How Advocates of Love Started

While seeking to respond in obedience to God, we were lead to the Samaná province of the Dominican Republic.

James 1:27: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

A group of children and adults posing for a photo in front of a building with red trim, smiling and holding balloons.

Watch founder, Mike Clark tell the story of how Advocates of Love started

The History Of Advocates Of Love

In Samaná, we found many orphans and suffering children in need – with little to no help available to them. So we formed a partnership with a local church that was interested in joining alongside us to provide the much needed physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual care to the children who are in the greatest need. Our goal was to provide 24 hour. care for those children who meet the CONANI standards, and provide community-based care for those who meet the standards set forth by our Organization.

CONANI is the agency that protects children in the Dominican Republic.

Our Campus

In 2013 Advocates of Love began the first ministry and children’s home within the entire Province of Samaná.

To date we are the only children’s home and ministry to orphaned and vulnerable children in the Province.

The Advocates of Love campus includes the children’s home property, a church, a mission hotel, which also includes internship quarters.

Small white building with flat roof, surrounded by greenery and flowering bushes.
Outdoor basketball and volleyball court next to a blue building with palm trees, under a cloudy sky.
Pink building with white windows and door, metal roof, surrounded by green grass and tropical trees.
House with red roof surrounded by palm trees at sunset
 
Two young girls wearing black shirts standing outdoors with trees and grass in the background.
Three boys by the beach holding starfish, with more starfish on the sand, and palm trees in the background.

How We’re Structured

Our US Based Organization

Advocates of Love is an approved 501C3. Under the guidance of its board of directors, Advocates of Love provides awareness, is responsible for fundraising, oversees the operations of the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the Dominican Republic and approves all activities required to operate the Children’s Home.

Operating in The Dominican Republic

Fundacion Defensores de Amor, the NGO, is the Dominican Republic entity that executes all operations.

The focus of the Foundation is to drive programs that impact the community and the children being served.

It is the intention of the Foundation that all who are served are empowered and encouraged to impact their community, strengthen the family unit and care for children in need. The programs will be executed in partnership with the local pastors, community, CONANI, US mission partners and individuals supporting the mission field

Group of students in blue uniforms standing in front of a pink wall, some with backpacks, one holding a sign with "Día de Escuela 2024" written on it.

Our Staff

At Advocates of Love we have 19 employees from the community.

This includes:

  • Dominican office staff

  • Child caregivers

  • Security

  • Drivers

  • Psychologist

  • Tutor

  • Cooks

Each employee is given a fresh cooked meal daily and paid fair wages according to the Dominican governmental guidelines.

A woman in a kitchen wrapping a tray of cooked chicken with aluminum foil. There are pots on the stove and other kitchen items around.
A man is sitting outside, smiling with two children, a girl and a boy, on his lap. The children are smiling and hugging him. There's greenery and a partially constructed building in the background.
Man and young boy standing outside a blue building with white columns and metal window bars, surrounded by greenery.