Real stories.
Real impact.

Education in the Dominican Republic Why Education Is Vital for Children in Rural Dominican Republic The barriers are real. The cost is small. The impact lasts a lifetime. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 4 min read In rural communities across the Dominican Republic, education isn’t just a pathway to opportunity — it’s a battle against a system stacked against children from the moment they’re born. For kids in Barahona, where Vias RD operates, the barriers to education are

Vias RD Fundraising Smith’s Food & Drug Community Rewards: Supporting Vias RD at the Checkout Line Link your Smith’s Rewards card to Vias RD and a percentage of every purchase goes directly to student-athletes in Barahona. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 3 min read Smith’s Food & Drug, a Kroger-owned grocery chain operating across Utah and the Mountain West, offers a Community Rewards program that allows shoppers to direct a percentage of their eligible purchases to a nonprofit

Vias RD Fundraising Vias RD and the Walmart Round Up: Small Change, Real Impact The Walmart Round Up program lets shoppers donate their change at checkout. Here’s what that means for kids in Barahona. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 3 min read The Walmart Round Up program allows shoppers to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar at checkout, with the difference going directly to a local nonprofit. For Vias RD, being part of the Round Up

Vias RD Fundraising Why Vias RD Needs a Team Van — and What It Would Change in Barahona Getting 48 players to games and practices in Barahona without reliable transportation is harder than it sounds. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 3 min read One of the most practical challenges facing Vias RD in Barahona isn’t coaching or curriculum — it’s transportation. Getting 48 student-athletes to Saturday morning games, away matches in the Barahona city league, and special events

Vias RD Fundraising Vias RD at the LDS Giving Machines: What It Meant and What Came Next Being selected for the LDS Giving Machines was a validation — and a reminder of the network that can carry this mission forward. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 3 min read Each holiday season, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates Giving Machines — vending machine-style donation stations placed in high-traffic locations where people can purchase tangible goods that

Vias RD in the News Vias RD Featured in Voyage Utah: A Utah Nonprofit Changing Lives in the Dominican Republic Voyage Utah sat down with Brian Straley to talk about what it means to run an international nonprofit from a desk in Utah on nights and weekends. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 3 min read Voyage Utah featured Vias RD as part of their ongoing series highlighting inspiring people and organizations across the state of Utah. The piece

Stories from Barahona Field Report: July 2025 in Barahona What a week in Barahona actually looks like — the games, the kids, the conversations, and what we’re still building. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 4 min read Every trip to Barahona reminds me why this program exists. July 2025 was no different. Between the games, the practices, the conversations with families, and the moments that don’t make it into any report — here’s what a week in Barahona

Dominican Baseball & Education Why Baseball Builds Resilience in Dominican Youth In Barahona, resilience isn’t taught in a classroom first. It’s learned on the field — and then it comes back to the classroom. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 4 min read In the Dominican Republic, resilience isn’t an abstract concept. It’s survival. Kids in communities like Barahona grow up navigating economic hardship, limited resources, and a baseball pipeline that promises everything and delivers for almost nobody. The

Dominican Baseball & Education How Baseball Helps Kids Grow: Lessons from Barahona Baseball teaches more than how to play. It teaches discipline, resilience, and how to show up when things are hard. By Brian Straley · Vias RD · 4 min read Baseball is more than a game. At Vias RD in Barahona, Dominican Republic, we see it every day: the lessons learned on the field carry directly into the classroom, into relationships, and into life. Here’s what baseball actually