Encouraging Wellness

Posted October 23, 2025

Inspired by the prevalence of chronic health problems, our ministry staff in the Dominican Republic has begun offering seminars on nutrition and healthy living. Ricardo Beltre, ministry manager for Ministerio Amor y Esperanza, has observed that many community members complain of pain and breathing difficulty. Ricardo has assisted in medical clinics offered by organizations such as Brown Horse Projects (brownhorseprojects.org) and has witnessed many patients with high blood pressure or diabetes.

The seminars are designed to provide very basic nutrition and wellness information, and are not intended to address community members’ specific health needs. Much of the information presented centers around the Manna Pack–Rice product that our team distributes to these communities. The Manna Pack product is donated by Feed My Starving Children (fmsc.org).

Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) provides the nutrition information pages, written in Spanish, to their partners for purposes such as these seminars. The one-page card presents graphic illustrations of proper handling and preparation of the food product, including the importance of using product before its expiration date. Ricardo recommended that attendees use older product left from an earlier distribution before using newly received packs.

The value of eating a balanced diet is also presented in the talks. Suggestions are provided to include vegetables and proteins along with the Manna Pack product. The team awarded several of the participants with a Caribbean-themed cookbook for preparing the Manna Pack–Rice. The cookbook was developed by FMSC with input from a trained chef, and provides recipes for local favorites using the Manna Pack product in place of rice.

The team also stresses the importance of staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water. People frequently complain of headaches only to find out it is because they are dehydrated. And finally, participants are discouraged from burning their trash because of potential physical harm from the fumes generated by the fires.

Community members have responded positively to the talks, expressing their appreciation for the opportunity to learn new ways to live their life well!