Are you ready for the Holidays? Do you have all your gifts wrapped and ready to go for Christmas day? Is your calendar filled with invitations to reunions, get-togethers, and office parties? Have you already planned your menu for Christmas Dinner?
With all the gifts, festivities, and food going on during the holidays, it might be easy to lose sight of the reason for the season. Let us always remember that Christmas is about sharing, giving, and being thankful for all that we receive, both the blessings and the challenges: thankful for being able to share our blessings, and thankful for being able to overcome the challenges that life throws our way.
2016 has been (quite arguably) a very “colorful” year, so to speak. And to say that news outlets and social media feeds are filled with stories that are shocking is an understatement.
Let’s look beyond the din of bleak news and dreary forecasts. The only way for us to fight hopelessness is to be the hope we expect in others. Here at The Help, we are all about service. Not only are we committed to providing excellent service to our clients but we are also committed to giving back to our community.
We are a cheerful bunch of busy bees, and we love to share that positive outlook with others. Over the past few years, we have been involved in many outreach programs and community service. Today, we share a few of the programs that we were lucky enough to have been a part of over the years.
In November of 2013, one of the most devastating typhoons ever recorded in history hit Southeast Asia, with the most damage done to the Philippines killing more than 10,000 people and causing an estimated $2.8B in damages.
The first ever outreach program of The Help was born in December of 2013, where we organized a gift giving and Christmas program for the less fortunate of our fellow typhoon survivors. We all lost something that fateful day but sharing what we have with others has given us so much more in return.
With our pooled resources, we were able to put together Christmas Baskets for more than 50 families. We shared food, stories, and laughter. This was just the beginning. The Help has been continuing the tradition of service ever since.
Here are a few pictures of the Christmas Haiyan outreach 2013:
In Dec of 2014, we shared a meal, laughter, and gifts with the kids of InJoy Life Children’s Home.
The year 2015 saw more outreach programs with a total of 6 spread over July and December. Some of our beneficiaries were:
- Mangas Elementary School
- Little Angels Home, Inc. (LAHI FOUNDATION)
- Mother Teresa Spinelli’s Treasures
- Bahay San Rafael Home for Special Children
- San Jose Bahay Kalinga (Home for the Aged)
This year has been a busy year for the whole team, but we managed to put together two outreach programs for the year. The Help teamed up with three medical doctors (Dr. Canuto, Dr. Ordonez, Dr. Gellido) and went back to Little Angels Home in July. Medical check-ups were given to more than 50 individuals in the orphanage. Children and adults living in the facility were also provided with free vitamins, first-aid and medical supplies. Just like last year, our team shared a meal with everyone and even played fun games together.
The last program of the year just recently concluded on Dec 12th. We had the opportunity to feed one hundred- forty students, provide essential personal hygiene items, and gift each of their family a Christmas dinner.
Our beneficiaries this year are:
- Little Angels Home, Inc. (LAHI FOUNDATION)
- Alfonso Central School (SpEd, K-6th)
Thank you for being part of The Help and for trusting us with your business over the years. May you always have blessings to share, dreams to realize, and relationships to build. We hope you have had a good year. May this coming year be another chance to create great memories. May you have a stellar Christmas and a bright New Year.
Love,
From all of us at The Help