Our History
Where We Started
In March of 2005, Sandy Whitmoyer and her cousin met the Mercedes family at the CIMIV (Central Integral Materno Infantil Vida) and saw there was a spiritual and financial need. The holy spirit was moving and tug at Sandy’s heart to come alongside the Mercedes family. A couple of months later, Dr. Enerio and Leo Mercedes (the founders of CIMIV- husband and wife team) went to New Jersey. Sandy and Ron Whitmoyer picked them up and had an impromptu benefit auction. They were amazed when they raised $4,000. They donated this money to CIMIV.
In October 2006, 4 families went on their first mission trip to CIMIV in Dominican Republic, to physically see the needs first hand at the center. From this trip; they formed TLLM and continued to walk alongside the Mercedes family and CIMIV.
About Dr. Enerio
Dr. Enerio, a native of the DR, and his family started CIMIV as a way to combat the poverty of this area in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, through education, nutrition and medical attention. The 300 students of CIMIV are provided with a secular and Christian education, medical care, 2 meals a day and clean water.
Learn more about Dr.Enerio & his family.
In 2015, CIMIV celebrated 20 years of operation!
TLLM’s main goal is to provide for CIMIV through monthly partnership. The monthly partnership amount given to CIMIV is based on the donations that come in through faithful monthly sponsors. Our goal is to provide $2,300 a month to CIMIV. The money CIMIV receives is used to help pay for monthly reoccurring expenses at the school including feeding the children, providing clean water, and paying the staff.
The Dominican Republic is known to many as a beautiful paradise where people go to vacation. But unfortunately there is a side to the DR that many people do not see, but is more prevalent than the beauty of the tropical beaches. The amount of poverty in the DR per capita is astounding and the average income per person in the DR is only $4,900 (11% of the US average of $47,00.) Many people in the DR live in conditions we could never imagine here in the United States. The water is unfit to drink, the homes have roofs full of holes, dirt floors, and they cook on homemade camp fire stoves. Outside of their homes, the land is covered in unwanted garbage. The children often so hungry and their families and unable to afford to send them to school.
These conditions are no exception for where Centro Intregal Maternal Infantil Vida (CIMIV) is located in Punta de Garza, outside of San Pedro.
The teachers at CIMIV only had gotten paid US$150.00 a month, thanks to our supporters we were able to raise even money to offer them a US$30 raise. So each teacher now receives US$180, while the public school teachers can make up to US$400.00 a month. The outstanding group of teachers feel that it is part of their personal mission to help the children in this village, but sadly due to the deficit in their salaries and families to support, may have no choice, but to move on.