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Category: Locations

A New Extended Family

Amazing is one way to describe today.  In the morning I did the Day in the Life program. Three of us students, along with a teacher and a translator, went to a house in the community to see how they spend their days. We cooked and cleaned and played with the kids. It was a blast! We asked them many questions and, even though there was a language barrier, I still felt so connected to them. They called us their family, we laughed together and for a moment it felt normal to be there laughing with them having a good time.
 
 
When they showed us around the house it was an eye-opening experience.  There were holes in the roof, and their bathroom was covered by a tarp. The mother told us that when it rains sometimes the tarp blows away and it is left uncovered. That left me in shock and I lost for words. Thinking that a place that should be private just could not be, and that she could not do anything about it, was challenging. Her daughter was adorable and she gives the best high fives. The thing that stuck out most to me was when we asked her what he would change about her house if she could. She did not reply at first, and then she said she would like it to be bigger so she could fit all five of her kids. 
 
Today was fantastic; I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!
 
– Olivia, Carson Graham Volunteer, LiveDifferent 2015

 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: March 12th, 2015

From the ground up

Building a home from the ground up was enlightening. You could never understand the joy that comes with creating something so profoundly palpable, until you do it with your own hands. When you rise up with the morning sun, put on your soggy work gloves, and hop onto the open back truck, and drive to the work site. The sense of pride you have, despite your aching back. Because with every shovel full of gravel and concrete that you extract from earth, you are painfully aware of how you are breaking ground both literally and figuratively. It’s a good ache. When you see the smiles and hope illuminating the community, you will understand the real joys of life. You will feel yourself overwhelmed by waves of tears as you hand over the keys to a pristine new home. The world really is a beautiful place.

So now I am back at home, in Hamilton, Ontario. I am realizing that I have to find a way to resume things from where I left off before the build. I am forcing myself to go through the dull motions of everyday life. I am sitting in a classroom watching the clock, waiting to go home and check my Facebook or whatever. But now I realize that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Everyday life at home does not have to be this dull and lonely existence. I can LiveDifferent. I have the option to consciously live meaningfully and deliberately. To love selflessly and openly.  I can learn from my experiences on the build. I can make the most of the privileges that I have here in Canada. I can be a global citizen. I can be a strong woman.

And yeah, maybe I can’t just physically pick up a shovel and start building a home from the ground up myself on my street. But what I can do is just try to build myself and the people around me a strong and hopeful community to exist in. Pick up the proverbial shovel, and illuminate the world and everything I am presented with, with nothing but a bold smile- and an open heart.

Because at the end of the day there are two ways of spreading light — to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. And I think I’m about ready to start spreading some light. 

– Jessie, LiveDifferent Volunteer

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: January 21st, 2015

The journey that awakened my soul

“Change yourself, and the world changes”-Big Brother Ray

LiveDifferent and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada got together to deliver the gift of a new life, a gift of positive change, the gift of hope, the gift of laughter and love. We got to build a new home and a boys and girls club in the Dominican. What I experienced on this journey is unforgettable, pure enlightenment, life changing. I experienced the sense of belonging; the community we spend our time in welcomed us so freely and gave us their unconditional love. I was able to deeply appreciate how to live life simply and happy. After being on this trip, after being able to communicate with a new culture and see how other souls live their lives, I realized how ignorant I really was to poverty, and to global injustice. I realized how truly blessed I am for all that I have, especially as a women from Canada having a sense of safety, of privacy, and of freedom-I will never take it for granted.

I realized that the eyes are useless if the mind is blind. We must continue to come together and make change happen. We all have a heartbeat, we all deserve basic human needs. We must all know we are one. One love. We are love.

As the days went on, our bodies became more sore, our clothes more dirty, our minds more open, and our hearts filled with more love and compassion.

I am still having trouble putting my feelings and thoughts into words, I don’t know if they are describable.  the PEOPLE i was privileged enough to meet  have forever made an impact on my life, on my heart.

