Charity that Helps Families of Sick Children Awarded £100k

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity could help families reach £1m in unclaimed benefits.

A charity set up to help ill or disabled children has been awarded just over £104,000 to assist families struggling to cope with the financial pressures of caring for their child.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the new name for Yorkhill Children’s Charity, has been awarded the cash from the STV Appeal.

It will now be able to help 500 vulnerable families with children at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow in partnership with NHSGGC.

The charity says parents and carers are often unaware of the financial and practical support available to them and its new Family Support Project aims to claim over £1 million every year in previously unclaimed benefits for qualifying families.

As well as offering financial help, the project will provide practical and emotional support to families, ensuring that their long-term needs outside the hospital environment are valued and supported to prevent poverty cycles recurring.

It is hoped that over 50 referral services and agencies will engage with the programme to identify those families at greatest risk.

Shona Cardle, chief executive at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are delighted to be working with the STV Children’s Appeal and NHSGGC on such an important project.

“Having a child in hospital can be one of the most frightening and stressful experiences for any parent or carer, without having the added worry of how you will cope financially.

“This project will provide support, reassurance and comfort to many of Scotland’s most vulnerable families, listening to their needs and helping them to find a suitable path forward.

“Children from throughout Scotland are treated at The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow and it is fundamental to both Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and the STV Children’s Appeal that these children and their families receive the best care and support available.”

John MacKay, presenter of STV News at Six and an ambassador of the STV Children’s Appeal, presented Shona with a cheque and visited the hospital (pictured). He said: "The Family Support Project is a truly worthwhile initiative and I'm thrilled to present the cheque on behalf of the STV Children's Appeal.

“The visit was an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity to meet some of the children and families who will benefit from the project."

Sir Tom Hunter, whose Hunter Foundation launched the appeal in 2011 and helps meet its overheads, ensuring 100% of donations are spent on the children who need it most, added: "Through the appeal our singular ambition is to deliver sustainable solutions to end child poverty.

“It is simply unacceptable in modern Scotland to still have young people debilitated by poverty through no fault of their own.

“Thanks to this project and many more, the people of Scotland are doing their level best to combat poverty.

"This is about communities coming together and with a hand up, not a hand out, from the STV Children’s Appeal, helping themselves deliver sustainable solutions to end child poverty."

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Source: http://thirdforcenews.org.uk/

3M’s Fun Run for Hungry Minds

The fitness craze in the country has been on a roll in the last few years, with runs and sports activities being put up by various organizations. What made last Saturday’s Fun Run special though, was that it benefited not only those who were running in the event, but it was for an underprivileged sector as well. A few months back, our friends at 3M Philippines asked us to partner with them for a Fun Run for a children’s NGO in need of support. 3M has always been active in their Corporate Social Responsibility, staging programs and even donating to one of our beneficiaries in the past. We were happy to take on the task of organizing this Fun Run for them, and tapped community-based partner Food for Hungry Minds as the event’s beneficiary. Food for Hungry Minds aims to create schools for disadvantaged children, so they can succeed academically through Philippine basic education–to serve in life and to dream of a better future.

The day started early, with 3M Philippines employees and friends coming in at around 4AM. We distributed customized singlets for the run participants, and started off the program with welcome remarks from 3M Philippines’ Managing Director, Anthony Bolzan. Before gunstart, we also called on kuya Josh Berin, a pro-runner and coach who is part of Team Rio. He woke up the participants with his energetic stretches and exercises, also meant to lessen the risk of any injuries while running. The fun run soon commenced, and over a hundred participants went on their way to finish one round of 2.5KM, or more–depending on the number of cycles they were willing to run. Bananas and water were located in various stations to ensure the participants were getting enough hydration and energy, and U! Happy volunteers also acted as marshals to lead the runners in the right direction.

Once everyone had completed the run and got to the finish line, we did a cool down exercise led by kuya Josh. It was a pleasure seeing the runners ecstatic to have finished the route, and having done so for a very good cause. Raffle prizes were up for grabs also, which were in the form of various 3M products that ranged from stethoscopes to car tint. It was overall a great event, and we capped off the jampacked morning with a group photo to capture the event. We would like to thank 3M for being a consistent partner in CSR campaigns, and we look forward to working with them again!

Ormskirk Schoolgirl Planning to Cut Off Hair for Children's Charity

A little girl from Bispham Green, near Ormskirk, is planning to cut off her locks for a children's charity.

Five-year-old Lucy Robinson has decided to cut eight inches from her hair for the Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs for children suffering with hair loss.

The Mawdesley St Peter's pupil decided to cut her hair, after completing the Race for Life last year and asking her mum Emma what more she could do to help people.

Lucy also wants to raise £350 to cover the cost of making a wig for the children.

Emma, 35, said: "She did the 5K Race for Life with me last year, when she was just four, she really wanted to do it with me and raised £60.

"Lucy is an inspiration and always thinking of those less fortunate.

"She came across the Little Princess Trust and was really keen to get involved.

"It obviously was playing on her mind and she kept bringing it up, before she said she wanted to cut it off.

