Melissa Dobbins Buchmann enjoys living in Wilmette, but knows there are many people throughout the world who are not so fortunate.
“It is nice to see (people) outside your community,” Buchmann said. “I think it is really important to volunteer in your own community because even on the North Shore there are hungry people. But it is also important to see what the rest of the world is doing.”
Thus, Buchmann embarked on an approximate week long trip earlier this year to the Dominican Republic joined by her 15-year old son Michael, who was intrigued by the opportunity to play some baseball in a Caribbean nation that loves the game.
The trip’s origins arose when Buchmann learned of an opportunity to go the Dominican Republic through a close friend who was familiar with Joshua 1: Nine Ministries, which specifically assists the people of the Dominican Republic.
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“The more she talked about her experience, the more I thought this could be some fun,” Buchmann recalled.
It was not the first time the family had taken such a venture as Buchmann took their daughter on a trip to Costa Rica in 2018 through her local church.
“Traveling and service to others is a way to learn so much,” said Buchmann, a Wilmette native since 2007. “The experiences in my life that have enriched me so much is learning.”
Now Buchmann sensed it was time for Michael to see another part of the world. After receiving informal support from New Trier High School teachers allowing him to be out of the classroom, mother and son boarded an airplane last February and landed in the capital city of Santo Domingo. After a roughly four-hour bus trip, the group arrived in the small village of Fondo Negro set to assist the greater community.
A main task of the effort was painting houses, Buchmann remembered.
“It is a very poor community so to have a fresh colorful paint such as a peach or a blue is a real sense of pride for the people in the community,” she said.
After finishing the painting in the morning, the afternoons offered many opportunities to play baseball where the game is a passion for many residents. The Dominican Republic has produced four Major League Baseball Hall of Famers as well as many other current and former stars.
“Everybody plays baseball,” noted Michael, who plays for a local travel team in Wilmette. “If you don’t play baseball, you are not a fun person down there.”
The volunteers initially brought a collection of donated items to the baseball diamonds including pants, shirts, cleats, bats, baseballs along 16 water bottles.
“From a health standpoint, the people of the Dominican Republic don’t have safe water to drink so having a water bottle that you can fill up somewhere is quite nice,” Melissa said.
The week included many games and many chances to learn.
Michael, who is a pitcher and outfielder, said the baseball experience taught him that communication on the field is very important, as there were some problems due to the language differences.
The baseball was only part of the trip, it was also a time to observe a different culture.
“If you blast music in Wilmette you are going to be called a jerk, but if you blast music down there you are just having fun,” Michael noted.
He also said the trip made him take a fresh look at life in Wilmette.
“I learned a lot about just being grateful for what I have,” he said. “I’m very happy I live where I do.”
Melissa said it was vital to her for her son to have that experience and perspective.
“It’s important for him to see that for himself, not just to have someone tell him about it,” she said.
Both mother and son conceded the trip had its challenges, notably a lack of access to running water at their hotel. Plus there were internet connection issues that put Michael further behind in his school work than was originally anticipated.
Despite the inconveniences, Melissa spoke very highly of what she saw in the residents.
“What I loved the most is that people were so warm and kind and very affectionate and sweet,” she said.
Melissa, a registered dietitian, also had the opportunity to deliver a lecture on nutrition and diabetes to the community and advocates for others to take a similar trip or seek out volunteer opportunities closer to home
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“A lot of times people want to know how they can help and want to know what they can do,” she said. “So what I want people to think about is what are your skills, talents and passions and how you can leverage those in a volunteer opportunity.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.