Cambiando Vidas

Cambiando Vidas

Building Communities, Building Hope

Dominican Republic

Cambiando Vidas

Our Story

Our Story

Find out how Cambiando Vidas first started.

Our Story

Cambiando Vidas is a U.S.-based organization building international partnerships through the construction of houses for deserving families in the Dominican Republic.

Mission

Cambiando Vidas is dedicated to the belief that every human being should have access to all of life’s essentials – shelter, food, clothing, education, and the opportunity to realize one’s full potential and ambitions.

Funding

Cambiando Vidas is a true grassroots organization with minimal overhead expenses. When volunteers pay for the cost of their trip, 60% of the funds goes toward construction materials and 40% goes to lodging, transportation and food.

 

Progress

Over the past 15 years, Cambiando Vidas has helped over 100 families become homeowners. On average C.V. helps 8 families per year. Builds were suspended during COVID. They resumed in 2022.

Our History

 

It all started with an act of kindness  – a big act of kindness. In 1997, Jose “Pepo” Abreu’s mother’s home was burned to the ground in an unfortunate accident. At the time, Abreu was overseas and could not make it back home to help his family rebuild. In his absence, his neighbors and community joined together and rebuilt his mother’s home in less than a month. When Abreu returned to the Dominican Republic, he was so touched he had to find a way to pay forward the good deed on behalf of his family.

The idea for Cambiando Vidas was born.

“Cambiando Vidas” is Spanish for “changing lives,” and that’s exactly what this organization does. Since its inception, Cambiando Vidas has helped over 50 families call a brand new house “home.” The organization helps deserving families in impoverished areas. The families are selected on specific criteria including community recommendations, income, and ownership of land.

Cambiando Vidas is all about sustainable community development. It relies on the support and commitment of the community and service-learning volunteers. The organization builds small, safe, affordable, concrete-block homes that are strong enough to survive hurricane-force storms.  In addition to providing capital and labor, international volunteer teams work hand in hand with the recipient families and community volunteers who provide much of the “sweat equity.”  By the end of the week-long build, this unique mix of concrete, people, and cultures reveals that people are more alike than different, and that a house is much more than a collection of concrete, metal, and wood.

Get Involved

Get Involved

Find out what you can do to be a part of the Cambiando Vidas family. 

Photo Gallery

Photo Gallery

Take a look into the lives of our community members and volunteers.

Photo Gallery

For more photos connect with us on Facebook and Instagram!

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Blog

Blog

The inside scoop from volunteers and employees.

Recent News

Stay up to date with updates from the Cambiando Vidas family.

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November 21, 2023

February 2024 Build – Open Slots

Board member Trevor Hale leads a build Feb 17 to Feb 24, 2024 If you are interested to...

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November 21, 2023

January 2024 Scranton Build

14 students from Scranton are going to complete a build in January 2024

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November 21, 2023

June 2022 Deerfield Build

15 students from Deerfield completed a build in June 2022

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January 25, 2014

The Faces Behind Cambiando Vidas

Jose Abreu – Director José Manuel Abreu was born in San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. He studied...

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January 25, 2014

New Year, New Home

For many people, the start of a new year means making resolutions or setting new goals.  For Joel...

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January 25, 2014

Keeping the Community Fed: The women of Lavapie

When we arrived at the build site each day, we weren’t exactly sure what we would be working...

Read More Blog Posts

CONTACT US

CONTACT US

Get in Touch

Contact us for more info at cambiandovidas.dom@gmail.com
or fill out our form CV Volunteer Application and Health Form.

Published on January 24 by cambiandovidas Category: Tags:

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