"We gave her a month to think about it and she has decided that she definitely wants to do it. "

Lucy will be having her hair cut on Saturday, March 19 at Headquarters in Parbold.

Emma said: "She's really excited and keeps asking me how many sleeps until she can have it done and how much money she's raised.

"She's a really amazing little girl and me and her dad Paul are just so proud of her."

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Source: http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/

Ate Rvy’s Star City with John David Salvador

Today was a very exciting afternoon as we brought 25 kids to Star City. I always love our field trip events. It is an opportunity for children to experience things outside of school and home. Most of these marginalized kids do not get to go out often and see different kinds of places. Today was the birthday celebration of Ate Rvy. As a flight attendant she gets to travel around the world and see all sorts of beautiful places. She wanted to share this exciting experience with the kids of JD Salvador. Before we went in Ate Rvy gave out gifts for the kids. They got Frozen, Spiderman, and Minion backpacks with gifts inside. They also got party hats that they happily wore inside the park.

I personally haven’t been to Star City for a while. I have forgotten how much fun it was to be adventurous once in a while. As they always say, “life is like a roller coaster!” Most of the kids haven’t had the opportunity to try the kinds of rides offered in Star City so they were very eager to try. In addition to the existing rides the park is offering, they opened up an Annex in the outdoor area. It features several new attractions including the Classic Carousel.

The first adventure we got to try was the Telecombat. Here you get to zoom through the universe on space ships that circle, dip, and climb. The kids shouted as the space ships went up and down. As it went around the kids were able to turn the individual ships around. One of the children wanted to have a solo spaceship. It was adorable as he closed his eyes holding tightly on the sides while he tried peeking every so often.

We then got to try the Dragon Express. It is a mini dragon roller coaster that travels through China. It could fit all sizes of the family so we all had fun as we were able to ride with the kids. The U! Happy Events core team partnered and sat together with a kid. We had so much fun as some of us even tried taking selfies while the dragon was moving.

Then we tried the popular ride The Viking. It is the classic swing ride where the huge ship rocks back and forth. They hugged and held on to each other as the ship rocked upwards. As the ship rocked downward the kids shrieked in delight as they waived their hands up in the air.

We also got to try several other attractions like the Happy Swing, a huge swing that rocks back and forth, Jumping Star, this ride bring you all the way to the top, then all of a sudden drops you all the way down, and others. The kids shouted in delight as they felt like their hearts were dropping to the ground.

Some of the kids went on the Giant Star Wheel. it is the third tallest Ferris Wheel in the country where you get to experience the beautiful view of Roxas Boulevard and Manila Bay. The kids were excited in anticipation as they waited for their gondola to reach the top. They were amazed how stunning the view was from high up. It’s not everyday one gets to be at about 205 ft above ground!

The last attraction we got to try was the Classic Carousel. The ride was quickly filled by our kids as most of them wanted to try it. Ate Rvy joined our kids in the carousel. She was able to go around and bonded with some kids as the carousel went around.

As we reached the end of the day we gathered the kids around. They gave us their heartwarming hugs and thank you’s for a great day. They sang Ate Rvy a Happy Birthday song. That day was her actual birthday which made it even more meaningful as she was able to spend it with these delightful children. For Ate Rvy, the best way to make yourself happy is to help others. Lifting other people’s spirits will lift you up too. She further added, “Doing a good deed makes you feel like you have a purpose in the world – a purpose that’s much bigger than yourself. Isn’t that the best feeling ever?”

4-Year-Old Donates Long Locks to Wig Charity for Kids

BUTTE — Any kid who loves haircuts may be a cut above his peers.

Nolan Drake of Butte, a Lego-loving 4-year-old, gladly let his golden locks grow long for an entire year then donated the hair to charity.

He wants his dearly departed hair to be made into natural wigs, specifically for kids. Christina Drake, his mother, let him make the call — despite his previous hatred for haircuts.

"He made the decision about a year to a year and a half ago that he was going to grow out his (already long) hair and donate it to children who don't have hair due to illness or disease," said Christina.

On Thursday, exactly one year to the day since his last haircut, she took her precocious son into Beauty on Broadway.

Then cosmologist Kyle Marshall started snipping Nolan's precious locks.

"I have cut a little girl's hair for charity, but not a boy's before," said Marshall. "He was very good. He was probably one the best toddlers I've had. I'm super proud of him."

Marshall said her shop usually uses Locks for Love, a charity that converts donated natural hair to wigs.

But after much research, Christina selected Children With Hair Loss, a nonprofit based in South Rockwood, Mich. The charity takes donations — monetary and follicle — to make human hair replacement wigs for children with medically related hair loss.

"I read reviews and audits, and from what I read, they've got only one paid employee," she said of Children With Hair Loss. "It's totally nonprofit, and they don't charge for the wigs, so I figured that was the one."

Plus, the charity only required a minimum of eight inches of hair. Nolan ended up with about 10 inches, reaching nearly to his elbows. Some organizations require 12 inches.

"It was pretty long," Christina said "He was totally satisfied. He couldn't wait to show all his friends his boy haircut."

