Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Dominican Republic Charities

When I wrote the entry about La Casa Rosada, I forgot to mention some things. The person that I was taking to the orphanage was Matthew. Matthew is a baseball fanatic and when he travelled here on vacation and saw many kids playing baseball with sticks, twine and gloves fashioned from milk cartons. He decided to do something about it. The power of ONE!

On our way driving to the orphanage we see some kids playing baseball. Matthew says he has some extra baseballs left and we pull over. We are immediately swarmed by screaming kids begging for baseballs.

Anyway, Matthew has a website where he collects used baseball equipment to ship to the Dominican Republic. You can visit his site by going to http://drbaseball.org/index.html.

Here is another great charity from the Batey Relief Alliance:

The Overseas Child SponsorshipThe Overseas Child Sponsorship (OCS) is a program created by the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) to provide individuals in the United States with the opportunity to help improve basic living conditions for children affected by disease, poverty or hunger in the Caribbean. The Children of the BateyThe sponsorship and its benefitsYour sponsorship provides a chance for the batey children to achieve their desired potential, live with dignity, and participate fully in their own communities. Being a sponsor affords you the unique opportunity to save a child while knowing that you are contributing to his/her future. Through a sponsorship commitment of just $30 a month, you can give a batey child hope by helping with life-enhancing benefits such as food, clothing, medical care, and the opportunity to become literate. Your sponsored child will also be encouraged by the knowledge that someone really cares. A nurturing relationshipBRA promotes and coordinates letters and photos exchanged between sponsors and the children benefiting from sponsor support. This relationship of hope and encouragement is nurtured by sponsors receiving personal communications from the children, as they love to hear from caring people like you. When necessary, your letter will be translated at the BRA project serving your sponsored child. Periodically, BRA will arrange visits to the bateyes so you can personally meet your sponsored child. Project organizationThe Batey Relief Alliance's regional arm in the Dominican Republic, BRA Dominicana, is the organization on the ground to identify and serve the beneficiaries, coordinate correspondence, and to ensure a lasting relationship between the children and their sponsors. We encourage you to contact BRA and learn how you can become a sponsor. Ulrick Gaillard, Batey Relief Alliance, P.O. Box 300565Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230. Tel, 917.627.5026, Email, bra@bateyrelief.org. Visit us at http://www.bateyrelief.org/.Turn back for Sponsorship FormOverseas Child Sponsorship (OCS)Sponsorship Registration FormPlease copy/detach and return ======================================================
Sponsorship Information
Type of friend you want to sponsor:[ ] male [ ] female
[ ] infant 5 to 6[ ] child 6 to 12[ ] teenager 12 to 18

Full name: ______________________________________________
Mailing Address:__________________________________________
City:___________________________State:______ZIP:______
Dayphone:________________Email:___________________ Comments______________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

Forms of Payment
I wish to pay by [ ] check or [ ] money order: [ ] $360 for one year.
Enclosed is my tax-deductible check or money order payable to Batey Relief Alliance. PaymentPlease mail out your payment payable to Batey Relief Alliance, P.O. Box 300565, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230. All payments are considered gifts to BRA and are therefore IRS-approved tax-deductible. BRA will not share with, rent or sell your personal information to any outside source. BRA understands that the privacy of your personal information is important to you. We adhere to confidentiality standards to protect your personal information. Your personal information is maintained by BRA only to provide you with services you have requested.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

$30 a month?? I'll stick to helping Sally Struthers. She says you can feed a family of 6 in Cambodia for only $2 a month. No shade honey!

Anonymous said...

Please excuse me Anthony, but if you need to remove this I will understand. I must respond to the comment above. To the anonymous sick idiot a**hole who posted the comment above. If you don't want to make the contribution then don't and shut up. If nothing else you can take the time to read the information about what this organization does. It, like many others are doing excellent work. I am glad that you are remotely claim to give $2.00 a month to an organization. Every little bit helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi Anthony,
Is there anyway to link La Casa Rosada with this DR Charity? I am not sure of the situation of the Children from the BRA Dominicana if they have parents or guardians or if they are orphans. My feeling is that the Children of La Casa Rosada have no parents or care takers besides the WONDERFUL Nuns who care for them and provide them with love. I find it hard to believe in the age of computers we cannot put our heads together and find a way to send money electronically rather than giving $30-$40 USD to the already wealthy banks of America. Although I do feel sorry for those children my heart still belongs with the HIV infected innocent children of La Casa Rosada. If the BRA can include donations to La Casa Rosada in addition to the children they are trying to support than that may be a different viewpoint on the matter.

