Mission

Dream Volunteers is a non-profit organization aiming to open the eyes and hearts of its volunteers, and empower the local people we serve to become agents of change in their communities.

Vision

We see a day when we’re running volunteer trips to dozens of locations. We envision the towns we sponsor becoming self-sustaining, thriving communities.

History

Dream Volunteers (formerly University of Dreams Foundation) has been in existence since 2004. It was founded by Eric Lochtefeld and Beth Lochtefeld. Beth and Eric had co-founded the very successful Dream Careers, Inc. in 2000, and felt compelled to give back to all those that supported the company in the past and will in the future. Beth's role was to become the organization's Executive Director and to help brainstorm the best way that the company could give back to the world. While attending her funeral in New York, Eric was genuinely humbled by the dozens of individuals who came up to him proclaiming how Beth had played a helpful hand in their own life pursuits.

Thus the BIG idea for Dream Volunteers was born. In Beth's memory, an organization would be built to bring Dreamers and Dream Supporters together to get Dreamers the resources they would need to pursue their Dreams. The rest of this website will tell that story, but there is one way you can help with this dream right now.

We are proud to announce that Beth's book is available for purchase and that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Young Dreamer Network and distributed to deserving Young Dreamers so that they can make their mark on the world. Appropriately enough, Beth titled the book, "Tell Me About Your Dreams." It features 25 of her father's fanciful, whimsical intaglio prints accompanied by an original short story with each photo. It is sure to inspire the greatness that lies within you. To purchase a copy of the book, simply click here. With each book that is purchased and read, Beth’s personal legend of inspiring and equipping Dreamers to pursue their dreams is kept alive. Learn more about Beth.

In 2007, former K-12 teacher and Peace Corps Volunteer Brian Buntz became the Executive Director of Dream Volunteers. He focused the charity’s efforts on educational and youth empowerment in communities in the developing world, and on running service trips to those communities.

Building on Brian’s connections to Guatemala from his days as a Peace Corps volunteer, he reached out to a friend (Juan Carlos Martinez) in the popular tourist destination of Antigua who owned a Spanish school and travel agency called La Union. Brian and Juan Carlos devised a customized plan to meet the educational and leadership needs of the community, run service trips to Vuelta Grande, and plant the seeds of the Young Dreamer Network.

In 2007, we launched the youth development program by identifying and recruiting our first group of young dreamers. It set its sights on improving the lives of young people in a small village in the mountainous region of Guatemala. Set just outside the city of Antigua, the small farming village of Vuelta Grande is a representation of what daily life is like in rural Guatemala. These indigenous people harvest their crops on steep mountain slopes at an elevation of 1,500 feet. Boys as young as eight begin to work in the field alongside their fathers while girls work with their mothers tending to younger siblings and performing household chores. To set Vuelta Grande on a path toward a brighter future, Dream Volunteers and La Union collaborated to create the Young Dreamer Network.

The Young Dreamer Network program now operates in Guatemala, India, Ghana, Redwood City, CA and Costa Rica. It involves the following: identifying emerging high schoolers with the potential to become difference makers in their community; granting scholarships to those young people to attend top secondary schools; assisting the mothers and aunts of our Young Dreamers to launch or grow their small businesses by providing micro-loans; sponsoring teacher salaries at the local elementary schools; bringing volunteers to perform school improvement projects to strengthen and beautify the physical structure of the elementary school; providing seed funding and business consulting for the launch of community-owned businesses which fund infrastructure development projects; and engaging in home improvement projects with the families of our Young Dreamers. In addition to the aforementioned projects supported by our volunteers, they have also brought thousands of donated items (clothes, toys, books) and organized several community events (picnics, games and social gatherings).

Since 2007, we have run more than a dozen service trips to Guatemala, Ghana, India and Costa Rica. We will continue to run volunteer trips to these locations while adding many more over the coming years.

Leadership

Dream Volunteers depends entirely on unpaid staff. Everyone that donates their time to Dream Volunteers does so because of their passion for service and international development, and its commitment to the Young Dreamer Network and its power to change the world.