Jennifer Smith, Nolan's Silver Bow Montessori teacher, used his charity experiment as a teachable moment for her early education class of 25. Nolan is one of the oldest students among the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds.

"Some of the older kids understood enough," said Smith. "You don't need to give them a lot of information. I explained to them about sick children taking medication, losing their hair and needing wigs."

Smith took before-and-after photos of Nolan to share with the students.

"Montessori is very experiential and concrete, and that's real hair," Smith added. "We wanted to have some fun with it. As soon as Nolan walked in Friday wearing his stocking cap, he said, 'I did it.'"

In keeping with the school's mission, Nolan was a big hit with his school mates.

"We're all very close to each other, and some of the older students know, too, and we were excited to see him," Smith said.

Montessori, a private school for kids ages 3 to sixth grade, stresses hands-on learning while nurturing "independent children engaged in joyful learning" in its mission statement.

"He's a great boy — a very kind, empathetic child," Smith said. "It's been a neat thing to share in the classroom."

Nolan will turn 5 on March 26, then he moves up to the big leagues next year: kindergarten at Margaret Leary Elementary. His willingness to part with his hair impressed everyone.

"That's a pretty significant decision for such a young child to make," added Christina. "He's got a heart of gold, that kid. Now he wants to do it again."

Little brother Logan, a redhead, wants to follow big brother's lead.

"Logan never has said anything negative about his brother's hair," Christina said. "But yesterday he told me, 'I want to grow my hair out.'"

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Source: http://billingsgazette.com/

NGA Human Resources Art Workshop with Ysiro Elementary School

Going to San Ysyro Elementary School was difficult. Not only were the roads rough, it was far from the commercial establishments of Antipolo. Houses sprung up every once in a while, but not too often. So you could imagine the distances that San Ysyro students traverse to get a chance to learn. The difficulty to get to the location was something that the NGA CSR team recognized, as such they partnered with Team ICE and U! Happy Events to make a fun filled art activity for the kids.

It took almost 2 hours to get to the school. But upon arriving, the school’s backdrop was very picturesque – there were just hills upon hills and green pastures in sight. It was also surprisingly chilly, a sign that it’ll be a perfect day for an event.

There were almost 200 children at the back of the open court waiting for the teams to arrive. You could see in their faces how giddy they were to start. For the first activity, the kids grouped themselves into 10. Around 5 volunteers from NGA were assigned to each group. The host asked the groups to introduce themselves by saying their name, their favorite color, and their favorite celebrities. To energize the groups, a game of Bring Me Shapes had the groups forming themselves into stars, triangles, squares, trees and even roller coasters for a chance to win prizes. As everyone settled in from the energizing activity, it was time for the art activity.

The art activity was simple, but useful – a fishing game. Materials distributed to the groups were barbeque sticks (with the tips cut off), yarns, paper clips, scissors and papers drawn with fishes. The first task was to create the fishing rods. A foot length of yarn was simply tied to the barbeque stick. The paper clip was then reshaped into a hook, then yarn was tied to it. After that, the volunteers were tasked to help the children cut the fish shapes off the paper. A finger length of yarn was then tied from the fish’s mouth, knotted to create a round shape. Basically, the fish shapes would just be spread on the ground, with the fishing rod’s hook attempting to catch the fishes. You could see the joy in the children’s eyes as they try their best to hook one fish after another.

It was finally time for merienda – chicken adobo, vegetables and rice. The volunteers were asked to eat with the kids to foster more interaction. Once everyone’s done eating, it was time for gift giving. The NGA CSR Team and Team ICE had a lot of gifts to give, like school supplies, ice creams, and goodie bags. More importantly though is that they’d be giving away Crocs to the children because they saw how far these children walked just to get to school, and how damaged their current slippers were.

The event ended with a group picture and a round of hugs.Thank U! to the NGA CSR Team and Team ICE for making this event a joyous success.

Rescue Mission Completes Shelter Expansion

SAN DIEGO — As she looked across the room at the shelter where she and her baby once slept on a mattress on the floor, Tiffany Newby began to tear up.

“We used to sleep back there,” said Newby, a program manager and supervisor at the San Diego Rescue Mission.

Newby wasn’t fighting back tears at the memory, but at the improvements that have been made to the mission’s Nueva Vida Haven since she stayed in it about 10 years ago.

“The beds are amazing, and I love the kids’ corner,” she said about the recent improvements. “The kids have chalkboard walls and toys to play with. It’s just awesome.”

The San Diego Rescue Mission, 120 Elm St., is opening its doors to the public Saturday afternoon to reveal the results of an August fundraiser that renovated an emergency shelter for women and children.

Like many who have gone through the mission’s rehabilitation program, Newby said her life has turned around since she first showed up with a three-month-old son.

Recently released from prison at the time, Newby had been repeatedly riding the trolley with her baby just to have a place to sleep after being turned away from a shelter for violating curfew.

Arriving at the mission in 2006 on her 35th birthday, she said she was taken in without question.

“You mean I can just show up?” she remember asking someone who referred her to the mission.

The mission had been in several downtown locations before moving into the former Harbor View Hospital on the corner of Elm Street and 2nd Avenue in 2004.

