GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A yellow school is a symbol of hope for the community of Constanza, a town in the Dominican Republic.
Residents there say building this school is a step towards breaking the cycle of poverty.
“We are very thankful for the gift you have given us,” says Maria Caraballo, Constanza community member.
St. Joseph resident, Kellye Wilson, is traveling to Constanza on Monday. She’s building a vocational center there during one week with Lifetouch photography. Lifetouch built an elementary school in Constanza with different partners during 2011 and 2012.
“We’re all the same, we’ll roll up our sleeves, we do what it takes to get a school built in a week. It’s quite a feat to accomplish,” says Wilson.
Lifetouch calls this a “Memory Mission” because they use their cameras while they roll-up their sleeves. Wilson says on Friday they’re having a school picture day to take portraits in the community.
“There won’t be a dry eye in the house, from the volunteers to the Dominican families, as we hand-out portrait packages to students that don’t even know really what they look like. It’s just an amazing experience, we bring scissors, and we exchange pictures,” explains Wilson.
Since 2000, Lifetouch has partnered with volunteer teachers, superintendents and organizations to rebuild villages and homes across the world. Wilson says they’re passionate about this labor of love to foster the future for communities.
“It’s going to be an unbelievable end product, because we will leave them with a vocational center where they can actually get some hands-on training that’s much needed in that community,” adds Wilson.
For more information on this Lifetouch Memory Mission, see their website.
