During our 25th Anniversary celebration, we are introducing you to the former and current members of the ACCESO Amigos Club through which events are held to create an atmosphere of international friendship and education among elementary-aged children and are co-facilitated by youth volunteers. This month, meet Joël, a former Amigos Club participant who is an enthusiastic volunteer, whose Camino fundraising sales are renowned, and whose school visits are unforgettable.
Ever since I went on my first ACCESO trip to the schools of the Dominican Republic when I was six, I have loved helping and going back. Every time I visit schools, I make new friends and always have a blast. The people and the students are always very nice and are fun to hang around with. It’s always great to see the impact of our help from over the years in the smiles of the children. It is a humbling experience visiting the schools in the bateys because it’s a lot harder for the children to achieve their dreams [a batey is an underserviced rural village where sugar cane workers and their families of Haitian descent reside in the Dominican Republic].
ACCESO is a very positive community and always supports each other. The volunteers dedicate a large portion of their time to organizing events and donations, all with one goal in mind: helping others. The people of ACCESO are so selfless and generous and I have loved working with them and look forward to it in the future as well.
Joël
