Act of love (Kanlungan ni Maria)

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It was always my dream to be a part of a group who has a goal to  reach for the lost, the poor and the needy. When I started blogging, I got to know many wonderful people who has the same vision  as mine. So  the " Pinoy bloggers outreach" was born. Our vision is to take the blogging experience to the next level by sharing our heartfelt support to the less fortunate. I am so lucky to be a part of these awesome young people. 

My  opportuniny came to be a part of the outreach when the group celebrated our first anniversary and it happened to be that I was in the Philippines. Dream came true. I was like in heaven. 

Meeting co-bloggers who had done so much to make this anniversary so meaningful was an experience that I will cherish in my heart.

So this is the day. They  gave me a PBO T-shirt to wear on that day. So happy to be with the young ones visiting the young once:) They call me Mommy Joy. 

 A total of 60 bloggers and volunteers made it to the program that Sunday. Fr. Dari Dioquino, the priest in charge of the institution, received the volunteers with much hospitality on behalf of the staff and elders of Kanlungan.

Kanlungan ni Maria received boxes  and bags of necesseties from PBO and money donations which he was so thankful for since this institution lives only from donations given by people who visits them and with God's provisions.

For more information of Kanlungan ni Maria please visit http://pinoybloggersoutreach.blogspot.no/

                           
Anyway, I want you to meet Arline and Christian: Together with other bloggers, organized this event and had done an excellent work. Thumbs up to all.

We have two nurses in the group: Kevin Barrios and Moises Bilang who conducted a test with the elderly like: blood pressure assesment , glucose and cholesterol monitoring.

Well, what do we have here? A Jollibee mascot bringing smiles to eveyone. Young and old.

The PBO volunteers participated too in different parlor games that made the elderly laugh. Precious moments.

                                                      The singing group          

But what I remembered most was Nanay Pina to the left. I noticed her at once because of her name. She told me that  her real name is Josefina. Same name as my mother.  I believe she said that she is 85 years old. So I began talking to her. She really is a wonderful woman who recites poems, sings and still dance although she uses a crutch already.

She asked me to go with her where her bed was. She wanted to show me ribbons that she was making to sell, but that day, she didn't manage to make some because we came:)

On top of her chest of drawers was a picture of her. She told me that she won a prize for having the best smile of them all. Don't you agree? :)

Anyway, despite of their situation, she is very happy to be there. The elderly who lives there has no  more families to take care of them.

My next encounter with a sweet woman was with Lola Trudis, I believe it is her name:)

Me and yccos were assigned to give her a rose and a gift bag. And guess what we found inside her gift bag among other thing? A dress which she liked very much.

But the most touching part was when yccos discovered that grandma Trudis never had a family or a husband. When we asked her why, she told us that she was a snobbed one when she was young and that was the reason she lived alone all her life.  Since yccos has no boyfriend yet, I gave her an advice not to follow grandma Trudis footsteps.

Yccos asked her where she came from, but she couldn't remember until Yccos said one word from Bicol which Grandma Trudis recognized. Then, they both cried when they found out that they came from the same place. Well, I am a Bicolana too and that made us all teary eyed.

Well, in every gathering, food is a necessity. So here are the food commitee. Still smiling although they had been working all day. Thanks for the the food you gave me. I was hungry and you fed me:)

Before saying goodbye to this wonderful event, I asked someone to take a picture of me and the famous Glenn Tabajeros who is the author of " Unang Putok" book which made the readers laugh and laugh and laugh:)

Saying goodbye  with this hearwarming picture of the elderly. Hope we meet again. Meeting you all made my life richer.

I just hope that I can again join the PBO outreach in the future.) 

Thank you for your hearwarming welcome  and your kindness  to all! I didn't had the chance to talk to everybody, but meeting you all was an unforgettable moment  for me. Until me meet again:)

Leaving you this thought:
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:38

JOY