SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, November 19, 2008. – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Major League Baseball (MLB) and the United States Peace Corps signed an historic alliance with six well known Dominican non-profit organizations to benefit poor communities in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the Alliance is to use baseball as a catalyst for improving the lives of the less fortunate in the Dominican Republic through sound community development activities. Baseball is America’s game, but it is also the passion of the Dominican Republic and will be helpful in bringing a host of new ideas and contributors to help alleviate the many challenges facing poor Dominicans. USAID will contribute $1 million to the project.

On November 19, P. Robert Fannin, the US Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, and Joe Garagiola, Jr., MLB Senior Vice President, announced the Alliance during a ceremony held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Santo Domingo. Many Dominican former and active baseball players and key MLB representatives participated in this event. Click HERE

The six well known non-profit institutions that are participating – Batey Relief Alliance, World Vision, Save the Children, Plan International, Esperanza International, and the Dominican Institute for Integrated Development (IDDI) – have for decades provided community service in the Dominican Republic. Each institution enjoys tax exempt 501(c) (3) status in the US and is able to receive donations and support through these mechanisms.

USAID is committing a total of US$1,000,000 over 3 years to serve as a matching fund for any donations received to help fund community development activities. The eventual target of the Alliance is to get every signed Dominican player (over 500 per year) to give back something to his community and also for MLB teams to help those communities where their academies are located. This Alliance seeks to mobilize the entire baseball family (fans, players, teams, sponsors). If a player decides to donate, for example, $1,000, to the Alliance, USAID will then match this with another $1,000. Peace Corps will provide a full time volunteer to assist the project.

The Alliance has two principal goals: improve the quality of life in Dominican communities and foster long-term relationship between MLB teams, players, and fans with these communities. The projects under this Alliance will focus on education, health, youth development, and small scale economic development (job creation for the poor). The Alliance will help increase the impact of the considerable charitable assistance with which Dominican players are already engaged.

The Alliance has an honorary Board of Advisors co-chaired by the US Ambassador in the Dominican Republic and a Vice President from MLB. The members of the Board represent active and former MLB players, the Dominican private sector as well as Dominican journalists, MLB team and Dominican non-profit organizations. Members of Board serve as spokespeople for the Alliance and help market the Alliance with their contacts and help identify possible donors.

To contribute to this effort, please contact the offices of the Batey Relief Alliance in New York at bateyrelief@mindspring.com or (917) 627-5026, or in Santo Domingo at bradominicana@codetel.net.do or (809) 540-4947.

New York. – As Senator Barack Obama became the new United States President-Elect on November 4th, a bipartisan team of 116 Members of Congress rushed on November 5th a letter to the Obama’s transition team asking that he initiates a White House-based and – led government-wide comprehensive strategy to address international hunger and food security issues. Click here to download letter.

Adding to the effort led by the representatives, Batey Relief Alliance’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard travels to Washington DC on November 13th to discuss with high level government and agency officials the same issues that continue to plague vulnerable populations in the Caribbean, particularly those living in rural sugar cane plantations batey communities of the Dominican Republic and border regions of Haiti.

Since 2007, the Batey Relief Alliance started an International Food Relief Program, as part of the USAID’s Food for Peace program, delivering each year 75 metric tons of dehydrated food product to 5,000 impoverished children and their families living in the bateyes, urban barrios, and rural slums of the Dominican Republic. Another 55,000 children receive multivitamins and antiparasitic medicines. “The IFRP program helps raise the capacity of families to produce for themselves and their communities,” said Gaillard.

Gaillard added, however, that more funding is needed not only to continue the food aid program in the Dominican Republic, but also to expand into Haiti—the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with over 80% of the population living on less than two U.S dollars a day.