This was a journey that awakened my soul. 

I am so thankful for this opportunity.

With love and gratitude,

Big Sister Ali

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: January 2nd, 2015

WestJet and LiveDifferent join for a Christmas Miracle

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely already seen WestJet’s Spirit of Giving video. (If you haven’t had a chance to view it yet, take a moment to watch it below. It’s inspiring, heartfelt, and might just bring up some tears of joy!) 

First of all, we’d like to say that LiveDifferent is extremely grateful for the many years of partnership we’ve had with WestJet as their first international Community Investment charity. Over the years, they’ve made a tangible difference by engaging over 200 of their own employees on LiveDifferent Builds in the Dominican Republic, and through their gifts of flight that help our staff administer our international programs. We’re very excited to continue with WestJet in their commitment to us and to the communities we work in for many years to come. 

It was this commitment that led to WestJet’s decision to share the Christmas spirit with the community of Nuevo Renacer in a way they will never forget. 

“The WestJet holiday video has become a tradition for us, an opportunity for WestJetters to enrich lives through our fun and caring culture,” said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Sales Marketing and Guest Experience. “Having shared the holiday spirit last year with our guests in Toronto, Hamilton and Calgary, as well as with the millions people around the world who watched the video, we decided to celebrate Christmas this year with a community that is near and dear to our hearts.”

In addition, since WestJet expected some questions regarding their partnership with LiveDifferent, as well as how they choose Nuevo Renacer as the setting for this year’s “Christmas Miracle”, they put together this behind-the-scenes video. 

We at LiveDifferent love the heart behind WestJet’s Christmas Miracle, and we couldn’t be more proud of how they connected with the local community in a way that was humble, caring, and respectful. By consulting directly with the community leaders to identify the families and individuals who had the greatest need, WestJet’s community investment team ensured that those who really were wishing for a miracle this Christmas actually received one. In addition, by hosting their Winter Wonderland Party, and gifting the community with a safe, accessible playground, WestJet provided a way for all of the residents of Nuevo Renacer to benefit from this year’s Christmas Miracle. 

In the words of LiveDifferent’s Executive Director, Charles Roberts: 

“Bringing the spirit of Christmas to this community was an extraordinary idea that took extraordinary effort. WestJet’s genuine desire to enrich the lives of those in the WestJet world extends to this community too. Providing a memorable and fun experience that celebrates the spirit of Christmas with no strings attached, is something that WestJet did with excellence and careful consideration. We are thrilled to have a partner who shares a deep conviction to value and care for people as their first priority.”

If you’re interested in joining LiveDifferent on a trip to the Dominican Republic, or to any of our host countries, Click Here

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: November 28th, 2014

The best things about Mexico

Mexico is a beautiful country with great diversity. Here in the state of Baja California you can find volcanoes, mountains, desert, ocean and possibly the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Though all of this is fantastic and certainly desirable, they are far from my favourite part of Mexico.  For me, the true beauty lies within the hearts of the people; their stories, their smiles, their laughter and their happiness. 
 
This is what makes the Academy experience so special and important. In my time here I have come to know many members of the community, some better than others. I could already speak Spanish prior to arriving here, which has helped me make connections with the local people, and I have been doing my best to take full advantage of it. 
 
 
There is a woman named Ilda who sometimes comes to help out with the cooking at the house. She has the most welcoming and warm smile to greet everyone with. Whenever she’s here I lean over the counter and chit-chat while she cooks. She tells me stories about her son, and her husband who lives in the States, and just the day to day things. I tell her about my day and we gossip and laugh. It seems so normal and simple. Some days our easy chatter and laughter leads into more serious talks; she tells me about how hard it is to be twenty-three while still trying to finish high school and take care of her 4 year old son and work as well. She faces challenges every day and yet always greets me with that same smile. She is filled with joy and is always interested to hear about my life. It’s so staggering and humbling to think about the normal conversations we have, the similarities between us, and yet how far apart the worlds we come from are. 
 
