Vanessa
Chaves joins the Kids Alive International family as a short-term
missionary in the Dominican Republic, where she will be working as a
teacher in Monte Plata. She is from Hayward, California, and attends
East Bay Fellowship in Danville, CA.
Vanessa graduated in 2005 from St. Mary's College of California with a
Bachelors of Science and Economics in Accounting. While in college,
Vanessa was very active with several social action organizations, such
as the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action office, the
California Peace Action, City Ministries International, Alameda Point
Collaborative and Oakland Elizabeth House. Also during college, Vanessa
had an opportunity to participate on a Kids Alive Service Team to the
Dominican Republic, where she felt the Lord calling her to return and
serve with the ministry in Monte Plata. She worked as an intern in the
Dominican Republic during the summer of 2005, and is excited about the
opportunity that she has to return for an additional 2 years.
When asked why working with this ministry is important to her, Vanessa
replied: "It's important for me to continue working in this ministry
because I have already built relationships with the children in Monte
Plata, and if I leave them now, I wouldn't be able to bear with the fact
that I know I could have done much more to help them. In addition, I
believe God gave me a mission, not only for myself but for those
children in the Dominican Republic, as well, and it is important for me
to complete it."
