When I first came to the Philippines, it was intended to be a vacation. After meeting some of the kids struggling here, I started doing charity work, and that’s what has kept me here since 2016. Sometimes it’s as simple as providing meals to homeless kids. Sometimes it’s rushing them to the ER for emergency medical care at my own expense.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to help much since the pandemic began. We have had strict lockdowns and I have a high-risk child, so we’ve stayed inside.
Why am I sharing this?
Some people believe that if you share your donation info or charity work, you’re trying to brag. I think that belief does more harm than good. There are so many people that need help here. I hope that by sharing my work and experiences, I will encourage others to help end poverty in the Philippines with me.
Essential needs
Many kids here do not have even the essentials. No clothes. No home. No food. No education. They’re forced to beg for money to survive and miss out on an education that could change their future.
I provide the basics of food, clothing, school supplies, and sometimes transportation to school. My hope for the future is that I can set up a proper non-profit organization to provide these kids with everything they really need to get out of poverty.
Extras
Treat Meals
These kids don’t get to eat out. They travel hours to get to my city, to sell flowers (sampaguita) all day long just to earn about $6 USD, most of which will be spent on their transportation alone. They don’t go back to their city unless they’ve earned enough, so many nights are spent sleeping on the sidewalk, getting chased away by security guards.
When I see them, we go to Jollibee. The largest group I’ve done this with so far was about 15 kids at once.
Movie days
When you don’t have a home, you don’t have a TV. How can you dream of a brighter future when you’ve never seen one? That’s why I feel it is essential to expose these kids to the outside world.
Natural disaster assistance
We are directly hit by typhoons multiple times per year. For many areas, this means extreme flooding. People lose everything in these floods, but they can’t afford to live some place safer. Whether it’s arranging evacuation or replacing essential items, I do my best to assist affected families.
Organizations I recommend
Gentle Hands Orphanages
Gentle Hands is an amazing organization that literally saves lives. They have taken children out of the worst situations you can imagine and have given them a fresh start.
My charity updates
Coming soon…