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Category: Tips

Teacher Appreciation Everyday

Teacher Appreciation Everyday

Name your favorite teacher. Can you picture them in your mind? Why are they your favorite?

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Here are little-known facts about teachers:

  • Teachers spend $1.5 billion annually on school supplies
  • 67% of teachers buy snacks for their students to help with basic nutrition
  • 29% of teachers buy bathroom products for students like toilet paper and toothbrushes

Teachers are extraordinary beings! They spend their lives raising, guiding and molding dozens of individuals each year so that they can be successful in their own lives.  And though there’s a whole month set aside to thank them, they really do deserve a thank you everyday.

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Join us in recognizing your teachers by sharing why you’re thankful and using #INCGiving on your posts in social media. And even though Teacher Appreciation Month is over, let’s keep celebrating them all summer long by helping them prepare for a new school year!

Here are 3 easy ways you can help teachers:

  1. Support A Teacher Buying Pencils And Markers For Her Class [or tissues, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer those are always needed!]
  2. Sponsor a School Supply Drive – Get your friends and coworkers in on the action. Contact a local school and find out what they need for the school year and get the word out.
  3. Visit https://www.donorschoose.org/, an organization that helps make it easy for anyone to help local schools and teachers with a variety of projects including purchasing bilingual books for the classrooms, building classroom libraries and collecting art supplies for future projects.

 

Contributed By: INCGiving Project Team

Posted in Giving in Action, TipsTagged Appreciating Teachers, Celebrating Teachers, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, students, Thank A Teacher

Welcoming Refugees from DR Congo

Welcoming Refugees from DR Congo

Imagine living a life where your freedom and sense of security is taken away from you. There are many refugee families that have experienced much suffering and turmoil because of the wars that have been happening in The Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to the violence, many were forced to leave and relocate to refugee camps in Uganda.

Finding better opportunities in Canada

Many of those refugee families were fortunate enough to move to Canada to find better opportunities and a safe haven from struggles they experienced back in their home country. However, with this sudden transition come many challenges, such as learning new languages, adjusting to the climate, and dealing with culture shock. Indeed, it is very difficult to establish a new life but some took the risk for the sake of the future of their family.

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Upon learning this, INCGiving volunteers decided to make this transition a little easier for these families by holding an INCGiving Outreach Program.

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Creating a new community

INCGiving Volunteers, Fey and Dan Aviles, who have a friendly relationship with one of the families from Congo, stated that, “As I got to know her, and their family, I found them as religious people. That’s when we started to invite them to attend our bible studies. They are very involved during the preaching of the words of God.”

Much to their surprise, they consistently showed their interest in the words of God and continued to bring their whole household to hear the doctrines of the Church of Christ.

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Realizing that many more refugees have recently arrived in Canada, this sparked an idea by the members in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to conduct an Outreach Program.

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Weeks before the Outreach event, the INCGiving volunteers gathered donations given by the brethren of the Local Congregation of Winnipeg South and Central Canada Region. They prepared relief bags; which contained non-perishable foods, such as canned foods and personal hygiene items. The volunteers also prepared clothes; especially ones that were suitable for the extreme weather conditions in Canada.

Faida Mbwiriza, who has been attending Bible studies invited many of her fellow countrymen was happy to see how welcoming all the volunteers were. When asked about those who she invited, Faida stated, “They liked the people here. And said they liked being here and really liked the people. I was happy to hear that too!”

Due to the current affairs happening throughout the globe, the members of the Church Of Christ have displayed an immense amount of effort in giving back to their community through the INC Giving Project. The INC Giving Outreach Program will continue to provide a lending hand to those in dire need.

In such a diverse community such as Canada’s, members of the Church of Christ stand as a whole in helping others despite cultural barriers.

Contributed by: Denisse Roque, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

 

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Clothing drive, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, Manitoba, outreach, Uganda, Volunteers, Winnipeg

INCGiving Kindness Challenge

INCGiving Kindness Challenge

They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, so we’re challenging you to 21 days of kindness. Take a photo, share it online and use #INCGiving. We’ll be featuring some of your posts for inspiration on a future blog and on social media.

Below is a list of 21 different acts of kindness you can take part in. They’re easy. They’re simple. But, most of all, we hope they remind you of how powerful doing good can be.

