominican Republic mirrors the work we did in Honduras, reminding us that caring about others can and should occur wherever we are . . . a lesson many of us learned in Honduras.
How did students join the DHP?
The group selected 12-16 participants early in the Fall semester so that they could spend the year fundraising and preparing for the trip the following May. Look for us at the Activities Fair the first week of school, watch email for the invitation to apply, or stop back to this page mid-September for more details about the application process! DHP is about more than just a two-week trip abroad! We work to help our neighbors in the US by participating in local volunteer activities as a group or subgroup, sharing donations with local organizations, visiting local schools and churches to share what we have learned in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, educating Madison residents about the situation in Honduras, and organizing events for the Drew community like the annual Honduran Dinner and faculty appreciation refreshments for College Faculty meetings. Group members also raise the funds for the trip, learning fundraising strategies and the bureaucracy around such activities. We welcome students who are not able to join us on the trip as members, and all are welcome to attend meetings, plan and participate in group activities, and learn about Honduras, the Dominican Republic, civic engagement, fundraising, and team-building.
How was DHP Funded?
If you’d like to help the Drew Honduras Project, there are a number of things we need, but the thing we need the most is money. It costs about $1,000 to send each student on the trip (for airfare, accommodation, food, materials for the work projects, and donations to the children’s homes and groups we work with), and now we also collect money to send to our community partners in Honduras. Each group participant, including the faculty and staff who accompany the students, must raise that money themselves, working alone and with the group in project fundraisers. Every penny we raise is spent getting us to the children’s home where we volunteer, paying for the materials we need to do the work there, and making donations to the organizations with whom we work. We will happily accept (tax deductible) donations of money or items (see the donations page for more details of items the groups we work with need). If you have suggestions about how we might raise money, we’d love to know that too (write to our faculty advisor or leave a comment below.) TO MAKE A SECURE ON-LINE DONATION, PLEASE USE THE “DONATE NOW” BUTTON, select “restricted gift” and then type in “Honduras Project.” All gifts are tax-deductable and are acknowledged by Drew’s Office of Development and Planned Giving. Thank you!
Greetings!
I hope this message finds you well. I am a Drew Alumni Class of 1998 and attended the first trip to Honduras! I am thrilled to hear that the Project has continued to grow and expand! It appears that it is truly student driven and more popular than ever.
I would love to hear more about your plans for the next trip. Please feel free to email or contact me. I am currently a School Counselor in Summit an teach Graduate Social Work courses at Rutgers. I am in the area and would love to participate in supporting your efforts!
Be well~
Sara E. Every
Fantastic to hear from you Sara! I do hope other alums will contact us as well–and let us know if we missed their name from the “Alumni Hall of Fame” list.
As a former student leader of the project and with November being a month of gratitude, I wanted to share my Facebook post of yesterday:
“I read a clip last night from a newsletter for one of the orphanages where I volunteered in Honduras and today’s gratitude was so apparent. I am grateful for the time I had to volunteer in Honduras and that such beautiful children, who were handed such hard fates in life, let me in and let me love them. Without question the net benefit was greatest for me. I am thus thankful for my parents who saw that I had all my needs met and gave me every advantage possible that they could. Someone tucked me in, read me a story, and kissed me every night. That routine was not available for children I met who were abandoned, abused, or orphaned and when I could provide that routine they were so eager for that attention and affection. So to close this long post, I am so grateful that the picture could come full circle and I can kiss , tuck in, and read my own wonderful boy a story each night. ”
* A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago… You are remarkable and we all love you!
thank you.
The Project is run by student board members and advised by a faculty member
All the best wishes and I am very proud
The Drew Honduras Project sounds amazing, very happy to see organizations like this one being promoted and carried out by students.
I am glad to hear that the Project has continued to grow, i hope the student are enjoying their time.
This is a nice community initiative.
* A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago… You are remarkable and we all love you!
My pleasure! As you know this is a student-run group and my main job is just to watch and admire (and remember deadlines). BTW: who is this? I love to hear from alums of the project (email me?)
I’m very proud of the project and i hope
I wish success for student and Project
I am so glad to hear that the Project has continued to grow,
Me too! Further proof that a few people can do amazing things if they work together.
i am happy this program is going places. kudos
Nice to hear
thank you to Sandra Jamieson
It’s encouraging to read about young people doing such positive activities. More colleges should allow students to get out of the classrooms and lectures halls for activities such as yours. Great job you make us proud!
Thanks. I think if students take the initiative and show that they know what they are doing, colleges would be more than supportive. It is a fact that learning is deeper and more meaningful when it is applied, even if indirectly like this.
How can I join the program?
Hi Garth, thanks for your question. Look for DHP (Drew Honduras Project) activities on campus or contact one of the board members directly via the contact page!
