Esperanza Means Hope

Dear friends and family,

For the past three years, it has been on my heart to travel with a group called Project Esperanza to the Dominican Republic to serve a small school in the Dominican Republic. The past two summers came and went with too much going on for me to commit. But with everything that has been happening in our lives, I realized after April 16th that life is too important and short to wait, and I have too much to give to not serve. So this summer, I will be spending two weeks in the Dominican Republic to teach English in a school run by Project Esperanza and to build a home for a very deserving woman who has been nothing but faithful to her church, yet has been without a home for many years.

Project Esperanza is a nonprofit organization that was formed by students at Virginia Tech, and it has been strongly supported by our home church in Blacksburg, New Life Christian Fellowship. The vision of Project Esperanza is to unite through service the communities of the New River Valley in Virginia with the community of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. PE has projects happening throughout the year in both communities, and it has many amazing projects underway both here in the US and in the DR. I encourage you to visit our website, www.esperanzameanshope.org.

As many of you know, I am currently working on a Masters Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and I will begin to put those studies to use in the community of Munoz, an impoverished area outside of Puerto Plata. I will be teaching English and other skills in the local school, The United Brothers School of Munoz, which serves as the only school for all the children of the area. In addition to teaching, PE is teaming up with a church in Puerto Plata to build a home for a very deserving woman who serves the church but has been without a home for years.

I am asking for help in funding that will not only help fund my service, but will also help support the organization as a whole. My two weeks in the Dominican Republic will cost close to $900.00. PE is a non-profit organization, so all donations are tax-deductible. If you choose to contribute, please send a check made out to Project Esperanza to the following address. Be sure to write “Volunteer Trip: Angela Gouger” in the memo line.

Project Esperanza
413 Clay Street SW
Blacksburg, VA 24060

Thank you for your support! I am excited about sharing all of my amazing experiences with you!

Always, Angela