For Fil-Am, GK’s a way of life

Another Filipino-American has been bitten by the Gawad Kalinga (GK) bug. For Telly Gabriel, a housewife from Wilminton, Delaware, GK is more than just a charitable foundation that builds homes for the poor. It has, in fact, become a way of life.

After Telly fell in love with the GK movement two years ago, she has been very active in raising funds for GK in the US.

Telly and her doctor husband Tim would donate a week’s vacation at their beach house in Avalon, New Jersey as a prize for participants in fund-raising events.

She also personally sold her jewelry, held a garage sale and sold food and drinks at the Pilipino Basketball concession event and donated the proceeds to GK.

Last summer, Telly and Tim also put their Avalon beach house for rent and sold their vintage Macintosh sound system on e-bay for GK.

They also donated a GK village in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan that was named Barrio Paraiso.

When not raising funds, Telly happily gives speeches about GK to the Filipino community in the US.

Prior to GK, she and her husband donated to other charities. But none appealed more to them than GK. 

“Tim and I have always believed in helping and supporting charities both here in the US and the Philippines.  However, in the Philippines, we were always skeptical if the money we gave actually reached the intended recipients.  The fear of funds being misdirected was always in our minds.  Then came Gawad Kalinga.  It is pure and simple, with only one goal in mind – to rebuild a nation by rebuilding the lives of its people,” Telly says.

“The work that Gawad Kalinga has done so far in the Philippines is amazing.   The villages and the lives that have been transformed are inspiring.  Everyone involved in GK has only the purest intention to help and it comes from the heart,” she says.

Telly and Tim first heard of GK through Fr. Tito Bunoan from San Francisco while on a Mediterranean cruise. However, in 2005, her friend Aurora Pijuan took them to a Wow GK Concert in Washington, DC  and heard GK advocate Dylan  Wilk speak about the movement.

“During the concert, we were inspired and challenged by Wilk.  This young Englishman had no qualms about giving his fortune to help the poorest of the poor in the Philippines.  He saw hope, instead of despair.  He goes around the world telling everyone that Filipinos are great and heroic,” Telly says.

Since then, life has changed for the Gabriels. After donating a village in Bulacan, they continued to raise funds to build more houses for the poor.

“Since taking action through GK, we feel good knowing that we are making a difference and we are now part of the solution,” says Telly.

Though they have lived in the US for many years, they have not forgotten about their kababayans here.

“We care so much for the Philippines and believe in the Filipino people.  We are capable of greatness because we are a nation of heroes. Gawad Kalinga is a movement that calls heroes to take action.

Through GK, we found an ho-nest organization we can trust to do our humanitarian work,” she says.

Working with the poor, Telly attests, has been an empowering experience and she felt good to see their work and dedication bear fruit.

“It is awesome to see the difference it made in so many lives.  It affirms that what we are doing in GK is the right thing. It feels good,” Telly says.

She says she’s also moved with all the people involved in GK, especially “the tireless caretakers of the villages who work with dedication and selflessness.”

Last July, she went home with her family and visited their village in Bulacan.

Telly says she was so touched by the sincerity and humility of the beneficiaries.

“When our family helped build a woman’s house, she wanted to give us something in return. All she could offer was a big bowl of water to wash the cement that had splattered all over us. It was the most beau-tiful gift we have ever received. It was very touching,” Telly says.

A message from a resident continues to resonate in the very depths of her soul, Telly shares.

“And I cannot forget the parting words from one of the beneficiaries, she said ‘...when you go back to America, please do not forget us.’  These words resonate in us every day.  We carry on the humanitarian work that GK is doing because of them.  We will never forget,” Telly says.