Christmas Activity: Support a family

Christmas is a special season for Filipinos, with celebrations lasting for several months. One of the traditions very much looked forward to in the Philippines is the Christmas dinner feast, called the ‘Noche Buena’. Unfortunately, not all families can afford this kind of luxury due to the widespread poverty in the country. 

That is why we, the Youth for a United World of Manila, launched a project to encourage people to make this Christmas season a meaningful moment, by sharing what they have and sponsor a impoverished family’s Noche Buena. By committing to give 500 PHP (~$ 12), one can give a whole family something to look forward to during this season of love and sharing. These Christmas feasts will be distributed to the poorest families living in the communities being supported by the Bukas Palad (Open Hands) social centres (http://www.bukaspalad.org) around the Philippines. Most of them have also been victims of the floods that took place during this year. 

With just 3 weeks into the campaign, we have already gathered more than a hundred pledges from people who will sponsor one or more families. With just an initial target to give for a hundred families confined to just one area in Manila, we have raised our target to 1000 families to cater to wider recipients throughout the country because of the continuous support from people who just wants to help. Pledges have come as far as the United States of America, Germany and Italy.

We still have a long way to go before Christmas, and we are sure we will be able to give more families a Christmas worth remembering.