Herb Johnson, president and CEO of the mission, said the first years in the hospital were lean, and about 30 percent of the building was leased to Volunteers of America and other tenants.

“When we moved in, we could barely afford to be here,” Johnson said, recalling the early days at the location.

Vice President of Development Michael Johnson said the mission could only provide mattresses for the emergency shelter.

“Everything was on the ground,” he said. “Mattress next to mattress, person next to person. If we had to squeeze in more people, we put down more mattresses.”

In recognition of its 60th anniversary last August, the Rescue Mission held a casino night as a nod to its original location in a downtown card shop. The event raised $135,000, enough to fund the renovations to Nueva Vida Haven, which included installing a new floor and raising the ceiling one foot to allow for new bunk beds.

“We’ve reduced the numbers in here a little bit and made it considerably more humane,” Herb Johnson said.

The mission is licensed for 60 people but can take in more in bad weather or if the San Diego Police’s Homeless Outreach Team brings in a woman with a child who have no place else to go.

The new shelter also has a separate room with a crib and a few beds for mothers with young children or children who have autism and need a quieter environment. On Thursday, Newby said the shelter was expecting a woman with a one-day-old baby that night.

A children’s corner is filled with play things and a toy kitchen for the young ones and computer stations for their mothers.

Besides Nueva Vida Haven, the mission also operates 12-month residential program for men and a separate one for women and children, transitional housing, a children’s center, recuperative care, work therapy and an outpatient therapy clinic.

Newby said her life began to change shortly after coming to the shelter and entering the rehabilitation program.

“Two months into the program was when I decided I wanted to go to college,” said Newby, who is working on a master’s in psychology with plans to earn a doctorate.

“When you’re homeless and in the legal system and living the lifestyle that goes with it, you opinions and thoughts are different than when you’re able to get into a place like NVH (Nueva Vida Haven),” she said about her transition.

“Tiffay’s story is amazing,” said Dr. Nikki Watkins, vice president of clinical programs. “But it takes a lot of personal work as well. I would say Tiffany took it and ran with it.”

The shelter is open for women and children from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and never closed during the renovation.

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Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/

Charity Cycle Challenge Helps Children in Africa

A CHILDREN’S charity in the North-East has raised more than £21,000 for a life-changing education project in Africa.

The COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas) Maasai Cycle Challenge saw a team of nine battle torrential rain, blistering heat and unforgiving Kenyan terrain as they rode 150km in four days.

Double Olympic gold medal winner Daley Thompson and TV and radio presenter Colin Murray saddled up alongside the charity’s co-founder Steve Cram, former Olympic athlete Allison Curbishley and six others.

Daley Thompson said: “Having come on the cycle trip and seen exactly where the money goes, I am full of admiration for the team at COCO because the kids seem so happy and full of hope.”

During their cycle ride, the nine COCO cyclists climbed a total height of 4,000m in the African heat, and were guided by members of the Maasai community, who offered an insight into their culture and way of life.

While in Kenya, the cyclists visited Maasai Academy, where Cram and Thompson opened a new nursery classroom, a project that has been funded by COCO.

They met some of the young people who have benefited from the charity’s work in the area and played an impromptu game of football.

Steve Cram said: “I am so proud of the whole group who had to contend with challenging conditions on top of the testing terrain, but they never faltered in their determination and enthusiasm to complete the ride.

“I know that the morning spent at Maasai Academy provided that extra injection of energy required, as they saw first hand how much COCO has been able to achieve in that community due to their efforts.

“Winning the Maasai versus COCO football match was a bonus.”

COCO was co-founded by Steve Cram, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, and British Army Major Jim Panton in 2000.

The charity works with communities in remote regions of the developing world to alleviate the poverty that prevents children’s education, and has raised and invested over £3.5 million since its foundation.

The charity has now supported 50 transformational projects in 16 countries, positively impacting the lives of more than 150,000 people.

Chief executive Lucy Philipson said: “At COCO, we’re proud of the transparency of our work and it is really valuable to be able to demonstrate so clearly how donations are used to make a direct and positive impact on young lives.”

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Source: http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/

Camp Pag-Ibig Year 2

What a way to celebrate Valentine’s. It was a privilege once again to be part of Camp Pag-Ibig which is now on its 40th year. Last year was our first time to collaborate with JCI Quezon City Capitol, QC Government and other Government agencies like DSWD and Manila Water which hosts the venue for the annual camp.

Our role was the same. We primarily execute the activities for the three camps, Giliw, Sinta and the biggest one Irog. We took care of doing acting workshop through Kuya Rich Rodriguez, Zumba by Kuya Alvin and I conducting two games- Inside Out and Kuya Harvard says. U! Happy Events also assisted while the kids take a swim.

Camp Pag-Ibig started with a mass at 730AM and finishes with camp palabas (some schools present) and closing ceremonies at 4pm. It is a whole day activity with almost 2,000 SPED children with their teachers and guardians. An event that’s physically tiring but memorable.

Thank you to around 15 volunteers who showed up and assisted our activities for the children. Next year again?

