An Invitation:
Christmas Bells pealing joyfully from afar evoke sentiments of sharing. Christmas, after all is a time of giving.
The Batang Squatter is a Christmas sharing project that has humble beginnings. Faced with daunting tasks ahead and thousands of miles to bridge, time was definitely not on our side. However, the feeling of urgency and a clear sense of purpose pushed us to spread the spirit of giving and nurture it with the help of kind souls like you. In the midst of confusion, one thing was clear to us – to make a difference in the lives of children on Christmas Day in our own special way.
The project took off last December 2003 when the Dominion Church , a Christian sect, welcomed us to participate in the Christmas program they had organized for the children in Munoz market. The grateful smiles on the faces of these children we barely knew confirmed the joy that we felt in our hearts that indeed sharing is a blessing. When one person gives, it is not just to the one who receives who benefit but also the one who gives selflessly to make someone happy.
The Spirit goes where the wind blows and touches people’s hearts. And as the cliché goes: the rest is history.
From 2004 we have been bringing joy on Christmas Day to children and their families living outside the walls of Pilar Village in Las Pinas. We do this by distributing bags of goodies, raffle prizes, and providing them with snacks. Thanks to the continued generosity of our patrons who, much like the seed of kindness, have been growing in numbers through the years.
The Christmas of 2007 was the biggest in terms of donations that unexpectedly poured in - both cash and in kind. Some 1,000 children and their respective families were recipients of your generosity. If you want to have a copy of the video of the 2007 Batang Squatter: A Christmas Sharing celebration, please let us know. We would be pleased to send it to you in a CD.
The ‘ber’ season is upon us. One leaf is about to fall and two more to go before December greets us at our doorsteps with cool morning breeze and a warm breath of hope. With your kind indulgence, and in the name hundreds of squatter children in Pilar Village , we are knocking again on your hearts to share and participate with us in the 2008 Batang Squatter: A Christmas Sharing Project.
This year we are hoping to share the blessings with 1,000 children. The booty bags will consist of essential food items such as rice, canned goods and noodles. Of course Christmas for these kids will not be complete without the ice cream and fish ball treat during the day-long gift-giving activity.
We are now accepting cash donations until November 15. We can also arrange to pick up non-perishable goods within Manila and Cavite areas not later December 15.
On behalf of the mga Batang Squatter, we thank you for sharing with us your blessings.
---
Second to old ladies, children are my soft spots. You see them running in their polo and khaki shorts coming from school; you see them playing in the streets or pointing their finger at a toy that will never be theirs; you see them bright, hopeful and with so much promise ahead of them.
I have good memories of being a kid.
And knowing that I will never have one of my own, it has become my calling to support groups which bring happiness to them.
This is an invitation. Those who wish to join can send their e-mails in the comment box section below this entry (I will not post them, don't worry) so I can forward you the bank details.
Thanks to Tagabukid for involving me in this project.
Sana makasali rin kayo.
Christmas Bells pealing joyfully from afar evoke sentiments of sharing. Christmas, after all is a time of giving.
The Batang Squatter is a Christmas sharing project that has humble beginnings. Faced with daunting tasks ahead and thousands of miles to bridge, time was definitely not on our side. However, the feeling of urgency and a clear sense of purpose pushed us to spread the spirit of giving and nurture it with the help of kind souls like you. In the midst of confusion, one thing was clear to us – to make a difference in the lives of children on Christmas Day in our own special way.
The project took off last December 2003 when the Dominion Church , a Christian sect, welcomed us to participate in the Christmas program they had organized for the children in Munoz market. The grateful smiles on the faces of these children we barely knew confirmed the joy that we felt in our hearts that indeed sharing is a blessing. When one person gives, it is not just to the one who receives who benefit but also the one who gives selflessly to make someone happy.
The Spirit goes where the wind blows and touches people’s hearts. And as the cliché goes: the rest is history.
From 2004 we have been bringing joy on Christmas Day to children and their families living outside the walls of Pilar Village in Las Pinas. We do this by distributing bags of goodies, raffle prizes, and providing them with snacks. Thanks to the continued generosity of our patrons who, much like the seed of kindness, have been growing in numbers through the years.
The Christmas of 2007 was the biggest in terms of donations that unexpectedly poured in - both cash and in kind. Some 1,000 children and their respective families were recipients of your generosity. If you want to have a copy of the video of the 2007 Batang Squatter: A Christmas Sharing celebration, please let us know. We would be pleased to send it to you in a CD.
The ‘ber’ season is upon us. One leaf is about to fall and two more to go before December greets us at our doorsteps with cool morning breeze and a warm breath of hope. With your kind indulgence, and in the name hundreds of squatter children in Pilar Village , we are knocking again on your hearts to share and participate with us in the 2008 Batang Squatter: A Christmas Sharing Project.
This year we are hoping to share the blessings with 1,000 children. The booty bags will consist of essential food items such as rice, canned goods and noodles. Of course Christmas for these kids will not be complete without the ice cream and fish ball treat during the day-long gift-giving activity.
We are now accepting cash donations until November 15. We can also arrange to pick up non-perishable goods within Manila and Cavite areas not later December 15.
On behalf of the mga Batang Squatter, we thank you for sharing with us your blessings.
---
Second to old ladies, children are my soft spots. You see them running in their polo and khaki shorts coming from school; you see them playing in the streets or pointing their finger at a toy that will never be theirs; you see them bright, hopeful and with so much promise ahead of them.
I have good memories of being a kid.
And knowing that I will never have one of my own, it has become my calling to support groups which bring happiness to them.
This is an invitation. Those who wish to join can send their e-mails in the comment box section below this entry (I will not post them, don't worry) so I can forward you the bank details.
Thanks to Tagabukid for involving me in this project.
Sana makasali rin kayo.
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