August 2, 2013

Thanksgiving - It's Only 4 Months Away!

"If you are going to be visiting the States in the next few months consider bringing back a can of cranberries or pumpkin."

That was part of an email I received from Peace Corps in May asking Volunteers to bring back essential foodstuffs for Thanksgiving. Yes, Thanksgiving is a BIG deal for Peace Corps Dominican Republic. Every year there is a big celebration in Santo Domingo on Turkey Day for all Volunteers and the staff that supports us.

I am very grateful that I will be able to attend such a fun event this year as holidays are always the toughest days for me to be away from home. When I studied abroad in Chile, Thanksgiving Day was the day I felt the most homesick - I couldn't stop looking on FaceBook at all the delicious food and fun get-togethers my friends and family were having Stateside. Likewise, this past Easter was a depressing day for me here in the DR. My host family did nothing special to celebrate, we didn't even go to Church - it was raining after all. Meanwhile, back at home I knew my family was dying Easter eggs and hunting for plastic eggs full of candy in the backyard.

The Thanksgiving day of fun is a way for us to forget that we are far away from many of our loved ones, and remember we have so much to be thankful, including the friends and family we have found on this tropical island. However, there is a price to be paid for keeping the holiday blues at bay. I will now turn it over to the Thanksgiving Executive Committee:
Everyone can agree that Thanksgiving is a particularly special time of the year. It’s when you get together with friends and family to enjoy each other’s company and reflect on everything you are thankful for.  Here in the Dominican Republic, Peace Corps Volunteers in particular have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is one of Peace Corps Dominican Republic’s greatest traditions and this year we are hoping to make it better than ever. It is really the only event of the year when we can all come together from around the country as a big family. Over 200 Dominicans, Volunteers, and Staff are expected to celebrate this holiday and we want to ensure everyone can spend time celebrating with their Peace Corps family without worrying about cutting corners or sacrificing on essential Thanksgiving traditions due to lack of funding.

Here in the DR, Thanksgiving starts bright and early with a 5k Turkey Trot and a morning filled with football, basketball, and other sports. The hotel where we celebrate has a pool where Volunteers can work up an appetite worthy of Thanksgiving before the big meal. Dinner includes all the classics – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and desserts galore. Baking teams tasked with creating all the traditional desserts stay with host families in the capital before the big day turning out enough Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple pies to satisfy everyone. After gorging on all the tastes of America, Volunteers participate in the famous talent show and the day culminates with an all-night dance party.

The truth is that putting on this event is not cheap and the event is entirely volunteer supported. We do not receive any funding from PCDR. Volunteers pay nearly 10% of their always thinly stretched monthly living allowance for a ticket.  On top of the ticket cost, volunteers also pay for their transportation, lodging, and food (besides Thanksgiving dinner!). As with everywhere, prices have gone up and we are trying our hardest to keep our ticket prices the same. This year we’re turning to loved ones and family to ask for your support. Donations as small as $15 or $20 can make a big impact on our budget !

 Thanks to friends and family who donated to Thanksgiving 2012, we were able to provide the following services to volunteers:


·            Shuttle bus from sports events to the hotel where Thanksgiving dinner was served, allowing volunteers to enjoy the entire day’s events

·            Our favorite desserts! Including brownies and 3 kinds of pie - pumpkin, pecan and apple :)

·            Extra transportation costs for our dedicated baking teams

 Planning such a large-scale event like this begins months before November 28th and includes baking and cooking teams, sports organizers, talent show hosts, ticket sellers, and many more PCVs who volunteer their time before the event to make it great – but we need your help! Consider donating what you can to help ensure that your Peace Corps Volunteer gets to really enjoy one of our best American traditions.

Sincerely,

The Thanksgiving Executive Committee 2013

You can donate here: 

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=APL6YFSQRTPGS

2 comments:

  1. It was funny, because I posted on my blog, and I went to check your blog, and our last blogs were the same post...

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  2. Hi Susan... I enjoy reading your posts :).. Hope all is well... Ttyl... Shellee'

    ReplyDelete