On Thursday mornings I load into a van with two other LDA’s and we head to a senior’s care home in nearby Vicente Guerrero. The first few times I felt anxious, but now I have found a part about it that I love. One of the ladies that works there has such interesting stories about her life. She has faced so many tragedies and yet holds so much hope for her future and that of her kids as well. She’s very open with us and offers up her tales and answers all of our questions. She inspires me to believe that no matter what happens in my life I should always have hope for tomorrow. She’s one of those people who inadvertently makes you stop and think about your actions, your beliefs, and your life. 
 
Now this next one might sound a little silly…but this week I found out that the kids I teach English to actually know my name. That was huge for me, even though it’s so small. My teaching partner was sick and the kids asked after him by name. They worried about if he was okay and asked if I was sick too. They seemed genuinely concerned. I worry about them and love spending time with them but it had never occurred to me that they might worry about me and enjoy spending time with me just as much. That day in class has been one of my favorites so far. When I took the kids outside to play a game the girls clung to me and were sad to see me go at the end. It’s nice to know that me being there might be touching their lives in a way more than just teaching them a bit of English. 
 
 
As part of a new part of Academy this year we go to a “host family” every Thursday afternoon and evening. Our host family has us cook and eat with them, they take us to Zumba class, and really just hang out with us. It’s generally the highlight of my week. Our host family is incredibly sweet and welcoming. They show a lot of concern for us and are always asking us things about our lives and trying to makes us feel included. They let us sit in on their family life, which on its own an incredible thing, but then they also do their best to make us feel a part of it. This Thursday our host mom and I sat and talked for a while about how hard it is to get a visa into the United States and Canada for a Mexican. The injustice of it all tears at my heart strings. I wish the governments could see the heart and joy of the people I know here and reconsider their opinions for them. 
 
Our days in Mexico are numbered now and I plan on making each one of them count. I don’t know exactly what I came here for or if I’ve found it yet, but I know that things for me have irrevocably changed. I have a new outlook on this beautiful country and I know that when I leave a little part of me will stay here, with the people I have met and shared with and befriended.
 
– Carrington, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Fall 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

Giving is Getting

Most of us forget that poverty exists. We forget as we pull out our phones to get updated on Facebook, as we drive in our air conditioned vehicles, as we contemplate whether or not to purchase a new piece of clothing. 
 
I used to forget about poverty. When I was a child, it was a fact that I would be educated until I graduated from high school. There were no ‘ifs’ nor ‘buts’ about it. It was a fact that I would be fed three nutritious meals a day – I have never in my life gone to bed hungry. It was a fact that if I got sick or hurt myself, I would have access to healthcare. 
 
 
After the LiveDifferent Academy’s house build, I will never forget about poverty. During our build, I met Elizabeth, a nine year old girl, who is one of the children of the family we built for. She deserves to have all of the opportunity in the world. However, due to circumstances that she was born into, it is not all available for her. 
 
It is not a fact that she will be educated until she graduates. While she is currently in school, she does not have her birth certificate—a surprisingly common occurrence—which is needed to attend high school. It is not a fact that she will be fed three nutritious meals per day. As her father’s work in the fields is seasonal the food that they can afford is limited. Elizabeth’s diet consists mostly of salsa and quesadillas, and I would not be surprised if she has gone to bed hungry before. It is not a fact that if she gets hurt or sick that she will have the access to health care she needs. If a family can hardly afford food, what can they do to pay the medical bills? 
 
 
It was such a privilege to give Elizabeth’s family have a hand-up to break out of their cycle of poverty by helping to build them a home. As we dedicated the house to them, tears were streaming down her face. She may be forever grateful to us for what we gave her family, but I am sure that all of us who built are forever grateful for the lesson that she and her family taught us – that any one of us can be a part of making a difference in someone’s life, and sparking the change that will now continue to happen for her family. That I will never forget. 
 
