The Giving List
Living in Manila has been eye opening. Before moving to the Philippines, I had never seen the extremes of wealth and poverty one city can harbor. Fortunately, there are many opportunities to become active in helping relieve those who are less fortunate, wether by your own hands or your own funds. The giving list below includes organizations I have worked with before or personally know those who run the foundation. Donations are online so you can donate even if you don't live in the Philippines.This holiday season is a great time to donate to a good cause.
Maria, a 13-year old incest victim, gazed wide-eyed as she and her housemates listened to a talk about the new life in her womb. Maria, together with other young pregnant and unwed women caught in dysfunctional relationships and contemplating abortion, have found shelter in Grace to Be Born.
Grace to Be Born Maternity Home and Nursery, a halfway house, was established in 2009 through the generous partnership of Basti and Betty Roxas-Chua who lent their building rent-free. The place serves as a temporary shelter for unwed mothers (seeking shelter and second chance at life) and an orphanage (a haven for the children born there).
Tahanan ng Pagmamahal was organized in 2007. It provides care, shelter and education to orphaned, abandoned and neglected children who end up as scavengers, thieves or prostitutes.
Many children have come to Jesus through Tahanan ng Pagmamahal. Through the generosity of donors whose hearts reach out to these kids, the doors to a brighter future are now open for them.
Mabuhay Deseret helps facilitate surgeries for the poor suffering from cleft lip/palate, clubfeet, cataract, cross eyes, and other eye maladies. We may also provide artificial leg for below-the-knee amputees. We find them through screenings.
Our volunteers deliver healthy food to over 1,000 children living in the slums of Dhaka and Manila (Smokey Mountain).
At Gentle Hands we are able to fulfill our mission through generous and faithful supporters like you. Your charitable donation helps us provide a safe, happy and healthy Christ-centered home for babies and children of the Philippines who might be otherwise left on the street hungry and alone without a supportive and guiding hand. Through your donation you are able to contribute to the fundamental needs of a child, specifically in the area of nutrition, education and medical programs.
Your tax-deductible monthly sponsorship of a child or single donation keeps Gentle Hands open to the desperate needs of these babies and children and helps to continue the work of rescuing, feeding, loving, and educating the Philippines most vulnerable victims.
Lighthouse Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses to meet needs of children-survivors of human trafficking in the Philippines by providing a safe haven and professional rehabilitation services so children can successfully reintegrate back into family life and society.
Alabang Ladies International Group Chairities
Our aim is to help connect with the local community by serving the underprivileged in the greater Muntinlupa area. We do this through financial support, item donations, volunteering opportunities and livelihood programs support, with long term solutions as our main focus.
The primary objective of the organization is to reduce the number of street children and prevent their proliferation. Our first priority is always to get them established in a safer environment – whether that means reuniting them with their families, placing them in an institution that will look after them or encouraging them to continue with their studies so that they can break the cycle of living on the streets.
Ate Academy, pronounced 'Ah-teh', meaning 'older sister' in Tagalog, is a program which I (Sammy Westfall, a high school student who is now attending Yale) created in 2013, and have continued to run until today. It is a weekly class session that takes place Saturday mornings from 9 to 12, where I teach reading, writing, math, science, and art. The class sessions are open to any street child who lives on Roxas Boulevard, a major road in Manila. The class sizes range every week from about 5 to 30 students, depending on how many are working at the time. Not only is it a chance for the children to learn, but a chance for all of us to tell stories, make jokes, and form much-needed bonds between one another.
Shalom Christian Birthing Home was established by ACTION missionary, Mavis Orton, a retired nurse/midwife from England. Observing the exceptionally high maternal and infant mortality rates in the outskirts of Manila, Mavis opened her home to these at-risk mothers in order to provide a safe and dignified environment for childbirth. Nearby churches work closely with Shalom’s staff – resulting in many mothers and their families experiencing spiritual rebirth and becoming active in a local church.
