How Helping Hands Orphanage Began: Yeudy’s Story

Helping Hands Orphanage did not begin with a grand plan or a desire to run an orphanage. It began with obedience.

Yeudy will be the first to tell you this was not something he set out to do. In his own words, “It wasn’t something that I wanted to get into. It was something that happened… I say it was all God’s plan.”

Years ago, Yeudy was working as an interpreter in the Dominican Republic, helping medical mission teams from the United States. He worked alongside Dr. Dale Williams and several other doctors, translating and assisting as teams moved between hospitals and communities. Through that work, he met Pastor Keith Burnett from Alabama, who was involved with ministry efforts connected to an orphanage.

At the time, the orphanage existed, but leadership and resources were limited. A woman named Lydia was overseeing the children with very little funding and support. There was no formal director.

Then one day, Pastor Burnett said something Yeudy did not expect: “You’re going to be the next director of the orphanage.”

Yeudy’s response was immediate—and honest. No. Absolutely not.

But God had other plans.

A Gradual Calling

Before becoming director, Yeudy had already been serving quietly behind the scenes. Around 2013–2014, he began working closely with Pastor Pedro, helping him communicate with visiting teams. Pastor Pedro’s spoken English was strong, but written communication was difficult, so Yeudy helped write emails, coordinate schedules, and organize logistics.

Over time, trust grew. Responsibilities increased.

Yeudy began leading medical teams; picking them up at the airport, coordinating hospital visits, and helping teams serve both the community and the orphanage. What started as translation work became leadership.

By mid-2015, conversations about formal leadership began. In January 2016, Yeudy officially became the director of Helping Hands Orphanage.

Not because he pursued it, but because God placed him there.

Life at the Orphanage Today

Today, Helping Hands is focused on structure, discipline, faith, and opportunity.

From Monday to Friday, most of the boys wake up early and attend school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Those who are not in traditional school are enrolled in technical programs, learning hands-on skills, or helping with daily responsibilities at the orphanage.

The boys clean. They wash clothes. They help maintain their home. 

Beyond school and work, the boys participate in church activities, spend time with church members, and take part in outings like trips to the beach, museums, parks, and other educational experiences. When possible, they are included in extracurricular activities through their schools as well.

But the mission goes deeper than schedules and programs.

The Heart of the Mission

The primary goal of Helping Hands is simple and demanding:
to raise godly men who can break the cycle that brought them here.

The aim is not dependency, but transformation.

Yeudy explains it plainly; to lead these boys toward Christ, to help them become well-behaved, responsible citizens who can one day support families of their own. The hope is that they will never have to place their own children in an orphanage because they lack the means to care for them.

That cycle must end somewhere. Helping Hands exists to help end it here.  Our new online store where boys learn e-commerce is one part of the plan.  As the children graduate from school, college and technical training, along with our e-commerce store give the kids a future.

The Challenges They Face

The work is not easy.

One of the greatest challenges right now is immigration. Many of the boys are Haitian, and because of the situation in Haiti, there is no clear or legal pathway for documentation. Some children can be picked up without warning. Deportation is a constant fear, even for children who are legally in the care of the orphanage.

In public schools, many are marginalized simply because of who they are and where they come from.

Another ongoing challenge is financial. Yeudy is realistic about this. While money is never the focus, it is the fuel that keeps everything moving; education, food, activities, medical care, and staffing. Without resources, the ability to provide opportunities shrinks.

Looking Toward Sustainability

The long-term prayer is sustainability.

Yeudy and the leadership team hope one day to build or create something locally, something that can be worked by the orphanage and provide income for the orphanage. The goal is to reduce dependence on the United States and create a model that can sustain itself from within the Dominican Republic.  Our new store is one step in that process.

It’s a long road. But it’s a faithful one.

A Work Still in Progress

Helping Hands Orphanage exists today because one man said yes when God kept pressing, even after he said no.

It continues because of prayer, sacrifice, and people willing to support work that doesn’t make headlines but changes lives quietly, one boy at a time.

This is not just a story about how an orphanage started. It’s a reminder that God often builds His greatest works through reluctant servants and steady obedience.