Jim in Boston

Anonymous said...

Hi Anthony,

The tax laws since Hurricane Katrina and the Hurricanes in Florida changed publication 526 of the IRS tax code. I looked at the publication and I do not see where the La Casa Rosada would not be tax deductible because it is a religious organization. How much money from the USA ends up at the Vatican and it is all tax deductible. Since La Casa Rosada is run by Catholic Nuns it would fall into the "religious" category. Here is a print from PUB. 526 of the US Tax Code Regarding Charitable Contributions:

Deductible As Charitable Contributions
-----------------------------------
Money or property you give to:
• Churches, synagogues, temples,
mosques, and other religious
organizations
• Federal, state, and local
governments, if your contribution is solely for public purposes (for
example, a gift to reduce the public debt)
• Nonprofit schools and hospitals
• Public parks and recreation facilities
• Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE,
Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, etc.
• War veterans’ groups

Expenses paid for a student living with you,sponsored by a qualified organization

Out-of-pocket expenses when you serve a qualified organization as a volunteer

So as far as I am concerned, this is a religious organization run by Catholic Nuns and they also teach them many things so I can conclude that it is also a school. There is nowhere in this tax code that does say I cannot send it to the Dominican Republic. If that was the case, all money given to the Catholic Church could not be sent to Vatican City as that is a country of its own. Let them try to put me in jail for giving a donation to orphan children with AIDS. I don't think the IRS wants to have that kind of publicity on their dirty hands. I plan to deduct all of my contributions to La Casa Rosada this year and I have PUB. 526 to back me up (which is their own tax laws). I saw this week on TV a man from New York who gave $1M to a golf course at his old University and it was approved as a valid deduction. Which contribution do you feel is more in the line with charity?

Regards,

Jim from Boston

Anonymous said...

Hi Jay. There was no need to call me an A-Hole. Grow up! Name calling never resolved anything. It only serves to highten tensions, and make people angry. But I guess being from DC the Murder Capital of the U.S. I can fully understand you lack of maturity.
FYI Sally Struthers and I have been helping people around the world for years. I am proud of my contributions, and will continue to so. My conscience is clear. I'm not in foreign countries to have sex, spread disease like some of you. My work is for the people. Not to clear, and wash my hands of the filth I bring with me when I go to the Dominican Republic. If it makes you feel better to donate to a my country, then continue to do so. But I am sure there are PLENTY of needy children in the BLACK community is the U.S.
All of the 'GAY, Black, American' contributers should ask themselves "WHY AM I DOING THIS, REALLY?"
You all should be ashamed of yourselves, serioulsy! Take all that vacation money, buggaron money, donations, the money you spend on those boogies, and use it to build up your own communities in the U.S. None of you are Dominican.. Remember, Charity begins at HOME! No Shade to your peeps Ms. Anthony, I think you are Fabulous!

Santo Domingo Colonial Zone Apts said...

Okay. Let's take a deep breath.

(Pause)

This topic seems to have some strong opinions, so let's see if we can try and keep it civil.

I'm watching ...

Anonymous said...

I tried to be civil! I didn't point any fingers just expressed my opinion on where I would prefer my money went. I hope that is ok. Am I breaking any blog rules?
Maybe we need some rules of decent blog behavior?

Jim from Boston

Santo Domingo Colonial Zone Apts said...

Jim, not pointing any fingers at anyone. I want great comments, just want responses to remain civil.

Anonymous said...

To Jim from Boston:

Be careful about selective reading of laws and regulations. What you pointed out from publication 526 are examples. A careful reading of that publication (which is not the actual law or regulation) points that the charitable organization (including religious organisation) must be organized under the laws of the United States. The only exemption are certain organizions in Canada, Mexico, and Israel.

I would not take a deduction for a contribution to La Casa Rosada unless it is a contribution to a recognized U.S. charitable organization that is willing to forward the proceeds.

Anonymous said...