  1. Say thank you, smile and hand an incmedia.org card to your server, your neighbor, the carpool, anyone really!
  2. Buy someone a cup of coffee or pay for a stranger’s meal.
  3. Write and leave positive sticky notes for your friend, kids, parents, etc.
  4. Show kindness on your commute. Give away your parking spot, give up a seat on the train for someone, and be polite on the road.
  5. Help someone carry his or her shopping bags to the parking lot.
  6. Practice gratitude – compliment a stranger, say thank you to mail carriers, send a “thank you” card/email to a teacher that inspires/inspired you.
  7. Send a card to people who dedicate their lives to helping us – soldiers, police officers, firefighters and teachers to name a few.
  8. Leave quarters at a laundromat or tape some change to a vending machine for someone to use along with an incmedia.org card.
  9. Contact an organization you’ve always wanted to volunteer at to find out how and schedule a time to volunteer.
  10. Be a welcoming neighbor — rake someone’s leaves, offer to clear someone’s driveway during the winter, bring in your neighbor’s trashcans.
  11. Help new (or even not so new) parents – offer to unload their car, cook a meal, pick up groceries, etc.
  12. Leave a nice server the biggest tip you can afford.
  13. Deliver a bouquet of flowers to a nearby nursing home.
  14. Donate a piece of clothing for every new item you bought recently.
  15. Bring doughnuts (or a healthy treat, like cut-up fruit) to share at work or school.
  16. Tweet or Facebook message a genuine compliment to three people right now.
  17. Leave free bus fare for someone or fill up a metro/subway/train card for someone to use.
  18. Offer a homeless person your bag from the restaurant.
  19. Help clear someone’s driveway.
  20. Donate new/used books.
  21. Volunteer – go to a soup kitchen, a shelter, a food bank, etc. and spend a couple of hours volunteering.

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Community Service, incgiving, Kindness, randomactsofkindness

Appreciating Medical Professionals

Appreciating Medical Professionals
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       “Sometimes with the work that we do, it’s really easy to get lost in the paperwork and how emotionally draining some patients can be, and even on the best days you can have patients who are really challenging and taxing.” – Danielle Utianski, Speech Language Pathologist.

Disease, sickness, and injury are tragic and often bring a dark cloud over both patients and their families. But like a light in a dark tunnel, the medical professionals work tirelessly to cure; remedy and help patients endure these physical difficulties. Although it is their job, doctors, nurses and medical staff show compassion as they help and care for people who pushes them to go above and beyond what is required.

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The Church of Christ, Iglesia Ni Cristo hosted an Appreciation Day for doctors, nurses and medical professionals in various cities in Southern California. The Church honored diligent and devoted individuals who make a huge impact in their community every day when they come into work.

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“So having that kind of outside reminder, that feeling of community and the feeling of appreciation is a nice recharge. It reminds you [why you] went into the field and why you want to stay in the field.” – Utianski, Speech Language Pathologist honored at the Bakersfield Doctor, Nurses and Medical Staff Appreciation Day.

In North Hollywood, California, the Iglesia Ni Cristo congregation set up an appreciation luncheon at the California Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centre.

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When asked how it feels to be appreciated, Miriam Diez, a fellow nurse at the facility answered, “Oh I love it, thank you guys, thank you so much. We love that people notice that we do care for these people.”

The Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church of Christ] knows how stressful and arduous the work can be; not everyone can do what these medical professionals do everyday. In a world of natural disasters, violence, crime and unpredictable ailments, these are compassionate and selfless heroes who make a difference in so many peoples’ lives. Through events like this, INCGiving volunteers celebrate the medical community and their genuine passion to help and care for others.

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One of the event coordinators, Brando Andrade states, “It’s important to appreciate doctors and nurses because they can be under appreciated sometimes. We wanted to do this event so that they can also get to know us.”

At the rehab center, the nurses and staff were greeted and thanked by Church Of Christ Minister and a representative from City Council. The youth members also created colorful and creative cards that were filled with words of thanks.

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Contributed by: Nikki Salazar, Southwest California

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Appreciation, California Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centre, Do Good, Doctors, Giving, giving in action, Hospitals, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, Medical Professionals, Nurses, Southwest California, Thanks

Thank You To My Teachers

Thank You To My Teachers

As soon as I arrived at my school, I told all my invited teachers not to forget that it was Teachers Appreciation Day! After school, I got dressed in a clean uniform and I felt excited that I would be able to perform in front of my teachers. I went to the house of worship, where the event would be held, and I was surprised that Ms Gillooly, Ms. Balendran, Ms. Mac and Mrs. Cox were already there.

