Transportation Director Helps Kids in Honduras

Justin Barilla, Transportation Director for HCDC, has long yearned to “step out of the box” and travel to underdeveloped regions to help others in need. And that’s exactly what he did last month! With a duffel bag of donated Hampton Country Day Camp T-shirts, and other necessities that many of us take for granted, Justin boarded a plane with others in his group, and headed to Honduras. We asked Justin to tell us all about his remarkable trip:

It had been in my heart for a long time now to travel to a country that needed more support. Be it bringing food, clothing, supplies, building something, or just bringing love & compassion, I knew I wanted to go help somewhere. It just so happened that the mother of a close friend of mine was planning a trip to go to Honduras over the February break with our local church, The Vineyard Church. She has been down there about 10 times and is connected with a church in Honduras. So I knew I couldn’t pass this up. I traveled with a team of 5 people, we spent 7 days and had a full and purposeful agenda each day. Our mission was to bring food, clothing, school supplies, toys, and most importantly LOVE these deserving children and families.

Before we left, many people graciously donated items that we could take with us including Hampton Country Day Camp who donated a slew of HCDC T-shirts and school supplies for the kids. Each of us took down 2 bags, one filled with our own clothing and the other bag filled with the donated items.

We visited a Honduran orphanage and brought the children toys and clothing. We really enjoyed the time we spent playing games with them – especially soccer. The children of Honduras L-O-V-E soccer and were ecstatic with the new soccer balls that we brought for them. Most importantly, we showed them love and compassion – all of these children are without parents or have parents that can’t afford to care for them. It was truly heartbreaking, but yet also fulfilling and rewarding.

We also spent two days at a school on the top of a mountain where we brought school supplies, food, clothing, and sports equipment. While all of these children have very little, their smiling faces conveyed how thrilled they were to have us visit. We also visited local towns; distributing food, clothing, and other items, which the families were very grateful for.

All in all, it was an amazing experience that has left me with a true appreciation for everything that I have in my life, and the inspiration to continue to help others who are less fortunate…