A Mother's Wish Foundation

What is A Mother’s Wish?

A Mother’s Wish Foundation was founded by James Craig Pickard and Rita Josefina Rizek to give back to the world community some of the blessings that they had received.

The foundation operates Pequeños Pasitos (Spanish for “small steps”), a clinic and community center that serves 1500 people who live in five rural communities that are located in the mountains outside Santiago, Dominican Republic.

The clinic first started with vaccinations and a trash pick-up campaign in 2003. In 2004, a long-term well-baby and prenatal care program was established. In 2006, Pequeños Pasitos provided over 4,500 free medical consultations, distributed over $15,000 US in free medications, and administered over 1,200 free vaccines to a population that would otherwise have no access to basic health care and community services.

In January of 2010, the foundation opened the Lynn Barta Acadamy, a preschool which caters to the 3 and 4 year old children from the local community. By attending the Academy, the hope is that all children are able to experience high-quality education where they can build friendships, learn to function as a member of a group, and work on cognitive skills that will help them grown intellectually. The children learn in both English and Spanish.