	Eric Lochtefeld, Founder & Board Member - Eric graduated from the University of San Diego in 1993. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he started his first company, Grassroots Event Marketing Inc., at the age of 25. As the President of Grassroots Event Marketing Inc., Eric co-created and built one of the most successful youth-oriented event properties in existence today, the Vans Warped Tour. Prior to starting Grassroots, Eric was a Sales Manager and Director of Operations for a student travel start-up called L.A. Ski & Sun Tours, which was purchased by one of the largest college student travel companies in the western United States. Eric's passions are entrepreneurship, travel, and inspiring people to discover and pursue their dreams.
	Brian Buntz, Executive Director & Board Chair - Brian graduated from University of Iowa with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Upon graduating, he worked in Guatemala as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In addition to becoming fluent in Spanish, he developed a passion for education and helping move people out of challenging circumstances into a life of choices and opportunities. When he returned to the U.S., Brian began teaching middle school ESL and bilingual classes to immigrants from Latin America. After four years in the classroom, Brian embarked on an entrepreneurial project creating a video-based ESL software program, which is now used throughout the world by beginning English learners at the middle school, high school, and adult level. Since early 2004, Brian has worked for Dream Careers Inc. developing both curriculum and people. Simultaneously, he has run Dream Volunteers on an un-paid basis since 2007. Brian's dream is to empower young people to become the difference-makers of their generation. He strives to nurture young leaders throughout the world to achieve their maximum potential. He believes this will result in them lifting up their local communities which will in turn lift up the global community.
	Roy Rivera, Program Manager - Roy graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor's in Communication. Upon graduating, he worked in San Diego as a Program Director for Dream Careers Summer Internship Program. In addition to sharpening his leadership skills, he developed an enthusiasm for education and service. Roy became Program Manager for the Young Dreamer Network in September 2010. He has helped lead volunteer trips as well as Young Dreamer workshops. His development expertise is coupled with a commitment to leadership and service, grounded firmly in under-resourced communities. Roy is very passionate about inspiring young people to discover their dreams and achieve their true potential.
	Jessie Arora, Advisory Board Member, Operations Manager, Citizen Schools - Jessie Arora is currently the Operations Manager at Citizen Schools, designing systems to support 70+ regional staff members to extend the learning day for middle school students to prepare them for success in high school, college and beyond. She joined Citizen Schools after completing the Education Pioneers fellowship in the summer of 2008 where she focused on strategic marketing initiatives at GreatSchools.net. Jessie has an MA in Education from Stanford. She began her career and developed a deeper passion for education while teaching English in Japan as a participant on the JET Program (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program). In 2010 she began working with Dream Volunteers, focusing on designing a strategic plan and helping to build the Advisory Council.
	Lilia Ledezma, Advisory Board Member, Public Outreach Manager/Partner, Community Consultants Group - Lilia Ledezma is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Financial Administration from Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Campus Chihuahua. Several years ago, Lilia became involved with Redwood City International and the Rotary Club of Redwood City. Since then, her passion for making a difference in the community has led her to be actively involved in local politics and serve as a board member for several nonprofit organizations. Professionally, Lilia is a partner of Community Consultants Group, a public outreach firm specializing in community building and education. She has numerous civic affiliations, including being a founding member of the Latino Community Council of Redwood City. She began supporting Dream Volunteers with community outreach in 2010.
	Joanne Nottage, Advisory Board Member, Principal Consultant, Strategic Directions - Joanne has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and a Marketing MBA from Golden Gate University. Joanne has an established track record of success in the areas of corporate sales and business development with global companies like DuPont and Brenntag Pacific. Joanne also founded and ran a marketing consulting firm, Strategic Directions, for more than 5 years. She is past President and Treasurer on Board of Directors of Woman, Inc, a domestic violence agency in SF, and recently completed a project with ACCION International, a global microfinance nonprofit, to develop an effective donor stewardship program for corporations and foundations. She has supported many nonprofits in the areas of fundraising, public awareness, and business development. Joanne is multi-lingual in English, French and Greek, and is passionate about applying her business success to the nonprofit arena and helping make the world a better place. She began supporting Dream Volunteers with marketing and fundraising in 2010.

Location

Dream Volunteers
2221 Broadway St
Redwood City, CA 94063