ABOUT US
"Live Simply so others can Simply Live"
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Village to Village began because of several trips to Guatemala. After realizing that we could adopt villages and provide sustainable resources, we felt like it would be the perfect opportunity to build relationships long term and help communities become self sufficient.
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On one of our first trips to Guatemala, Heidi's mentor challenged her to pray about beginning her own nonprofit. After months of prayer and talking with possible board members, we began Village to Village in May of 2016.
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Other than Guatemala, all of our countries have local connections. People that serve on our board or with us in ministry have connected us to the places where we serve. A few years into ministry, we realized that we needed something local and that is where working with the local refugee community began. We feel like this is very similar to what we do internationally.
WHERE WE SERVE
Guatemala
Our first trip to Guatemala was in 2013. Ever since then, we have been able to return to Guatemala twice a year. Our goal remains the same while our mission expands. This is what we have been able to accomplish in the past 7 years in Guatemala:
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Adopt 2 villages
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Distribute handmade dresses to children
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Dedicate 3 clean water wells
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Multiple feedings at the dump
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Plant trees in the villages
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Build a church
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2 medical missions
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Bible studies
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VBS
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Paint schools
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Baby rescues
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Cover the cost for 2 operations and multiple Dr. visits
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Water filtration systems
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Installing stoves
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Facts about Guatemala:
*More than half of Guatemala’s people live below the national poverty line, 15% in extreme poverty, and the country ranks 13th in the world for its level of income inequality.
*The country struggles with high illiteracy rates and low school attendance beyond the 6th grade.
Moldova
We have taken a couple of planning trips to Moldova in order to prepare to bring a team over. These are a few of the projects we have done in Moldova:
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Train preschool and after-school staff
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Train foster parents and volunteers to work with street children
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Help with a feeding program and transitional home
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Fix some things at the school in the village in order for them to pass inspection and stay open by the government
(build a playground, sidewalk, indoor bathrooms, etc.) -
Host a camp for children in Carbuna once a year
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Adopted a foster family and are sponsoring the children
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Facts about Moldova:
*It is the poorest country in Europe with a per capita GDP of just $5,327.
*It is the least visited country in Europe.
*The richest people in Moldova are those who are trafficking women and children.
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Click the link below to read about one of Moldova’s biggest issues
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Paraguay
We have traveled to Paraguay twice and are planning our third trip to begin local libraries for children and literacy training.
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Facts about Paraguay:
*More than 30% of the population in Paraguay lives in poverty and it ranks near the bottom among South American countries in reducing poverty over the last decade.
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Africa
We have taken one trip to Africa but are focusing on working with an organization that cares for orphans. We are sponsoring their children and helping restock their fish ponds.
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Facts about Africa:
*Africa is the continent with the largest number of people living in extreme poverty calculated at 383 million people.
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MEET OUR BOARD
Heidi Dove
I was born in Florida and raised in a pastor’s home, learning young about the work of those called to be Christ-followers at home and abroad. I have been married for over 30 years to a precious man that supports the dreams God has placed in my heart. I have two children, Alex and Gentry. Alex and his wife Hayley currently reside in Sweden for work while Gentry, her husband Blake, and son Peyton are down in Lynchburg. I have been blessed to work at Harrisonburg Nazarene Church for over 15 years starting with their after-school/pre-school program then moving on to youth and now with missions local and international. I believe God has allowed us to have so we can give to those that do not.
Michael Kohl
My wife Angela and I have been Valley residents since 2001. We have two elementary-aged children who keep us very busy. I am currently employed in the property management field but spent the previous 15 years in the non-profit world in a variety of roles. While I have been blessed in my new career field I have missed the opportunities my previous positions afforded me to make a difference in the lives of our most disadvantaged populations. My wife went on a trip to Guatemala in 2015 and was greatly affected. As a result of her passion infecting me I came onto the Village to Village board where I am able to use my past experience to help Village to Village meet our goals. It has been very rewarding to see VTV grow and provide so much to our local and global communities. I am excited to see what the future holds for Village to Village and am glad that I can be apart of it.