– Hannah, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Fall 2014
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: November 13th, 2014

Bienvenidos a Casa – Welcome home!

 
“I have no words.” This is the phrase that was delivered several times in front of a large assembly of WestJetters and community members packed into a small street in Nuevo Renacer. The words were spoken, through tears, by people whose lives changed profoundly as they received the keys to homes that would keep them safe, dry and fill them with pride. The speakers were not alone in shedding tears.
 
 
House dedication day is an intense experience within the already emotional time here for WestJetters. It seemed that the entire community crowded the streets to see dreams come true for eight families. They were there to share the joy, and for many, to share the hope that maybe one day their own home might come. 
 
The recipient families put away the clothes in which they had worked alongside us for the week and donned their very best they owned or could borrow for this special day. Gleeful children ran amongst us and hugged us, climbing into our arms and on our shoulders where they could. This day was a celebration of immense proportions for all of us.
 
One of the homes was built for a family whose father, Gustavo, has worked with LiveDifferent for seven years building homes for other families and dreaming of the day when he might be able to build a home of his own. When his turn came to address the crowd, his words spoke to all our hearts and he called WestJetters his guardian angels. 
 
 
Each family was given the opportunity to speak, and some could not get more than a few sentences out before emotion overcame them, and we heard the phrase again, I have no words. No words to express the gratitude, the change that this home represented for their families and the opportunity to have a dream come true.
 
After the key ceremony, each build team had the opportunity to spend time with the family whose home they had built. The heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories from each team are numerous, including one where three grown men – one WestJetter, one translator and the home owner – were standing quietly in a room together sharing tears of joy and triumph. The entire community shares that sense of triumph. 
 
WestJet and WestJetters, with the help of LiveDifferent and this community, are making a huge impact here. We all felt the support of WestJetters back home and want to give special acknowledgement to those who applied for this trip but were not selected. We will keep our fingers crossed for you for future trips!
 
 
Each of us had our own unique experience here. The impact that this (and every WestJet build) has had on these families and this community is so vast we’ve each felt this impact. Many of us feel that we have received more than we gave. There may in fact be a dollar figure on someone’s desk counting the contribution of WestJet’s community investment in the Dominican Republic, but the sharing of tears, joy and gratitude of the families here is priceless.
 
The WestJet Hero Holiday 2014 team leads

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: October 31st, 2014

Watching something great

 
We have now been here for a week; what a week it has been. When we arrived we had 50 WestJetters, many of who have never met before, and now after just seven short days, new friends and life long memories have been made.
 
When our team first arrived on the worksite I think we were eager to get started but apprehensive at the same time. Many of us have never been a part of something like this or built a house before. Within a few short hours, the team could have been mistaken for a professional crew. 
 
The local contractors have loved the experience just as much as we have. There has been impromptu dance offs, laughs and jokes being thrown around and real genuine connections made. The main contractor on our site is Gustavo and it is for him and his family that the team I am with are building a home for. Seeing him work on his own home and having his other family members on the site help out has been amazing to see. 
 
 
They have also welcomed us into their home as if we were family. Every day after lunch, they have a freshly brewed pot of coffee waiting for our arrival – the perfect treat. Our team has the privilege to meet and work alongside Gustavo’s wife, son, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew and father. This has been an incredible experience for our team. Our team has developed a real relationship with Gustavo’s family and their fellow WestJetters. 
 
This past week I have seen our team go from complete strangers to a team that of family members. In a world where you may not talk to your neighbours for six months at a time, it is incredibly refreshing to see such genuine human connections being formed. We often lose that human touch in the fast-paced world we live in and every now and then, a reminder of the power of connections is needed. I know that in our seven short days, our team has received that beautiful reminder. 
 
