Through my nonprofit, Providing Opportunity, I have adopted a squatters camp village of 360 people in the Dominican Republic as my second family and founded a charity to raise money to buy building materials, provide 29 full scholarships, feed 50 small children and improve individual lives. I go on-site and organize the residents with whom we have built 43 new homes, a school and a clinic.
For instance, Elle Burgos, whom I met when she was 19, had a three-year old daughter Elianny, and had just delivered a new baby, Arianny, a week before. Her husband had left her, rent was $50 a month and she had zero for their flooded two-room hovel. I found money for materials and land and Elle worked with our crews, in between caring for her newborn. I named her “two bucket Elle” because she carried two buckets of concrete wherever she went.
Today Elle owns her own solid beautiful home of her dreams. She is in her second university year on scholarship and Elianny is attending private school on scholarship. Elle also has a job. The families hug me with emotion because what I work at is taking families in the worst impoverished conditions and help bring them even better than their dreams.
At 65, you might call me older, but I’m sharp and it’s “not my first time at the rodeo.” I have a lifetime of integrity and work ethic to point toward when asking others to join me. And for me? I could not have imagined that I would become so rich…. from helping others with all my strength.