Stacy Escobar
I grew up in this area and received my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Virginia Tech. After college, I joined the Peace Corps and served for two years in Paraguay as a Crop Extension Volunteer. I lived in a small rural community while I worked closely with families to find sustainable solutions to improve their overall quality of life. My experience as a volunteer changed my life and led me to become a teacher. I taught English to kids in my Paraguayan community and loved it so much that when I finished my service, I took classes while I worked to earn a teaching certificate. I also met and married a Paraguayan at the end of my service and we now have two children, Makayla and Lucas. I started teaching Spanish at Spotswood High School in 2006 and I love it! I am looking forward to finding new ways to serve my local community and communities abroad through Village to Village.
Kristina Rachkovskiy
I was born in Russia I moved to the United States when I was 8. I am married to a wonderful man named Eddy for 15 years. God has blessed us with two precious children. Our son Max and our daughter Mia. I am thankful that God has allowed my family to be part of His work. That God has placed this passion on my heart.
Jessica Queen
I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and currently reside in Weyers Cave with my husband, David, and our two children. While homeschooling, I developed a love for educating and working with young children. In pursuit of my passion, I have returned to college to pursue a degree program concentrating on child development and family wellness. I feel called by Jesus to make a difference in the lives of others by being his hands and feet. Very near to my heart are organizations providing aid and care for the marginalized in local communities and around the world. I desire to help Village to Village by learning, advocating, and assisting local refugees and international missions.
Dorothy Easter
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I moved to the valley in 2010 to attend Bridgewater College where I received my bachelor's degree in Athletic Training prior to attending Mary Baldwin University to earn my doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2017. Working in the geriatric setting was an honor until my husband and I started our family in 2021. I am grateful to now work part-time in pediatrics while spending many days at home with our son. I was blessed to travel with Village to Village to Guatemala in 2016 and have since remained involved with their mission, joining the board in 2020. I value my ability to create relationships and impact those in our community and abroad through Village to Village.
MEET OUR STAFF
Vickie Waldrop
I have lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my husband for the over 36 years. We are blessed with one son, Kyle. During our younger days we decided it was important for us to keep our lives in perspective with what God wanted us to do and part of that was helping those in need. We felt it was important for us to try our best to take mission trips and help others as part of our yearly vacations and annual checkup. God has been so good to allow us to travel all over to be HIS hands and feet. However, I believe we have been more blessed than those we intended to help. So fortunate to be able to be part of Village 2 Village to help with accounting needs and to volunteer in other capacities. What a joy to serve!
Daniel Beers
I came to the Valley in 2017 with my wife and two children. I am currently an associate professor in the Department of Justice Studies at James Madison University, where I teach courses on global justice and humanitarian aid. I have been involved in a number of local and international aid initiatives over the years. I am the executive director of Resources to Resources, a small U.S.-based nonprofit that supports Haitian-led development and disaster assistance projects in Haiti. I also work closely with the Peer Leaders program for refugee youth at Harrisonburg High School. In the 2023-24 academic year, I will be conducting research on the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania. I began volunteering with Village to Village in 2022, as part of a service-learning project with my students. I appreciate all that Village to Village does to welcome and support new refugee arrivals in our community, and I am excited to contribute to this important work however I can.
Gentry Washburn
I was born and raised in the valley and recently moved back with my husband and son to be closer to family. I graduated from Liberty University in 2016 with my bachelor's in Exercise Science. I was the Manager and Head Personal Trainer for a local fitness gym in Lynchburg for 6 years. My passion for fitness came from my college cheerleading career, but my passion for missions came from my mother, whom I grew up watching serve others around the world. I felt a clear call from the Lord to do missions full-time, so I gave up my career and am now working alongside Heidi, my mother. My first international mission trip was to Guatemala in 2013 and ever since, my heart has been on fire for missions. I spent a summer in Guatemala in 2014 and have been traveling around the world multiple times a year since. It has been a goal for my little family to learn how to live simply so that others can simply live. God has blessed us through the years and we are so grateful to be able to bless others!
Jamie Calcagno-Roach
My husband Steve and I have been in the valley since 2004. We have an elementary-age daughter that we are very involved in staying active with. I am currently employed in the training field at James Madison University where I have been for the past 13 years. I began learning about Village to Village at their Hope4Villages Consignment event and I fell in love with their mission of helping others become self-sufficient. God has blessed me with the desire to serve and I’m a very active member of our church, my daughter's school, and as a board member of Village to Village. It is an honor to serve with this board to help people locally and abroad by living simply so others can simply live.