The honduras project sounds like a very interesting way to give students a real experience in life
Thanks for the info
Richard
The Project is run by student board members and advised by a faculty member
Interesting, keep this project to continue to grow, forward education.
this is an amazing project ,I look forward to new updates!!
project is going good keep it up
This sounds amazing. All the best for future endeavors.
It is only when the young take charge of their destiny that they get to learn about how to make the world a better place. Proud to see students make a positive change in the world.
Martin
All the best wishes and I am very proud
Thank You,.,
This is a nice community initiative.
hi, that’s great
It is a good project
very good Project..
The Project is run by student board members and advised by a faculty member
all the very best for the project keep it up
It’s really a superb project for students. I have already shared it on my Facebook page to inform all students like me. It will give students a real experience in life.
Thanks
This is a nice project. I think I would love to join
i am happy this program is going places
best of luck for your upcoming projects
this is an amazing project ,I look forward to new updates
OMG so glad to hear about this project. Please updates more! Thank you. Keep it up!
its nice project for student in honduras and they get experience in life
their destiny that they get to learn about how to make the world a better place. Proud to see students make a positive change in the world.
This is a nice community initiative.
This sounds amazing. All the best for future endeavors.
“The Drew Honduras Project is a totally student-run volunteer program. The Project is run by student board members and advised by a faculty member. The students make the plans, develop community partnerships in Honduras and the Dominican Republic, raise the money, select the participants, organize the pre-trip meetings, plan fund-raising events, manage the budget, monitor conditions in the country we are visiting”
job and ideas is good
I agree with you. This post is good and we can share it. Importnt dont forget children of Honduras
A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago… You are remarkable and we all love you!
This is a nice project. I like this very much. Thank you for sharing.
im realy-realy touch by this article. Dont know how i can get inside this side. But you all doing a magnificient work for childs. Sorry for my bad grammar, hopely you all get bless from GOD.
this is an amazing project
This is a great initiative, and I hope people involved will achieve the goals set. I’m really glad you involve students and teach them how to be king and do good things. I’d like to help as soon as I can
I’ve been to Honduras and I have seen first hand what is happening there. This program is amazing keep it up! and post some updates if you can.
hello, we from indonesia,, your projeck give me more spirit!
thank you
Who Cares If One More Light Goes Out..Well I Do..
Great work buddy, keep it up
It sounds good and amazing news that there are good projects like this. I wish you success and supporting you strongly, go ahead.
Keep Writing and special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago. You are remarkable and we all love you!
i love project. I hope you can coming in vietnam and do for us.
This project is amazing, very happy to see organizations like this being promoted and carried out by students.
What a great project. Hopefully the situation improves soon so you can return to Honduras and Dominican Republic.
Best of luck.
As a former student leader of the project and with November being a month of gratitude, I wanted to share my Facebook post of yesterday:
Drew groups
When volunteers gather and do positive things for the benefit of others. I believe that there will be a bright future. Maybe I can’t donate in physical form. But in my prayer, I will insert this project to succeed in each of my prayers.
Salam
JujungNet
Great work
This is a nice community initiative.
Keep Writing and special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago. You are remarkable and we all love you!
My pleasure! As you know this is a student-run group and my main job is just to watch and admire (and remember deadlines). BTW: who is this? I love to hear from alums of the project (email me?)
Really appreciate such efforts. Keep on, may God save you
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact ordered me dinner because I discovered it for him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this topic here on your blog.
Great posts, Thanks!
wow, You are doing wonderful job. What a great project.
I am glad to hear that the Project has continued to grow, i hope the student are enjoying their time.
This is very nice project
I like your project
That is great project, Thank for your inspiration, Sara.
Greating, with love Ana
Great work!
This is a good program, especially for students, because when children participate in such programs, they will be able to understand what responsibilities they have to perform in society. I think all countries should do this kind of rice. thanks for sharing
To apply and expand the hands-on educational experience of the DREW Students, organizations are formed and seminars are conducted. And this is a good move towards the co-curricular activities.
This is a nice community initiative, and most useful content
Thanks for sharing! Amazing Facts and Interesting Stuff!!!
A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago
This is a great project
Nice and Great Project. Continue the work . I have same idea for Myanmar Children. I will continue to follow you
What a great project.
A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago
Amazing site
wow..
This is a great project
I like your project
That is great project, Thank for your inspiration bro!
This is a nice project. I like this very much. Thank you for sharing.
good project, wish you luck and good luck
This is a great project
Wow, this is a great project. If it weren’t for the impact of COVID-19, I might have planned to travel to Honduras and the Dominican Republic this year.
Thanks for sharing! Amazing Facts
wow, You are doing wonderful job. What a great project.
A special thank you to Sandra Jamieson, for so thoughtfully helping to continue the work that a small group of us started 19 years ago