Justin Jones, Chief Duty Dispatch

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: October 29th, 2014

Through the difficulties, love, hope, and faith conquer

Today we met Gabriela (aka Gladys), gramma of four grandchildren: Rameidy, Isidro, Keiri, and Polanco. Gladys is 55 years old and has been living in Puerto Plata for 51 years. She has two children, a boy and a girl who are both in their 30s. Gladys has lived in her present home for 19 years and has seen a fair share of flooding and rain coming through the roof into her house. Her children both work and live nearby, but they are unable to have their children live with them and so Gladys is the children’s guardian. 
 
Gladys’s home consists of a small living space with kitchen in the back, separated by a wall to the left where behind you find the two beds to sleep all four of them. There is no electricity, the toilet is cinder blocks about four high with a layer of cement on top with a hole in the centre; to flush there’s a bucket of water with a small bowl that you pour down the hole. Right next to this you find a rack for drying dishes along with the basin to wash clothes. They only get water three times a week to fill their barrel. 
 
The roof of the house consists of remnants of other houses in the neighbourhood that were torn down to be rebuilt. Gladys told us that since WestJet / LiveDifferent started to build houses she has been giving enough material to fix her roof, and that her roof barely leaks now. 
 
 
Gladys showed to us to be vibrant, happy and full of love despite the condition of her home. Her life is dedicated to her grandchildren and to ensuring that she can give them the best upbringing she can, in every aspect. She takes so much pride in her home, with pictures, painted bottles and decorated bottles. Getting ready for Christmas she had little Christmas balls. She’s happy to have a home where she can have her grandchildren with her and she feels very blessed to know that many people care and want to help and for that she’s thankful. She’s so glad to have people visit. 
 
Gladys wanted us to be in her home and was so excited to invite us in. No matter what her home was like, she wanted us to be there with her, to visit, to spend time in her home, to show us her pride and joy (kids’ picture and school achievements). It didn’t matter that we were going to her home to help her clean, cook, do laundry etc. She wanted to visit! Wanted to tell us stories about things she considers amazing in her life, like her kids and grandchildren.
 
Our “day in the life” was very rewarding and an eye opener, not for what is the obvious (living in poverty) but rather as a reminder of how, if you take the time to engage and give all of you, whatever is around you will have no matter because it’s only stuff and people is what matters.
 
– Chantal, Flight Attendant, LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Volunteer, 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: October 28th, 2014

What did you say we are building?

 
Have you ever had that feeling that you’ve known someone for years after you only a few short hours of chatting? What if you could multiply that feeling by 50? What if you also shared with those same 50 people a strong feeling of pride and belonging, thousands of kilometres from home, because you work in the same company? How crazy is that?! Yet that is what we are experiencing on the LiveDifferent build, but it doesn’t end there.
 
Floating in the Caribbean Sea at the end of the day trying to loosen up muscles that are exhausted and stiff from heavy work, I drift among 20 or 30 other WestJetters and listen to snippets of conversation that range in subject from the day’s intense heat to how each of us fits into the large company that is WestJet. It is fascinating and gratifying to hear, over the dinner table, questions like the one I heard tonight: “If I were Gregg Saretsky and I told you I could change one thing that you see as a problem at work, what would you tell me to change?” Of course even more fascinating are the answers.
 
 
We are thrown together in a very emotionally and physically intense situation far removed from our everyday experience of life, and we witness amazing connections and passage of understanding between WestJetters from many departments. Suddenly you see an understanding and empathy for each others’ work as people share issues, insights, knowledge and suggestions as if this were a dedicated team of people put together to breakdown operational roadblocks for WestJet – but we are here to build houses!
 
Apparently houses aren’t the only things we are building here. Everyone knows that we are building knowledge, understanding and insight into the lives of some extremely humble Dominican families, but we will all leave here with knowledge, understanding and insight into WestJet as well. Talk about a win-win scenario! Go WestJet!
 
Chris, First Officer – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday, 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: October 27th, 2014