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I went straight to them and warmly greeted my teachers. I saw people at the chapel gallery, while some were busy preparing the refreshments. Overall, it was a great place to be – everyone was smiling and teachers were entertained by the students. Finally, it was time to settle down because the program was about to start. I felt nervous and waited patiently with the other kids.

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For the opening number, we sang the song ‘Never Turn Away’. I saw my teachers’ facial expressions, and they seemed happy and impressed with our performance. That gave me a feeling of relief and joy because we sang with all our hearts!

There were a few more songs performed by the older children. All were meaningful songs because they were taken from our Church music albums. I think it also helped that the lyrics were shown on the TV monitor because I could see teachers reading them at the same time. When we were not performing, we would either clap or dance along to the music. It was fun!

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Another great part of the event was playing a game where we would guess some Filipino words that made it the Oxford Dictionary. The teachers watched a short video about these words that were flashed up along with their meanings. Whoever answered the correct Filipino terms would win an INCGiving bag! I was impressed by how attentive the teachers were during the game, kind of how we must look when they are teaching us!

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“When Jordan invited me to Teacher Appreciation Day I was both humbled and honored. The confidence and dedication shown by the children as they performed was inspiring. It’s moments like these that remind me why I chose to go into teaching in the first place. Having an impact and making a difference in the lives of young people is what teaching is all about, and these children really did make me feel appreciated. What a special and worthwhile event! I can’t wait for next year!” – from Georgina, Teacher

For our finale number, we danced with excitement to the tune of ‘All Around The World’. Then, it was time to hand-out certificates to our teachers for helping us with our education. Before receiving the certificate, each student got to meet their teacher at the front and give them their very own ‘No.1 Teacher’ badge as a souvenir. Then, we had our pictures taken, and I think we all felt very proud that day! When the event was over, I was happy with myself that I was able to give something back to my teachers in my own special way.

Thanks to the Church and INCGiving for making it happen!

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Contributed by: Jordan Sison, UK

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Appreciating Teachers, Do Good, England, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, London, Teachers, Thankful, UK

Idea: Help Students Succeed in School

Idea: Help Students Succeed in School

Whether it’s back to school time or even in the middle of the school year, there is always something we can do to help students succeed.

Before the start of the 2016-2017 school year, the #INCGiving volunteers from Miami, Florida gathered school supplies and backpacks for students

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#INCGiving volunteers from Miami, Florida prepare school supplies for donation.

Doris Bautista, one of their coordinators, shared how the project came about and what inspired them to help.

Doris Bautista: I was watching the news last year, on one of our local networks, when the announcers mentioned about asking donations for school supplies. And I thought to myself, that’s a good INCGiving project.

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INCGiving Volunteers with the Family Resource Center, after delivering the items.

Question: How did you find the Family Resource Center?

Doris Bautista: I just researched online what organizations help families or children in need and I came across this organization.

Question: What is the Family Resource Center?

Doris Bautista: Every year, Family Resource Center helps provide children in foster care with the resources they need for the upcoming school year.

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Family Resource Center website: https://frcflorida.org/ . From their website: “This summer, we’re outfitting 900 children from Kindergarten through Grade 12 with backpacks and school supplies. We are seeking several volunteers to assist with this year’s Back to School Backpack Drive.”
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INCGiving Volunteers preparing the bags for distribution.

Question: What was the reaction by the volunteers when they heard about the project?

Doris Bautista: Miami brethren always respond in a big way when it comes to giving back to the community. INC Members were so excited asking me right away what school supplies were needed. One family brought 5 bags of different school supplies to the drive.

Question: What were the results and what do you hope to do next year?

Doris Bautista: The result, we were able to gather more than 15 bags of school supplies to the delight of the organizers of this drive.

 “We are so touched and moved by your generosity. The fact that so many members of your Church took the time and energy to come and be with us and learn about what we do for our children and foster care and also for the entire congregation who thought to donate school supplies to our children.” – Jennifer Pena, Director of Communications for the Florida Resource Center – South Florida

Doris Bautista: We will definitely do more of this kind next year. The organizers of this drive informed us of the different activities they that they do to help foster children and we will discuss with the leadership of the local and our resident minister if we could be a part of those activities.

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INCGiving Volunteers preparing the bags for distribution.

Three Other Ways You Can Help A Local School

Volunteer: Contact the local schools and see what needs they have for volunteers [individual or group volunteers]. Offer to read to classrooms, volunteer at afterschool programs, help renovate a classroom, or simply say thank you.

