Posts Tagged ‘Orphanage’
A Community Outreach Program in an Orphanage
A blogger friend, together with her friends, is organizing an Outreach Program this December in the Bethany House Sto. Niño Orphanage in Guiguinto, Bulacan. It is currently the home of 59 neglected and abandoned children. Their group pledged to donate and volunteer to bring these kids a memorable Christmas Party. Husband and I, together with our son, are planning to join them. If you also want to be a part of this event, you can sponsor a kid for only P150. According to Chyng, it’s just like the cost of 1 sticker for you Starbucks planner. 
To sponsor a kid or kids, you can email Chyng at chyngreyes@gmail.com for the details. You can also donate books, clothes, towels, toys, and almost anything that you think they can use.
It really feels good to help people like them. I’ve been also helping less-fortunate kids since college. I started doing it during our Barangay’s fiesta, wherein I gather all kids in our place and organize a small program with lots of games for them. Since I was still a student that time, I need funds to make this activity possible. Thus, for me to be able to gather money for prizes, I set up a ceramic pot in every lamp post so that every kind-hearted person that will pass by the street can put their donations for the said activity. It was a big success! The kids were all happy. I continued doing up to this moment.
When I had my work na until I got married, I continued doing it and changed the schedule of the said activity to Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. It is my way of thanking God for all the blessings I had. A day before the event, I make an announcement that there would be an activity for kids thru posters being posted in Sari-Sari stores in our street. I organize a small party in our garage for the less-fortunate children in our area. I cook food for them like spaghetti and hotdogs. There are also lots of games and some children even perform dance numbers. It really feels good that we are able to make them happy.
When I got married and was relocated to Bulacan, I passed that tradition to my youngest sister, while I am doing my own deed of sharing my blessings. Since I am new to this place, I decided to do my own outreach/feeding program in our Barangay’s DayCare Center every December. I have been doing it for two years in the same DayCare Center. This year, I am thinking of new ideas for the said activity.
It is really fulfilling being able to share the wonderful blessings you receive. 
An Outreach Program at the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary
It really feels good to share the blessings we receive, especially to those people who are in need. I and my officemates decided to do some charity work. We searched in the internet for an orphanage in Tagaytay City and discovered the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary (ASJM), which has an apostolate with abandoned and neglected children. They are an institution called “Mother Teresa Spinelli’s Treasures”, which is accredited by the DSWD. At present, there are 24 abandoned children under their custody. We chose Tagaytay City because we are also having our early Christmas party celebration at Balay Indang that is only 30 minutes away from Tagaytay. It was a double purpose.
So we called ASJM and scheduled our visit last weekend. We asked them their needs for us to be able to know what to bring. They told us that they need toiletries, diapers, bath soaps, and milk for the kids. With the help of my kind-hearted officemates, we were able to raise funds for the charity work and were able to purchase their needs. So, last weekend, my officemates together with Abeth and Andre, went to ASJM for the said outreach program. We were able to meet the sisters and the children. We brought them food and had simple games during our visit.
Andre played with the kids without knowing that these kids were abandoned by their parents. I am trying to explain it to him to be good to these children because they’re “kawaka”, but he can’t understand it yet. I told him that these children had no mom and dad. Andre asked me why, and told me, “Are they dead?” I wasn’t able to answer him back quickly because I don’t know what to say. I just told him that these children were abandoned by their parents and some were dead, too. Then, he stopped asking me questions anymore. I know he didn’t understand it yet, but, I know in time, he’ll understand it and would want him to realize how fortunate he is to have us as his parents. We also like him to be exposed in this kind of deed so that he’ll be able to appreciate all the blessings we receive.
It really feels good being able to share our wonderful blessings through these children. It’s a mixed feeling. It was a heart-warming experience knowing that we were able to make them happy in our very simple way and in just a little time. It was also disappointing to know that there are parents who can easily abandon and neglect their children. These children were found by the Augustinian Sisters in the field, in the garbage, and the streets. I really feel sorry for these kids, but am also partly happy knowing that there are NGO Institutions like ASJM that are willing to take care of them. Still, these kids are luckier compared to street children in Manila because they have no shelter and no food to eat.
One of ASJM’s goals is to trace the parents of these kids and return them to their respective parents because they believe that finding their parents will have an impact in building a child’s self-esteem. This will help a child to function successfully in life.
Here are some of the photos during our visit:
Our gifts to the children
The orphans with the Augustinian Sisters and my officemates
The abandoned children
The youngest among the orphans
It’s play time!
Andre hugging one of the orphans
the kids enjoying their meal
So for those people who want to help instead of having expensive myrtle beach vacation rentals, here are their contact numbers and location:
Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary.
Mo. Teresa Spinelli Novitiate House,
Kabangaan Road, Iruhin West,
4120, Tagaytay City.
Philippines.
Tel:- 046-413-39-45
Fax:- 046-860-00-16
Cellphone:- 09192658058
E mail address: srcarmenborg@yahoo.com
You can also visit their website.
That’s it for now. May the good Lord bless us always!