BIC Hosts Charity Day for Children

As part of its 40th anniversary campaign in 2015, Botswana Insurance Company Limited(BIC) hosted a charity day with the children of Cheshire Foundation Botswana (CFB) Mogoditshane Rehabilitation Centre.

On Wednesday February 24, 2016, BIC took its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts a little further and donated bedding to the Foundation. BIC Managing Director, Johann Claasen handed over bedding in the form of sheets, pillows  and pillowcases, bath and face towels to the CFB Mogoditshane Rehabilitation Centre.  Getrude Lebotse, who is the Head of Finance and Administration received the donations on behalf of the Centre.

“We are delighted by your donations and we really value every donation we get, because it goes a long way in helping us achieve our goal”, she said. The bedding will help in the improvement of boarding facilities for children who are residing in the Centre. Handing over the donation, Claasen, BIC’s Managing Director, highlighted that BIC & its team are honoured to be involved with the Foundation & their vision of ​providing rehabilitation services to the people of Botswana. “We are humbled by what the CFB does.  We hope our donations

will aid in some way and we anticipate to continue working with the Centre in future to assist wherever possible.” Cheshire Foundation of Botswana is a charitable, non governmental organisation established in 1988 to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to the people of Botswana. The organisation runs a wide range of programmes, which enables it to cover a wide range of disability related issues. This is inclusive of residential and daycare programmes for handicapped children aged between five and 15 years who receive Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Special Education and Speech Language therapy.

BIC strongly believes in the betterment of the society and we support projects that are looking into improving the lives of the less fortunate and the disabled. ​BIC appreciates and understands that development does not solely lie in the hands of government, but that it is also up to private sector players to contribute towards transforming, reconstructing and developing the nation.

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Source: http://www.mmegi.bw/

Kuya Dominic’s Dance Workshop with Little Lights

We all know that kids have this seemingly boundless energy in their body that’s why dancing is one of the best ways to channel it. Dancing is a great alternative to other dangerous activities for children and can be offered even indoor. With that, thanks to Kuya Dominic “Nico” Santiago for making this possible!

Last Saturday, February 13, 2016, we conducted simple hip-hop dance lesson with Little Lights kids. Hip hop is kind of a hard dance for the kids but thanks to Kuya Gammy for guiding and teaching them. We used Justin Bieber’s Sorry as our song.

Before dancing, volunteers joined the kids for some cool games. Winners of each game came from different groups and it was a proof that all teams were doing their best and actively participated to be on top. After such, the team, together with the volunteers distributed food recharge the lost energy and gave gifts to the kids.

Even though Kuya Nico arrived late on the said event, he still felt that happiness that the kids felt during the whole duration of event. A great decision where to celebrate his birthday!

Snowmen Sales Boost Children’s Charity

A Moray charity has received a late Christmas present in the form of a bumper donation amassed by Buckie High School over the festive period.

Sixth year pupils at the school raised nearly £3,500 for the Logan’s Fund children’s cancer group by crafting and selling unique “snowmannie” figurines.

The creative youngsters handmade the decorations from little more than socks, buttons, rice and ribbons.

Pupils Erin McKenzie, Megan McGowan, Isla McRae, Emmy-Jo Munro, Niamh Paterson and Taylor Patient were mentored by teacher Sarah Matthews during the project.

They marketed the trinkets during community events throughout December, and at various Christmas fairs.

And they handed over the generous pledge to a special visitor to the school this week.

Elgin seven-year-old Ehryn Andrews was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma tumour in her pelvis on her sixth birthday in October 2014.

After enduring months of intense treatment and suffering heart failure last year, the brave youngster is now in remission from cancer.

Logan’s Fund has paid for her family to enjoy a holiday abroad this summer, and the charity said Ehryn was “thrilled” to act as its ambassador in collecting the donation.

Pupil Taylor Patient said: “We felt Logan’s Fund was the perfect organisation to donate our profits to as we were moved by the kindness of this charity and how the money we raised would be used to help suffering families.

“We were completely astounded and delighted by our finishing profit of £3446.00.”

Miss Paterson added: “Meeting Ehryn and knowing she would benefit from the money we raised in our enterprise project was really great.

“She is a lovely brave wee girl and is very deserving of the opportunities Logan’s Fund grant.”

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Source: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/

Accenture BST Team’s Art In Island with ECPAT

January was definitely a great way to kick-off the new year. With eight events for the month and a continuously growing team, we can definitely say that this year is looking pretty good for us. For our 706th event, and the last one for the month, Accenture BST showed how much they cared. From the list of our many partner beneficiary organizations, they chose ECPAT to share their experience with in Art in Island, Asia’s largest interactive 3D art museum.

ECPAT is an international organization connecting networks around the globe to fight against sexual exploitation of children. Although the general public might be aware of the negative impact that it has on children and to society, only a few of us might actually know the gravity of the situation. Over 1.8 million children worldwide are victims of sexual exploitation through prostitution and child pornography. It is also believed that around 16% of human trafficking victims are children for sexual exploitation. This billion dollar industry thrives not only on those who support it, but also on those who tolerate it.