  • Contact the local schools to see what they need and how you can help.
  • Donate: Organize drives to help classrooms have the items they need including much needed arts & crafts supplies and books. Organize drives to help with winter clothing and help ensure all children will have the warm clothes they need this winter. Contact the local schools to see what they need and how you can help.
  • Help Fight Hunger: Many schools and local food banks/pantries have partnered up to ensure that students are not left hungry, especially during the weekends. Contact the local food banks/pantries to volunteer to sort and pack bags for students to take home for the weekend.
Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Donating, Florida, Help, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, Miami, School Supplies

Cleaning the Capital

Cleaning the Capital

Members of the Church Of Christ from the Local Congregation of Ottawa, Canada took part in a city wide initiative called “Cleaning the Capital”, which takes place every spring and fall. It is a joint initiative between the City of Ottawa and it’s major sponsor, Tim Hortons (the popular coffee and donut chain). Cleaning up the capital started over 22 years ago in 1994 and since the start of this initiative, more than 1 million volunteers through 16,000 projects have removed over 1.7 million kilograms of garbage from the city’s streets.

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Since May 2008, brethren from this congregation, both young and old have participated in this activity every year, making this the 8th anniversary of the collaborative efforts between the city of Ottawa and the INCGiving Project.

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Not even the cold and rainy weather could stop the members of the Church Of Christ from participating in this activity. With garbage bags and cleaning equipment in hand, volunteers set out to clean MacFarlane Road which is immediately adjacent to the congregation’s chapel.

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The efforts lasted almost 2 hours and the impact was noticeable as brethren filled over a dozen large bags with trash collected from the streets.

Not only was this activity a great way to show the importance of keeping the environment clean, but it was also a great way to help out their neighbours and stay active members in their community.

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Contributed by: Marvin Milan, Ottawa, Canada

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged Canada, CleanUp, Do Good, Iglesia Ni Cristo, INC Giving, Ottawa

Heroes Appreciation Day

Heroes Appreciation Day

The sound of sirens on the street usually brings unease and fear. But when the INCGiving volunteers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania heard fire engine sirens approaching, we couldn’t help but cheer, knowing that their guests of honour had arrived.

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“The local congregation of Philadelphia prepared a program intended to somehow bring a smile to the men in uniform. After all, we know and recognize their sacrifices to keep the community safe and they also extend their help to those who are in need.” Brother Matt Karl Talens, Resident Minister, Local Congregation of Philadelphia.

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The guests were welcomed with warm smiles and handshakes as they enjoyed the musical presentations and the food that was prepared. We presented them with certificates of appreciation for their work. Afterwards, we took them on a guided tour of our chapel and to watch a video created by our children to thank them. In the hallways, they saw a photo exhibit showcasing the brief history of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Philadelphia.

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We took pictures with our guests of honor in the photo booth and in front of the fire trucks. Both kids in age and at heart got the chance to inspect the trucks up close.   It was a real treat to see these vehicles in comfort and safety with no emergency trouble nearby!

“It is nice that people reach out to us. They don’t have to give us money or food, but still recognition of – we wake up at 3am for calls and not everyone is getting up. We’re the guys who are always showing up for calls and stuff like that. So with that being said we thank you, you know, for appreciating us.”- Matthew McCormick, volunteer firefighter, Aston Township Fire Department.

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Contributed by: Sister Jocelyn Bandolon and Brother Abraham Evangelista, Philadelphia

Posted in Events, TipsTagged #DoGood, Appreciation, Firefighters appreciation, Heroes, Iglesia Ni Cristo, incgiving, philadelphia, police appreciation

Saving Lives

Saving Lives

Stephanie Dinogan from Omaha, Nebraska arrived early at the Omaha house of worship. She had organized blood drives before but this time it was different. This time she walked in not just as the coordinator but also as one of the hopeful donors.

After meeting with the Red Cross representative, Fiona Sullivan and the Drive Director, Rob Knobbe at 7:00 AM Central Time, Stephanie and the other volunteers took their spot at the registration table and by 8:30 AM, the scheduled donors began to stream in, punctual and very eager to be part of a special event.

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Donor and Blood Drive Coordinator in Omaha, Nebraska, Sister Stephanie Dinogan

“It’s my first time donating! When I look back on this moment I’ll remember uniting with my brothers and sisters in faith in this remarkable effort to save the lives of others.” said Sister Stephanie Dinogan

Donors came in all ages. Elderly sisters bravely donated once again and new high school graduates lined up to do their part. There were young members as well, too young to donate but not too young to help out. They encouraged everyone to donate because they were the product of 16 blood transfusions as a little baby.

Anytime we leave with more blood than what we came with, it’s a success…I would love to come back and do this again. And you know the saying that one donation can save up to 3 people? So, even if you think you could have gotten more, even 30 people could save 60 people. – Rob Knobbe, Blood Drive Director, Omaha, Nebraska.

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“Everyone said the same thing, we were literally donating at the same time as hundreds maybe even thousands of other people,” said Stephanie Dinogan.

In Manitoba, Canada, donors also gathered to donate blood. Those from outside the city of Winnipeg also drove in to support this activity. They joined the thousands of members of the Church of Christ from across the North American continent that, at that moment, were doing the same thing.

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“From the moment we walked into the blood bank, the excitement and anticipation from first-time donors up to regular donors, were truly felt. Up to 50 donors can help 10 patients in cancer treatment, and by the Church contributing to this cause, they are helping in supplying that need.” – Zandrhea Pelimiano, Calgary, Alberta

Meanwhile, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, James Sabayo was prepared to donate blood for the first time. His dad, Roland Sabayo, a leukemia survivor inspired him and a few others in the congregation to also do their part.

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Listening to the experiences of those whose lives were affected through the kindness of donors’ fueled members with inspiration as they arrived to donate blood.

In the United States, blood banks saw the same overwhelming response from volunteers eager to do their part.

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Rebecca Ruitenberg, Community Blood Services – Donor Tech, Elizabeth, New Jersey helping Brother Jojo Madlangbayan.

“It’s really good [for organizations to host blood drives like this one]. We can’t do our job if you guys don’t do your job and have the blood drives. And so, if you don’t have blood drives, we can’t collect our product efficiently and at such a quantity as we’ve gotten today; [which] is amazing. – Rebecca Ruitenberg, Community Blood Services – Donor Tech, Elizabeth, New Jersey

Many walked in with various reasons as to why they wanted to help.

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“My mom, when she was alive, she had a few blood transfusions. If you can donate [blood] and it can go to someone who really needs it, then unknowingly, you’ve saved someone’s life. It’s great, it’s like I’m literally saving lives.” Blake Zaide, Chicago, Illinois

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“This is a very noble activity. As a blood transfusion recipient myself, I know very well the importance of donating blood, that’s why I did not hesitate. – Dr. Charlene Vargas, Local Coordinator, Orlando, Florida.

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“I donate regularly because growing up I knew my grandma needed blood transfusions. I know it’s needed by a lot of people and it’s not hurting me in any way. So if it doesn’t hurt me anyway and it benefits people who need it, Why not?”– Christine Valencia, Markham, District of Eastern Canada, 4th time blood donor.

“I remember that there were times Myla was needing blood transfusions almost every week and platelets transfusions every 2 to 3 days! Seeing brethren nationwide, in the US and Canada, makes us so happy – knowing many just like Myla before, will benefit from this drive!” – Leyna Cunanan, Alameda, California

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After her daughter Myla was diagnosed with Myeloid Sarcoma, a solid tumor composed of immature white blood cells, Leyna has taken countless trips in and out of the hospital and knows all too well what events like this can do for her daughter and for the community. But what was most inspiring to her was when she saw this flyer on the Asian American Donor Program’s Facebook page.

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“We are so excited. I just saw a flyer of a patient with our Iglesia Ni Cristo address on it.”

The Asian-American Donor Program is dedicated to increasing the availability of potential stem cells donors for patients with life-threatening diseases curable by a stem cell transplant. Because of the shortage of registered donors in different ethnic groups, many of those diagnosed run the risk of never finding a match — making events like the ones sponsored by the Church Of Christ, through the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, not only timely but life-saving.

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Sister Myla with her siblings volunteering for another Bone Marrow Drive. Since being diagnosed, she and her family have actively campaigned for more people to sign up as Bone Marrow Donors.

“Myla and our family hope that with the bone marrow registration drive many patients will find their match.” – Leyna Cunanan

So, at many of the Blood Drive sites were also tables for individuals to register to be a Bone Marrow Donor.   Be the Match, the organization that coordinates Bone Marrow Registration in the US, however, was not able to send recruiters to all the different sites of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, so individuals like Vivian Abernathy trained some of the young volunteers from the Church to go out to different locations themselves and help register Bone Marrow Donors.

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“Those types of volunteers for us are like gold. They are so important because today, we were able to reach out to different spots that INC is doing blood donations that we weren’t able to be at. We are so blessed to have you (INC) to do that.” –Vivan Abernathy, Be The Match Coordinator, who worked with INC brethren from the local congregations of Los Angeles, Eagle Rock, and Glendale at Children’s Hospital LA for the Nationwide Blood Donation & Bone Marrow Registry Drive

In total, thousands of members throughout the United States and Canada united together in blood donation and bone marrow registration drives hosted at 137 different sites.

“I think we all felt almost at peace that we are all in the same Church, staying united with the Church Administration…. and also having fun doing it!” – Cecille Assim, Burnaby, British Columbia

The event was especially important for the Cecille Assim, an oncology nurse and daughter of a cancer survivor. The event allowed her and husband in Burnaby, British Columbia, her sister Camille in Edmonton, Alberta and her parents and brother in Ottawa, Ontario to participate despite the distance between them.

“We were all texting and sharing pictures all day! My sis and I even wore the same shirt that day for the pamphlet drive and blood donation!

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We all first off wanted to participate because we wanted to be united with the Church Administration. And secondly we knew this could help someone like my mom. We all can’t help someone directly affected by cancer. But this is one way to help them in their time of need. And not only cancer patients…but those going through surgery, motor vehicle accidents and more!” – Cecille Assim, Burnaby, British Columbia

 

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Watch the INCGiving Show:  Giving the Gift of Life – FYM Foundation Sponsors Blood Donation & Bone Marrow Registry Drives

Contributors: Rhodora Rigor, Thea Canero, Rhoslyn Gaviola, Jessica Garcia, Robyn Aguirre, Stephanie Dinogan, Cecille Assim, Marilen Barreda, INC Media Bureaus in Canada and United States

Posted in Events, Giving in Action, TipsTagged blood drive, bone marrow, Canada, cancer, Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, incgiving, Kindness, USA

How To: Find Your Passion in Volunteering

How To: Find Your Passion in Volunteering

How To: Find Your Passion in Volunteering

In most, if not all communities, finding volunteer opportunities is easy; but finding the right one for you–that might be a little more challenging…but not impossible!

You may be thinking, “why is it important to find something that is right for me? Isn’t giving and volunteering about doing something for others?” It is; helping others is about the recipient. But imagine how much more help you could be, if you participated in a project or opportunity that you are also passionate about?

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Reading, gardening, talking with people, music, sports, etc. – you love these things, so you don’t even think about how much time you spend on them and even try to find more opportunities to do them, right?

Chances are, you can find a perfect match that fits what you’re passionate about. And passionate volunteers are able to contribute even more to the needs of the community, because they’re willing to go the extra mile for whatever cause they’re supporting. It is no wonder most volunteer websites use “interest” as one of their search fields.   So let’s try it:

Determine What You’re Interested In.

Do you like books? What about helping read to kids at the local community center? Do you like music and singing? Have you ever thought of volunteering to sing to patients at the local hospital or a retirement home? Or are you an artist who wants to help young people find their passion in art? Try searching for community centers in your city looking for individuals to donate their time to teach your craft.

Determine How Much Time You Can Commit. Are you looking to volunteer once a week, once a month, once a year? There’s an opportunity out there for you.

While many organizations look for 3-6 months of commitment a few hours a month, some may allow you to come in once in a while to volunteer or have one-time event opportunities. There’s even opportunities where you can be an “on-call” volunteer – coming in whenever there is an opportunity that opens up or there’s extra need with the organization.

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If you can’t find an opportunity, create one! 

Sometimes what we are passionate about doesn’t fit it into the search boxes, but it doesn’t mean we can’t combine our passions with our drive to help others.  Here are some individuals who have done just that:

Coreen Joyce Alagar’s 20 for 20 Project

Chance Serrano’s Annual Band Aid Drive

Delmar Antonio’s Sports Equipment for Local Kids

If you need that extra push, below are some helpful volunteer search sites around the world. Don’t see one on the list that you’ve used before? Email news1@incmedia.org, and share what other resources are available in your part of the world.

Australia

Volunteering Australia

SeekVolunteer

GoVolunteer

Canada

Volunteer Canada

GoVolunteer

Volunteer Toronto

United Kingdom

Team London

Pillar Non-Profit Network

Volunteering England

Volunteer Ireland

United States

Volunteer Match

Hands on Network

New York Cares

Serve.org / Corporation for National & Community Service

Contributed By: INCGiving Project Team

Posted in TipsTagged Community Service, Kindness, Tips, volunteer
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