I’s on the World: International Aid

Dave Rees volunteers in Guatemala, “working to make a difference one family at a time.” He also talks up his Alma Mater to prospective Illini. (Image courtesy of David H. Rees)

Dave Rees, ’80 BUS, is a frequent visitor to Guatemala, where he brings aid to a country he greatly admires. During recent trips, he constructed high-efficiency stoves to replace the equivalent of indoor campfires. “The smoke vents through the tin ceiling to reduce respiratory illness, and the heat is contained to protect children from burns,” he says.

Rees also reaches out to local youth. “I’m always on the lookout for future international students,” he says. For the past two years, however, he has had to stay put in Peoria, Ill., noting that “the pandemic has not only halted mission trips but also shattered Guatemala’s economy. I look forward to returning there soon.”

For more photos of alumni around the world, check out our Flickr album. Send pictures of yourself clad in orange and blue to IllinoisAlumni@uillinois.edu. You also can post to www.Facebook.com/IllinoisAlumni and twitter.com/uiaa using hashtag #IlliniWorldwide.