On January 30, 2016, Accenture BST served as an example on how to take a stand against sexual exploitation of children. The day started out with the volunteers meeting the children and through a simple game of searching your matching number, the volunteers and the children instantly clicked with each other. The next few hours were spent posing and taking photos in Art in Island. As a “buddy system” was established, the Ates and Kuyas of Accenture BST and the children of ECPAT really got to bond and know each other. It was amazing to watch how each pair found comfort in each other as they went through each attraction in the museum. The event was concluded with a few games and the volunteers and children sharing a meal… And hugs! …which turned into tears for some of the children as they parted with their partner volunteers.

The event showed that, in our own way, we can give hope and share love to one another. Regardless of how little (or big) those acts may be, we can show support to those who need it the most.

Buffalo String Works Provides Music Lessons to Refugee and Immigrant Children

Music students of all ages know that music is not just memorizing notes from Vivaldi and practicing the proper technique. It becomes an outlet of creative expression, a way to convey thoughts and feelings to the audiences.

That is what UB music professor Numata Resnick is teaching her students in the Buffalo String Works after school program. Buffalo String Works is a non-profit organization for refugee and immigrant children in Buffalo. Inspired by the music students at Buffalo Public School No. 45, the idea was to provide intimate private lessons for underprivileged students.

“By giving our Buffalo String Works students an opportunity to congregate outside of the classroom, outside of school, outside of these walls that imply academia and discipline,” Resnick said, “I feel like I’ve seen tremendous growth in their social skills, in the way they interact with each other and the way they interact with us.”

Resnick, with the help of local violist Virginia Barren and school No. 45 music teacher Elice Golove, started the program a year and a half ago.

Today she has the help of many people from the community and local volunteer high school students.

She’s created an internship program working with Buffalo String Works so that her UB students can get the chance to teach music.

Today, the program is thriving and caters to 38 students from both public school No. 45 and the West Buffalo Charter School. For Resnick, each group lesson is much more than just a musical after-school program that meets twice a week.

“We’ve had so much support from private donors that now we are looking into grant writing and corporate sponsorship and trying to grow ourselves on that side of things as well,” Resnick said.

For Resnick, music also plays a serious role in helping her students express themselves in a manner that may be less complicated. With the time spent practicing after school, she said the children are allowed to grow and mature in a setting outside of the classroom.

“Many of our students are from all over the world,” Resnick said. “[For] some, English is not their first language. Music provides them a way of expressing themselves in a universal language that has nothing to do with words.”

The opportunity to play and practice an instrument is seen as an experience that every student should have. It’s the chance to experience and create something new.

For young students coming from different countries, music becomes more than just a hobby – it becomes a way for them to ease the stress of living and experiencing an entirely new environment and culture.

“Kids from other countries might feel away from home here in the United States. However, music gives them a voice to connect with others, it makes them feel not like an outsider, but like they are part of a community,” said Jaspreet Kaur, a sophomore nursing major interested in social work.

Jared Armitage, a junior political science major, said projects like the Buffalo String Works provide a great outlet for kids. The program is not only providing them with tools and instruction, but also a chance to grow in a way that may not have been possible in their home countries, he said.

“Music is a good way to express yourself. I think it’s a good outlet for the kids to have to deal with their transition from their home country to here. I also think it’s a great avenue to make friends and expand their horizons,” Armitage said.

As of now, Buffalo String Works provide free violin lessons on Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoon at the Concerned Ecumenical Ministry from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 to 5:15 p.m.

The program plans to introduce cello lessons this fall and then the viola soon afterward.

In the future, Resnick hopes to expand the program even further, creating a fully equipped orchestra and even branching out into a community music school.

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Source: http://www.ubspectrum.com/

Charity Appeals for Help Funding Treatment Centre for Disabled Children in Cameroon

A HUMANITARIAN charity is fundraising to build a new treatment centre for disabled children in West Africa.

The Swindon branch of charity Future in Our Hands Education and Development Fund is appealing for the public’s help in raising £9,000 for the new centre in Bafoussam, Cameroon.

A new treatment centre will provide a home for Global Rehabilitation Services (GLORES) to change the lives of disabled children. Despite limited income, the non-profit organisation has helped more than 1500 children in Cameroon and Western Africa.

GLORES aims to prevent disability in children and support them with education and training.

Led by Dr Albert Wingo, along with a small team of Dutch volunteer doctors, GLORES performs life changing operations to reconstruct children’s limbs and provide rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Future in Our Hands has already raised more than £16,000 for the new centre which will include large dormitories and an orthopaedic workshop.

Charity chairman, Alan Stewart from Stratton said the charity was determined to help in any way they can.

“We have been helping this project with a major contribution of local labour from concerned parents who have already established the foundations with building blocks baked in the sun. We need around £9,000 to complete and equip this centre,” he said.

“We believe the future is in our control. We put women first, children first, the environment first. Mike Thomas, who used to be chairman of our charity spearheaded the work that we have done in Cameroon and we are determined to get this centre built as soon as possible.”

It was during a 2008 trip to Cameroon that former teacher Alan witnessed the effects of malnutrition on children and first met Dr Wingo.

