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The Oakville Beaver, Frfday February 3, 2006 - 3 Helping others is the Canadian w ay Continued from page 1 goods, school supplies - you name it, it's been gathered, packed on skids, transported from Oakville to Trenton, and today, Trenton to the Dominican Republic. "The community involvement for this project has just been over whelming," said Judy Warrington, Oakville's driving force behind the project and a well-known face in the run-down villages of the Dominican Republic, where she's been leading volunteer groups for more than a decade. "Imagine their surprise and the looks on their faces when they receive all of these things in the DR." The goods are targeted towards organizations Warrington is part nered with through her volunteer company, Power Trips, including International Child Care (ICC), which supports health develop ment work in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti and responds to children suffering from tuber culosis, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and physical disabilities. "The items we've collected are geared towards the needs of those organizations and the communi ties where those organizations work," said Warrington. "We're basically trying to work with their wish list." And the reason Warrington is able to send this enormous amount of goods down is because of a government-run humanitari an program out of the Trenton Air Force Base. It's a pilot-training program that allows people to ship goods for humanitarian reasons, while giving pilots experience fly ing weighed-down planes. "I'm on the list to send goods to the Dominican Republic, and it only happens once every few years that this comes up," said Warrington, who worked with her Rotary Club four years ago to send Moving Company donated trucks and personnel to assist Warrington and her crew to gather the skids and transport them to Trenton. "Honestly there's been so much help, it's hard to know how many people have assisted us in this cause," said Warrington, who made special note of the contribu tions of Charlie Guy, executive director of ICC, Canada. To illustrate how the supplies that arrive today in the Dominican Republic will help organizations like the ICC, Guy shared the story of a Dominican i2-year-old boy named Miguel. He was born with a severe developmental delay because the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck during delivery, depriving him of oxygen. That meant at the age of 12, Miguel was at the developmental age of a two or three year old. "In the Dominican Republic, children with disabilities are often considered an embarrassment for their families, and left with little hope for the future," said Guy. That's where the ICC comes in. For the past year, Miguel has been enrolled i n ' the ICC's BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Program, which sends a LENDING A HAND: Judy Warrington, member of the board of directors of International Child Care and Greg Coffen rehabilitation worker to his house managing partner, Operations Manager of KMS Royal Moving Company, an agent for Atlas Van Lines Inc., pack items every week to help him learn more being shipped to the Dominican Republic including wheelchairs for disabled children. skills and teaches his family how to 15,000 pounds of books to the - I think it's almost a Canadian I said, `Oh my gosh, would I like assist him. "After just one year in the CBR Qomifiican Republic to target lit thing. We have so many people to!"' she 'said. "The timing was program, Miguel has learned how who are interested and wanting to unbelievable." eracy programs. to sit still for longer periods of St. Mildred's-Lightbourn Since the last trip, members of recycle meaningfully." time, to put things in order by size school students, under the direc Because the response has been the community have continued to and to put similar objects in pairs," tion of Judy Ross, took care of a lot support Warrington's project - so big, Warrington has been stor said Guy. "All of these exercises of the packing and labeling of rotary clubs, · local churches, ing the goods in her garage and in help develop his mental skills and schools, athletic organizations, a local warehouse called Mini goods. are building blocks for the more "They were a huge help they; and even organizations from as far Storage Space, which has been complex tasks of daily living." put in a lot of Thursdays at the away as St. Catharines and Weston donating space for the last four Miguel did attend a govern warehouse space - it was a huge years for the cause.., have been chipping in. ment special education school for gift from those girls and from "The space was getting short "Sometimes I wake up in the a short time, but was asked to Judy," said Warrington. morning and there are bags and and tight and then the govern leave because The help doesn't stop there, boxes sitting on our doorstep," she ment came along and said, `How said. "It's been absolutely amazing would you like to send a trip,' and either. Oakville's KMS Royal INVENTORYCUtyUUO BasamasmsnflaP TBWIKIN6 OF RENOVATING... u w e i t n t custom n u u s a w n u B B BEFORE Turn to the Experts SM fireplace OAKVILLE Iv m e { } c tm fo r t 300 North Service Rd. W. at Dorval · 905-844-1223 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK *SEE STORE FOR DETAILS OAKVILLE TOWN CENTRE I N o rth S e rv ic e R oad O ak Tow n C e n tre t