Camp Counselor Carmel Makes A Difference at Dominican Holidaze with Positive Legacy

Positive Legacy is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit that strives to make an impact that is both sustainable and effective. From the Dominican Republic to Honduras, each Positive Legacy location offers a special outreach opportunity, supply drive, and unique auction to help raise money for ongoing projects. Positive Legacy also conducts a Day of Service during destination festivals in order to connect attendees with the local community and live out their motto of “One world united through music.” After all, we are a collective of people that truly wish to make a difference whether it be through music, understanding those who are different than us, or simply living green. The most impressive aspect of this organization is that they are realistic with their goals. They work with a variety of organizations in order to ensure monetary donations from auctions are going to well thought out projects that will continue to impact these communities for years and years to come. Positive Legacy’s Day of Service at Dominican Holidaze took place in a town outside of Punta Cana called Veron. I must admit, I was really hungover that day after raging Umphrey’s the night before, but I knew that participating in this experience was important. Summer Camp has instilled in me the motto of Make a Difference, whether it be in my day to day life or by helping others living in communities much different than my own. As Americans, we are often sheltered from the humanitarian issues that face the rest of the world, but it is experiences like these that open our eyes to the realities of other people. Far too often there are things we take for granted like access to clean water, sewers, and having a safe, clean community for children to play. Our day started with a 45 minute bus ride from our lavish five star resort to the small community of Domingo Maiz outside of the town of Veron. The farther we traveled from the beach, the more obvious it became just how impoverished the Dominican Republic really is. Our first stop was seeing the water treatment area built by The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation with the help of the Peace Corp and Positive Legacy’s monetary donations. Its purpose is to keep waste water separate from the clean water, a problem that has plagued the Domingo Maiz community for many years. Now that this infrastructure has been built, the people of this community are finally able to take showers and wash their clothes safely without the fear of developing infections. The core funding for the water treatment area came from Positive Legacy auctions that were held during destination festivals, often raising tens of thousands of dollars in a single event. While they continue to assess the waste management aspect of this project, the next phase will bring water to the Domingo Maiz community that is clean enough to drink! Those of us who volunteered for the Day of Service during Dominican Holidaze were passionate about understanding the environment of the Dominican Republic. Not just ecological issues, but cultural issues as well because it was clear to see they go hand in hand. Many of the local kids joined us as we invaded their community and picked up trash throughout their neighborhood. While simple, it was obvious we were still making a difference. Not only did we enable these kids to make their neighborhood beautiful, we also showed them that it could be fun and rewarding. [caption id="attachment_20968" align="alignnone" width="800"] Cultural Celebration at Positive Legacy’s Dominican Holidaze Day of Service[/caption] After cleaning up trash, we came back the water treatment area to enjoy a meal consisting of traditional Dominican food, as well as traditional live music, making the whole event feel like a celebration of Dominican culture. After eating we helped paint a mural on the cement wall that lined the water treatment area. The mural depicted how this waste water project was a group effort between the community, the Peace Corp, The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, and Positive Legacy. The local kids lined up one by one and had their hands painted so they could leave their mark on the wall as well, symbolizing that this was their project just as much as it was ours. We took one last group photo before jumping on our coach bus, but the experience will forever be tattooed in my mind. To submerge yourself in a foreign country like this is much different than staying at a fancy resort on the beach. And after seeing the living situations in the Dominican Republic, it is hard to be indifferent to their suffering. Yet these kids still found reasons to be grateful, to smile, to sing, and to dance. It was an awesome experience to bond with them over food and music just as we do with our festival communities time and time again. [caption id="attachment_20990" align="alignnone" width="960"] Positive Legacy Silent Auction at Dominican Holidaze[/caption]  ]]>