How will they even know if La Casa Rosada is located in the US or not?
As I said before, I would be happy to see the IRS put me in jail for taking a tax deduction sent to an orphange of unfortunate children with AIDS when someone else can take a deduction for sending a MILLION dollars to a f*cking golf course in New York State. I hardly think they would put me in jail for that. It's not like I am sending them a Million dollars but doing the best I can. If I did get arrested it might show the needs of La Casa Rosada and maybe their donations would increase. There is no such thing as bad publicity! I hear you but I am tired of having my check raped by the IRS and State taxes every week. This will be my protest!

Jim from Boston

Anonymous said...

Deep breath taken Anthony, thanks. No need for futher response. Thanks again for providing a wide range of topics; fun, provocative, serious, ect...

Anonymous said...

Regarding the contributions and IRS. You are allowed to deduct up to 10 percent of your gross income for charitable contributions, and I have never had this questioned in my almost fifty years of filing income tax returns.

Anonymous said...

I telephoned Western Union tonight about sending money to La Casa Rosada and the charges they would charge. They would charge $5.99 per $100 sent. That is cheaper than sending it from my bank. I could send up to $500 to them and it would still be cheaper than wiring it from my bank. My question is this: Has anyone used Western Union to send money to the DR and was it ok? Secondly, after I do send the money how do I let La Casa Rosada know that they need to go collect it? Lastly, does anyone know which is the closest Western Union to the La Casa Rosada? Thanks for any help you can provide. I looked into sending a care package and the shipping is outrageous so I will continue to send money. UPS and FED-EX want more than $285.00 to send a 44 pound package. That's ridiculous.

Santo Domingo Colonial Zone Apts said...

Shipping things to the DR can be expensive.

Western Union is recognized worldwide for sending money, so there shouldn't be any problems at all.

There is another service, Envios Boya, that I have used for a couple of years. This service works through PayPal, and allows you to send money to the DR and they will deliver the money to your destination in either U.S. dollars or Dominican Pesos.

www.enviosboya.com

Anonymous said...

DR and Western Union - Just go to the site and send the money via Western Union on the Internet. You also get a free phone call to the DR with the transaction. La Casa Rosada Sisters (They have to know your name and how much you are sending in advance) can pick the money up from any Western Union location and an email will be sent to you upon pick-up as confirmation and or verification.

Anonymous said...

Great Info Everyone...Thanks much!

Jim From Boston

Anonymous said...

how many help out the homeless, aids organizations,katrina victims via donations in the US?.! while i feel for the children of the dr, charity should begin at home.
maybe we should tax the buggaronies and contribute that to the organizations that benefit the dr.
no shade intented, just how i feel.

Anonymous said...

I also give to Habitat for Humanity and I did donate a good sum for the New Orleans Katrina Victims through the Red Cross. Have you seen anyone on TV that said they have received a good amount of money to help in rebuilding? I haven't. Besides the USA would have Tens of BILLIONS of dollars if Bush would not have spent it at war with Iraq.

Nena Nuyorican said...

If people would vote and stop saying my vote don't count, then maybe Bush would not be president. We know what transpired and it's the working class that is flipping the bills for the war and the poor is paying for it with less necessary services.
By no means am I preaching just agreeing with the blogger~

Nena Nuyorican said...

I work with quite a few Dominicans at the job (born in the DR). I proposed to them to do a fund raiser for La Casa Rosado on the job and one worker who is going in early May can take the USPS Money order down, unfortunately all declined to assist, so I decided just to send some cloths with my co-worker who is willing to drop it off on her way to her mother's home.
I'm sure the kids will enjoy the cute tee shirt/short sets (largely for kids under 6yrs old).
and I also sent my email to vatican city on miss cardinal what's his name of the Dominican Rep.

Anonymous said...

Nena...

I am not sure where you live but I am interested in putting a Christmas Care package together for the children. However, the transport to the DR is VERY expensive. The lowest I found to ship there is 44 pounds at $286.81 (I got quotes from Fed-Ex, UPS and DHL). If we are close enough together maybe we could combine our shipment? Maybe your located in a region that has a DR Shipping company that would take the box for us at a reduced rate for Charity and in the Christmas Spirit? There isn't any here locally. I checked the telephone book and asked around. I hear that in the NYC area there are a couple of dozen that do monthly shipments to Santo Domingo. Let me know what you think.

Jim from Boston

Anonymous said...

i thought DIH2 contributed to Batey