“It was so distressing seeing children everywhere with disabilities, many had bowed legs due to rickets and it was harrowing to see. It made you realise how different life can be,” he said.

“Over there children can be discriminated against, and there is a belief that it’s due to something the children have done wrong, which we all know is nonsense. Something can be done and this will enable Dr Wingo to help more children change their lives.

“The work that Dr Wingo does is extraordinary, he is not only improving childrens’ lives but he is doing it with such a small team of volunteers. That is why we wanted to help.

“I know from being over there, something as small as £10 really does make a difference, I’ve seen it. £10 can change someone’s life completely.”

Future in Our Hands has worked with Non-Governmental Organisations in Cameroon for more than 20 years, which means the charity can guarantee all contributions will directly benefit disadvantaged children.

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Source: http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/

Ate Cristelle’s Story Telling with National Children’s Hospital

As we continue our 10th year celebration serving marginalized children, we had another packed weekend last week.

We had two events last saturday morning. One of the events was the birthday celebration of Ate Cristelle. She turned 21 last January 19th. This year she wanted to celebrate her birthday in a different way. She invited her friends and family to spend time at the M3 ward of National Children’s Hospital. This hospital has been a partner hospital for six years now. Thanks for the support of the doctors, nurses, and staff of NCH, this is our 12th event with them to date. The children we spent with today had had different kinds of illness. Some were being treated for dengue, dermatitis, bad case of indigestion and infection. Most of them were younger than seven years old. There was even as tiny as a 4 month old baby, who was suffering from difficulty breathing so a tube had to be placed to aid in her breathing.

Books are a great way for us to travel and experience the world. It is a way for us to instill good values to children. Today was a day of stories. Our excellent story teller, Ate Dyaly, started the morning with a couple of great stories. Our event was held in 2 rooms, where we simultaneously did the activities planned for the day. Ate Dyaly first spent time with the children of the first room. She told the story of a boy named Mario who got to learn about the different animals. Ate Dyaly taught the kids the different kinds of animals through the sounds they make. She made animal sounds of dogs, cats, pig, and others.

While the first group enjoyed the animal stories, Ate Te and Kuya Glen were in the second room facilitating games for the older children. They did the point to the body part game where they would repeatedly say a body part then finally say the correct part the children were to point to. For instance, Kuya Glen would repeatedly say: “nose, nose, nose, nose,…… shoulders!” The kids had to point to their shoulders. The tricky part was that Kuya Glen also pointed to a different body part when he said “shoulders” which could cause a bit of confusion. The children laughed as they tired to stay alert and accurately point to the correct body part. Some had to point to several parts first before finally pointing to the correct one.

After the game Ate Dyaly came to the second room to do the story telling. She told the story of a boy who did not give importance to personal hygiene. Every time it happened vegetables would grow from the boy’s body part. In the end Ate Dyaly was able to teach the importance of keeping ourselves clean. After the main story telling we gave out story books so our volunteers can tell a story to each of the children. We partnered the ates and kuyas with the children in the ward. The volunteers got the chance to get to know the parents and children. After that they told a story to their kids. The children got to keep the story books as our gift to them.

We then had our early lunch and Ate Cristelle gave out gifts to the children. We sang a happy birthday song for the birthday celebrant. The volunteers each offered a simple message and prayer for their children as they said their goodbyes.

These children being at a very young age, we were glad to someone alleviate the discomfort they are suffering through the different stories we told. The children smiled as the volunteers tried their best to tell the stories as best as they could. The kids have been confined in the hospitals for days and weeks. Through our stories, we were able to transport these kids to a different world and share some lessons and values they can always carry with them.

More Volunteers Needed for Children's Charity CHICKS

THIS year children's charity CHICKS is hoping to help 1,200 youngsters, but to reach that goal it will need more than 500 volunteers.

The charity hosts respite breaks for disadvantaged children at its centre in Tywardreath as well as in Devon and Derbyshire and has just welcomed its first group of children for this year at half term.

The young people are given a week-long break in the countryside and take part in all sorts of activities they otherwise might not get a chance to experience away from the concerns of their everyday lives.

They come from all over the country and last year this included 150 children from Cornwall, including a nine-year-old carer whose father has cancer and whose mother has a long-term medical condition.

Other children might also be young carers or they could be victims of abuse or bullying or poverty – what they have in common is that without CHICKS they would not have a holiday during the year.

Every CHICKS break is led by three fully-trained leaders along with up to six adult volunteers.

Anyone over 18 can volunteer and no experience is necessary, just the energy and enthusiasm to make sure all the children have the best time possible.

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Source: http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/

Kuya Chester’s Baking Workshop with Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid

Another balikbayan Filipino took the time to give back to children this Christmas season. We’ve been getting a number of these this 2015. Thanks to our Create Your Own Event form, we got to communicate well with Kuya Chester Chan while he was still in Singapore. He is a friend of our Singapore Ambassador, Ate Joanna Villagarcia-Blanding. We are ecstatic that we are slowly tapping international.

