Framingham Native Thomas Noah Spending Spring Break Helping Others

Framingham native Thomas Gomah Noah travelled to Dominican Republic during Stonehill College’s spring break, as apart of its H.O.P.E. Service Immersion Program.

The HOPE Dominican Republic trip served the community of La Romana, in the Dominican Republic.

Specifically, the students worked at a school, created to help underserved children in the area called Hogar del Niñ.

Throughout the week, they taught the Spanish-speaking students English, in addition to serving the different areas in the school by playing with the kids.

During the trip, participants learned how important education, shelter, and food are in the Dominican Republic.

Students who participate in the H.O.P.E. program form community with one another during the five months leading up to their trip, said a press release from the College. They learn about the culture, history, and issues of social injustice in the communities they are destined to visit and serve.

The trips themselves are truly immersive experiences, challenging students to engage the four tenets of H.O.P.E.:

• Honoring our neighbor
• Organizing for justice
• Practicing peace
• Encountering God

Upon their return, students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences and to integrate the pursuit of social justice into their day-to-day lives, said the release.

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Photo courtesy of the Dominican Republic government