Share Your Blessings

giving hope and sharing love

The Cheerful Givers by KCAT

Our good friend and ever loyal supporter, Kcat Yarza featured us on her article in Manila Bulletin last October 28, 2012. Sharing you the article she made but modified the description of the image since there was an error on the published image.

Read on and be inspired with her writing like we always do…

The cheerful givers

By MARIA KATHRINA LOPEZ YARZA
October 28, 2012, 9:45am

Don Bosco School's street kids enjoy ate Kath and ate Coe’s birthday treat.
Don Bosco School’s street kids enjoy ate Kath and ate Coe’s birthday treat.

A few days ago, I took part in Kathleen Madula and Coe Tolosa’s 2nd Birthday Project in Don Bosco School (DBS) with a couple of streetkids. Kathleen and I were schoolmates at DBS and we share a passion for reaching out to those in need.

Last year, Kath and Coe had their first birthday project at Grace Be Born Shelter, a non-profit shelter for unwed mothers-to-be and abandoned babies. They played, mingled, partied, and had fun with the moms and babies in the shelter.

This year, it is for the DBS streetkids. The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco (FMA) hold its oratory in the school every Sunday where they teach streetkids catechism and hold a feeding program. I remember when I was still studying at DBS, I would see these street children playing in the school grounds after school hours and knowing and observing how our school helped them taught us how to reach out to those in need.

Kath and Coe’s birthday project was held in the school canteen. Food carts were around the place for the kids to enjoy and the chefs of CCA Manila made the event extra special by serving the kids with a scrumptious meal.  “Thank you po Ate Coe and Ate Kath dahil pinasaya niyo po kaming lahat,” a couple of the kids wrote in their letters which they sent after the event.

We all know that the world changes every day, every moment, every second. What we did a second ago, no matter how trivial it may seem, will have an influence in the changes that happen, happened and will happen. So why don’t we do something good, and maybe by doing so, the world would also change a little bit better. As what St. John Bosco said, “Do good while you still have time.”

Share A Hug and Toys for joys

A hug gives us comfort because it is one of the best medicines — four hugs a day prescribed for survival, eight hugs a day for emotional strength, and 12 hugs a day for growth; and hugs are a lot better when shared.

Rachelle Gregorio of Touch of Ellahcar will hold Share-A-Hug at Bahay ni Maria in Laguna, a haven for neglected, abandoned, and homeless elder women. Rachelle’s aim is to create a concrete and practical difference in the lives of those who are struggling by reaching out to them with a hug.

As kids, we all experienced opening a gift from underneath a Christmas tree; but how about those children with no homes and no families? With this in mind, Rachelle came up with “Toys for Joys” where she and her friends visit orphanages and distribute not only Christmas presents but also let the kids experience the spirit of Christmas. Share your hug to the LOLAs or make a child happy this Christmas, contact Rachelle Gregorio at 0927-5042796.

Pasko ng Kabataan along the Riles

For the 3rd time this year, Jamie Martinez and her D-Clan Youth Organization will share the Christmas spirit with the children who live along the railroad in their place in Muntinlupa Ctiy. They were able to make 200 kids happy in 2010, 500 kids in 2011, and hopefully put a smile on 600 kids this coming December 23. Anything as long as it’s from the heart is acceptable. Let us make this event a success and make 600 kids a lot happier. Contact Jamie Martinez at 09339776874.

Sharing the happiness

“I always see that my “neighbors” are okay. I spearhead community reach-outs especially for indigent communities and individuals,” said Marcelo Otiguey — one of the finalists of Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions Happiest Pinoy 2012. He conducts a gift-giving activity during the month of December, helping provide wheelchairs to those who need them, giving out slightly used clothes, toys and foods to children and adults, and solicit elementary and high school books for far-flung schools. What do can you do for them? Contact Marcelo Otinguey at 0918-4165087.

October Gift-giving Fest

Jen Arellano has been working in Doha, Qatar for a couple of years, but even though she’s away from home, her passion in giving continues. It only shows that distance is never a hindrance in caring and sharing. Whenever she comes home to the country, she makes sure to collate whatever she can from her friends and reach out to the kids of Linggap Pangarap ng mga Paslit Center Inc. (LPPCI) in Batangas City. Jen is currently in the country and tomorrow, together with some of her friends and family, she will be off to LCCPI with happiness and gifts in tow to share their blessings with the children in the center.

Jen shares, “The more blessings we share, the more children will be happy, and the more people will be blessed.”

Let’s all do something good and be a cheerful giver, not only when the Christmas season is coming, but always.

(The author suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis Type 2. She maintains an online store (www.kcatyarza.com) that sells products she personally designed to benefit her hEAR fund raising project. She was also a finalist in Cebuana Lhuiller’s Happiest Pinoy. If you have any questions you can reach her through kcatyarza@yahoo.com)

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Featured in Manila Bulletin column of KCAT CAN!

KCAT CAN is a column in Manila Bulletin that is written by Maria Kathrina Lopez Yarza.

Kcat Yarza

photos grabbed from http://www.kcatyarza.com

Kcat is one of my schoolmates in Don Bosco School, Sta. Mesa. She is a batch higher than me. She was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in August 2004 and from then on struggling with all the complications of her ailment. However, despite of these challenges she’s encountering in her life, she remains to be positive in life and believes that while there is life, there is hope.

Her article This journey called life was featured in Manila Bulletin who definitely inspired a lot of people all over the world. Because of this, she was on the top of the list of Manila Bulletin’s Top 10 who can and already a contributor of MB’s Students and Campuses’ special education (Monday) issue.

Today’s column, Bayanihan and Baby Liam shares about Baby Liam‘s condition and is helping them raise fund for his treatments. The baby was born prematurely with a severe chronic lung disease. His family is now asking for help buy his medications to be able to survive.

Kcat Manila Bulletin Article

In line with this, she also featured my Birthday Project 2011 since it is for the benefit of Grace to Be Born‘s shelter. A home for unwed mothers and abandoned babies.

GRACE BE BORN

Kathleen is one of my schoolmates in high school. She is celebrating her birthday this September. She finds joy in giving to the needy through the small projects she has joined in, so she decided to celebrate her birthday by doing a worthwhile project.

Her chosen beneficiary is “Grace Be Born Ministries”. It is a non-profit shelter for unwed mothers to be and abandoned babies. Currently, the ministry is in need of diapers, formula milk, feeding bottles, maternity and baby clothes, toiletries, and other household items. You may donate in goods and in kind, just visit: https://birthdays.kathmadula.com

Truly, she continues to inspire people and even extends her help to those who are also in need. A remarkable act of generosity is only one of the many impressive traits that you can find in Kcat. May we all be moved and be influenced by her great love and compassion of life.

Kcat Yarza

photo from http://www.kcatyarza.com

To know more about KCAT, you can check out her online accounts listed here:

Personal Page and Online Store
Facebook Fan Page

If you have questions about KCAT, you can reach her thru kcatyarza@yahoo.com.

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