One of regular baking workshop supporters, Chef Paul Samson volunteered and sponsored our main activity. He was joined by two of his students who were a big help in managing 50 children from Tulong sa Kapwa Kapatid. We did three rounds of non baking. We had make your own Pastillas, Peanut Butter with Strawberry Jam Crepe plus Cupcake decorating. The photos speaks so much on how much fun everyone had. It was a first for the kids to have an activity like this.

As we continue to shift to more enriching events, baking will teach children the balance of creativity as they make their own versions of desserts and the right measurements to make the product happen. It also encapsulates the value of listening and communicating with peers to make it a relevant experience.

Even though Christmas has passed, the children received bags of goodies from Kuya Chester and friends. They received Oishi packs, juices and biscuits from another sponsor, Rebisco.

Prosper High School Film Festival to Benefit Children’s Charity

Prosper High School junior Abbie Cleveland knows all too well the pain that can accompany a broken heart.

That is because the teen’s 9-year-old cousin, Grace Cooper, was born with one.

When she was just a few days old, Grace was diagnosed with Holmes Heart, a congenital heart defect, and underwent her first open-heart surgery. In the years since, several other surgeries and procedures have followed.

“I remember growing up, my cousin couldn’t swim with us because it’d be too cold outside and her heart wouldn’t pump blood right,” recalled 16-year-old Cleveland. “I’m always going to feel guilty for her being sick and I’m not.”

Although there is not much the teen can do to medically assist her cousin, Cleveland is working to raise awareness about congenital heart defects.

She is a member of Prosper High’s Eagle Production Group, an audio-video class that produces films and other projects. The group is scheduled to host a student film festival beginning at 7 p.m. Friday at the school, located at 301 Eagle Drive.

Funds raised during the event, which will also feature a raffle and a bake sale, will benefit Amazing Little Hearts, a nonprofit support group that provides resources to families of children born with congenital heart defects.

The goal is to raise $2,500 for the organization, according to A/V teacher Kelly Maxey.

“The kids have done all the work on this,” she said, which included securing sponsors and promoting the event.

Cleveland became familiar with the organization, which is affiliated with Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas, through Grace who is set to attend tonight’s event.

Filmmaking, Cleveland said, is “definitely my passion, so anything I can be passionate about and raise money for is something I am onboard for.”

Luckily, so were Cleveland’s classmates when she suggested that Eagle Production Group host a film festival benefitting Amazing Little Hearts.

The teen’s personal connection to the organization “is pretty special,” Maxey said. The condition is “just something you don’t hear much about, so it’s good to let people know that there is this charity out there that’s helping kids and their families.”

To help introduce the audience to congenital heart defects, Cleveland and her classmates Sarah Stiles and Noah Maxey created a short film called “Happy Heart,” which will open the festival.

“It’s about a little girl, and she is sick and she can’t afford to have her heart fixed,” Cleveland explained of the plot.

“She writes letter to her guardian angel and her sister finds it and sends it to Amazing Little Hearts,” which pays for the girl’s surgery. “In the end, she thinks her guardian angel fixed her heart.”

It took Cleveland and her classmates about a week to create the film, which was shot on location at her family’s home.

About a dozen student-made short films will be screened at the festival, including a few that were submitted to compete in UIL’s Young Filmmakers Festival.

One of those is “Race Car,” which Cleveland wrote and produced. The film reached UIL’s semifinal round and may advance to the state competition being held next month in Austin.

“Race Car” follows a young girl as she grows from a tomboy into a teen and lands in an abusive relationship with a boyfriend.

Cleveland said the project took her months to complete, even with assistance from her classmates.

“We just have a lot of kids that are really serious about this program,” she said of her fellow filmmakers. “There’s a strong group - especially in my class - of people who know that they want to pursue [filmmaking] and they know they have to make their portfolio strong now so they can get into a visual-arts school or a film school.”

Count Cleveland among them. Since traveling with her classmates last year to New York City and attending the All-American High School Film Festival, she said she has her sights set on attending the city’s School of Visual Arts.

“I realized that this is what’s going to make me happy,” she said.

Affording young filmmakers opportunities to screen their works at events like Friday's festival is “important,” Cleveland said. “I know as a student filmmaker we don’t always get representation that we want and the acknowledgement that we need.”

The same can likely be said about the work done by organizations such as Amazing Little Hearts.

“It makes me happy that we’re bringing awareness to this,” she said, “since not a lot of people know about” congenital heart defects.

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Source: http://starlocalmedia.com/

Under Armour’s PBA Live with JD Salvador

After an event with children of Gentle Hands in Quezon City, we drove on the opposite end to watch PBA live in Mall of Asia Arena with 16 children and teens of JD Salvador Foundation. Thanks to connections we have built through the years, we get more invites to activities children in marginalized sector don’t get to experience.

Ate Karen Romarte got to connect us to Under Armour who got us seats courtside. Am just excited for the boys who got to see their basketball heroes in person. They cheered in almost every shot.

We were also joined by Ms. Earth winner, Angelia Ong. She’s also part of JCI Manilena where Ate Karen Romarte is past president of. It was truly a unique time for everyone.