Note: Reposted from last week

Hi IVolunteers! 

A little more than a month ago, we made a volunteering call for Program Facilitators for Tahanang Balik Alay, our shelter for the poor and abandoned Philippine elderly.

The eight passionate volunteers who answered, improvised on an idea (from the students-with-hearts org), to what we then later called “The Elder's Box".

The Elder's box contains their personal profiles, yet much more valuable. It's like a living box. This is how it works:

·       The facilitators conducted an in depth interview with the elders, to create their written profiles. The collected personal data were then placed in each elder’s personal boxes.

·       Whenever some outreach guests or volunteers come visit Tahanang Balik Alay, they will have to randomly choose an "Elder's box and first read the contained profile. The goal is to effect a more personable, quality interaction with the elder whose box he has chosen.

·       At the end of the interaction, the guest will then leave something in the box, a note, a photo or a personal memorabilia of the encounter.

Here's an example:

Dear Nanay Mercy,

Nag enjoy po ako sa pag-uusap natin. Sana nag enjoy ka din. Babalik po ako regularly. Don't forget yung advise ko ha - na keep yourself busy para din niyo na maiicip yung mga heartaches niyo.

This is my phone number - 09161234567. Ipa txt niyo lang po ako sa kanila kung kylangan niyo ako. Tulad kung Bday nyo kasi baka makalimutan ko.. hehe..

I'll also leave my small photo para matandaan niyo face ko.. Also this Bible devotional pamphlet para basahin niyo. See you next week!

Love, Olenny. :)

1.   We're hoping that in the long run, these boxes will overflow with encounter memorabilia, for the elders to read, especially at times when they miss their own families.

We still need to paint these boxes with the elders, print the profiles for easy reading and to laminate the completed ones, for them to last a long time. Hopefully long enough to preserve even the box itself, even after their inevitable passing.

In this regard, the box could also serve as the elders’ estate (if they’d so wish), them selecting someone to whom they would like to eventually leave their personal box to – like an inheritance.

Since most of them were abandoned (sad to say), so no families of their own, then they could opt to choose from among their friends, whose memorabilia notes had accumulated in the box.

2.   We also aim to measure the outcomes of this program, believing that the box will provide some therapeutic value, not to mention the fact that the elders happily participates, seeing the activity as somehow playful and kind of sweet.

Pls come join us this Saturday and help us pursue this program for the elders.

Directions:

From Ortigas ave., just take the Binangonan/Angono Jeeps.

There's also a jeep terminal in front of Star Mall

Edsa cor Shaw blvd.

Nearest landmark is the G Liner bus Terminal in Taytay (on your left)

Around 100 mtrs after G Liner is the Manlapaz Furniture store (on your right).

We're at the back of the store.

You can also call 4756418 and look for Nimfa.

Proverbs 19:17

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord…