How It All Began

It all began in 1983. A man named Harold S. Wooden (Woody) was offered a free ticket to the Dominican Republic. Woody accepted the gift from his family, who felt it, was a much needed and well-earned vacation. A devoted Rotarian, Woody spent time with local Dominican Rotarians, who introduced him to some of the Community Service activities in progress. It was then that he came across the project that touched his heart and, unbeknownst to him, would take precedence in all that he did thereafter.

"The children were in a desperate situation. I was devastated. The small shacks that some of the children lived in were beyond description. The conditions of the orphanage, then call San Salvador, were horrific. An open-air kitchen with pots burning on firewood, kids sleeping on the ground and young girls unclothed, with no shelter, were some of the characteristics I can recall" said Woody. "I brought that story back to New Jersey and asked a local photographer to photograph the deplorable conditions. It became a major World Community Service project in the Caribbean between Rotary District 7640 in New Jersey and District 4060 in the Dominican Republic that took more than four years to complete."

In 1988 the dormitory was completed. The dedication ceremony took place with the Dominican flag, the Vatican Banner, and the Rotary flag, flying proudly. That was a very meaningful and proud moment for Woody. It was official; the project was a success! Woody went home and many people proclaimed: " You did the job. The dormitory is finished." But Woody soon realized that a dormitory for children is not complete if you just put children into it. The "project" had really only just begun. "Children are human beings. We need to maintain what we have given to them. Children are children - all God's children. It is not their fault they were born there. It would not be fair to walk away from them now." In 1989, Orchid Foundation, Inc. was founded to provide ongoing support and assistance to Hogar Escuela Armando Rosenberg.

Visit "The Orphanage" page for more information