Despite the year we’ve all been through, we still find reasons to be thankful, whether it be for renewed family ties, improved health or still holding down a job. Sharing one’s blessings becomes even more important and meaningful at a time like this. Here are some ways to spread some Christmas cheer.
Supporting skilled, underserved sectors
For many years now, Gifts & Graces has been helping skilled but underserved communities in different parts of the country. They work with banig weavers from Bicol, Leyte and Palawan; T’boli brass artisans who produce beautiful bells and other keepsakes; and sewing communities of women from Biñan in Laguna, Mandaluyong, Pandacan, Bicutan and Tarlac. Give a gift of hope while supporting the hands that made these gifts. Find the perfect gift atgiftsandgraces.shop. (giftsandgraces.shop/pages/meet-the-people-behind-the-product)
Lip balms, disinfecting wipes for front-liners
Burt’s Bees Philippines is donating 1,000 lip balms to front-liners in five hospitals in Metro Manila: The Medical City, St. Luke’s Medical Center QC, Lung Center of the Philippines, National Children’s Hospital and Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
“We hope that by treating our front-liners to something as simple as lip balm, we can spark hope and lift them up,” said Paulo Lao, Burt’s Bees international sales and marketing director for Southeast Asia. “This is our own little way of sharing joy and thanking them for their heroic efforts to save and protect Filipinos.”
Clorox is also giving 1,000 packs of disinfecting wipes to the five hospitals. “We’re starting with these five, but we’re already securing resources to extend this initiative to more hospitals nationwide,” said Lao, who is also Clorox international sales and marketing director for the region.
Art that’s fit to print
Artist Ehrran Montoya, who does fashion-inspired illustrations on pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, held his first exhibit in his hometown in Morong, Rizal, earlier this month.
A portion (10 percent) of the sales will be donated to Morong Volunteers Emergency Response Team to organize the distribution of relief goods for poor families in Sitio Agas-as (Barangay San Guillermo) and Sitio Talaga (Barangay Maybancal) where poverty is disproportionally high. (facebook.com/ehrran.montoya)
Star of Hope
The Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation has a selection of beautiful handmade pieces including the Star of Hope fashioned out of fabric scraps used to make personal protective equipment gowns. In their Facebook page (NVC Foundation), this new symbol of hope “helps us remember that faith overcomes fear, courage sees us through crises, and hope shines bright because love ways delivers.”
The four-inch ornament is embroidered and beaded by hand, and comes with a card and handsewn pouch.
Every purchase of the ornament supports The Feeding Force program for families affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Other interesting pieces include upcycled parol and a trio of mosaic artworks also made with discarded coffee capsules. Each piece sold helps fund the foundation’s Feeding Force program. (nvcfoundation-ph.org/product/star-of-hope-ornament-e) INQ
