Christmas wish list # 1

Adopt an angel

The FREEMAN Foundation will be carrying out the last of the special projects lined up for this year, the Adopt an Angel: A Christmas Gathering of Street Children with the theme, "We are made for service! A day with the street kids," on December 10, Saturday.

We, the 16 volunteers of the foundation core group, will each be in charge of three indigent children. This means that there will be 48 street kid-recipients of the program.

The foundation plans to give these children their early morning meals at The FREEMAN administration building at around 6am of December 10. After which, they shall be taken to the Family Park in Talamban where they will be treated to games and other fun activities with mascots to be provided by the supportive yuppies behind Jollibee Visayas regional office, and shall be given their Christmas presents sourced out from funds pooled through drives and solicitations.

The plans have a little - ermmm, glitch, though! But before I make "lambing" to you our dear, avid readers lemme just give a recap of the foundation's other special (read: successful, inspiring, and heart-warming) projects this year.

To recall, the foundation has actively promoted the value of sharing beginning with the blood-letting activity it had spearheaded on the occasion of the Love Month dubbed "Lifeblood Love Project" purposely to encourage employees and readers to donate blood and help save lives - blood being the best gift one can give on a Valentine's day. I tell you, this one endeavor should be sustained. Man's innate goodness rushed with the flowing out of precious blood from every donor's veins.

The mass blood donation inspired by The FREEMAN general manager Melandro "Boy" Mendoza carried the theme: "Connecting through the fluid of life", done in close coordination with the Regional Blood Coordinating Council and its president Jovita Ceniza, executive assistant to the president Roger Mariano, Jr. and medical volunteers Edlyn Rama, Elmer Magdadaro, Norman Fontanoza, Janice Lerio and Archimedes Fernandez.

A total of 24 donors underwent screening - from the recording of personal facts, checking of physical condition, down to the screening for blood types - before they were accepted at the bleeding area where the procedure for the transfer of blood from the donor's body to blood bags was administered. After which, an RBCC membership card was issued that entitles the donor and his or her immediate family to free blood at the blood bank whenever the need arises, and also a love key chain from the foundation depicting a golden heart held by a loving hand. The donors went away without ever receiving a single centavo as the donation was done free from any monetary obligations.

Also during the first quarter of this year, the foundation conducted an ocular inspection of the Tagba-o Elementary School, located some 35 kilometers away from Cebu City, and four kilometers from the foot of Mt. Manunggal in Balamban town.

This was after its school officer in charge that time, Norma Llaguno, through a certain Marilou Tabal, wrote this publication last year informing of the school's need for a library, for more books, and laboratory equipment like microscope, specifically. She mentioned in her letter that Tagba-o children graduated from this school without ever seeing a microscope up close. This means they only had a glimpse of the equipment through the pages of their Science books. It was heart-tearing indeed to be listening to the children's voices floating on some patriotic hymn when before them is a blurry promise they would be able to live their dreams of becoming doctors and teachers someday.

With what resources were available, the foundation with the Star Group of Companies decided to respond through a Balik Eskwela Fun Day, Mass Feeding and Distribution of School Supplies project choosing the Tagba-o Elementary School as recipient so to answer up some basic school needs. The request for help was answered too with a book drive. Some TF readers, like you, brought to our office crates of Readers Digest and assorted books and other educational reading materials. Slated last July 2, the foundation's second major project for this year carried the theme: "TFF supports the academe to realize Strong Republic". The project was facilitated with the direct supervision of Mr. Mendoza, and foundation administrator Dr. Remedios Yap-Bacasmas with tons of support from Sulpicio Lines, Inc. and Philippine Star Damayan.

And - uhurmmm - for this last special project this year, this first of four Christmas wish lists comes as a knocker to the doors of your hearts. I said a little glitch on plans because though the foundation has already come up with a number of sponsors like the Family Park of Talamban, operated by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District, for the venue of the event, funds pooled through solicitations and from Damayan for the early morning feeding program, the foundation would like to appeal for your help so other items like toothbrushes, tumblers, toothpaste, towels, coloring books, coloring pencils, crayons, notepads, shirts, food items, toy items, and grocery packs for our prizes during the games would be made available this week.

You see, I handle the chairmanship of the prize committee and - whew! - indeed is challenging task aside from beating my deadliest deadline for this column, I wouldn't really mind if this is tantamount to begging. I come on bended knees because much as I want to make the indigent children VERY, VERY happy as Christmases are really made for them "angels", I don't have the capacity to become everybody's Santa. So there, I make this appeal for donations to serve as your Christmas presents to these indigent children. Of course, any of the items listed above which you could provide will be much appreciated, and acknowledged properly with a receipt and at the Public Service section of this paper. The success of this charitable project lies greatly upon your generosity. Please call 255-0926 to 27 and look for Arlene Villacrucis, and have a very merry Christmas!

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For your comments, reactions, suggestions and contributions, crank up my e-mail addy: [email protected] or text me at 09215323616. For previous articles, visit www.pinaymangatkatay. blogspot.com. Thanks!