Reach the poor

Warm thanks to my parents and to JoAnn P. for depositing donations for the A/V/A family’s poverty relief. The monies donated will pay for the kids’ inoculations, asthma medicines, a water tank and chicken feed.

We heard that the pastor and associate pastor of Saint Dominic Catholic Church have prohibited JoAnn from fellow parishioners if they would like to help the poor in the Philippines . But she has collected some funds anyway. Thanks, JoAnn!

This family in Baguio Gold has almost nothing and lives a hand-to-mouth life. 17-year-old Patrick would rather work collecting and hauling rocks, cutting firewood or work as a helper on a construction site than go to high school, so that he can pick up some wages to buy food for his family!

Have you heard the term ‘food insecurity,’ a euphemism for hunger? This family knows it. Due to an unfortunate confluence of circumstances, six youths, ages 6-18, live in poverty with their grandmother who draws a modest social security stipend which is almost entirely spent on rent and debt service. The four boys earn money in odd jobs to pay for food, cooking oil, propane, kerosene, candles, jeepney fare, et al.

No plumbing or electricity is in the rented shack that they call home. Dominic and I are trying to help this family emerge from the darkness, have hope and strive for a healthier future. The chickens are laying eggs, the soil for the garden has been tilled, kids and Nanay have seen physicians and gotten medicines, Mack has gotten eyeglasses for distance vision, Dominic has bought uniforms and student supplies, and on and on…

Much more remains to be done and more money must be spent. After spending three weeks trying to get a price quote for a hand-built water tank to supply the rented home, I have heard counsel from my parents who suggest substituting two blue 55-gallon plastic barrels for a big sheet metal tank. I think that this will be a more cost-effective solution. I will build the wood support stands with Mack. I think that getting two competing bids for assembling a galvanized steel tank and support stand would take a long, long time here! Getting things done here is not lickety-split efficient.

I’ll say “Thanks” again for caring for our brothers and sisters in need. I’ll pray for you as you pray for us and the A/V/A family. †