giving in action – INC Giving Project

Grateful to Give

Every day, over 188 phone calls are made to the Calgary Food Bank requesting for emergency food hampers. And, so when our local congregation was first notified of the Food Bank Donation Drive Activity, I could already feel the excitement of the volunteers because we knew we would have the chance to contribute to the needs of the food bank and help those in need in our community. But even then I was surprised by just how much we could help.

Our goal was to gather 50 boxes worth of food donation, but tried our best to do more. The INC Giving volunteers spent all week eagerly shopping for items requested by the food bank – such as, canned goods and diapers.

On the day of the event, a representative from the Calgary Food Bank drove in with a large truck to pick up all 104 boxes that the region was able to fill, which weighed 8915 lbs. Despite the harsh weather conditions, INC Giving volunteers still showed up to help load the boxes, one by one, onto the truck.

It was so inspiring to see INC Giving Volunteers and the Calgary Food Bank unite to help out our fellowmen and not let the weather stop them from performing good deeds. Even the Calgary Food Bank driver’s face was really surprised to see so many people waiting outside in the snow for him. He was even more moved when we started to help load the boxes onto the truck.

Once all the boxes were in the truck ready to be dropped off, the representative thanked the INC Giving Volunteers for their time and effort and took a group photo with everyone. Calgary West’s resident minister, Brother James Lajeras, offered them a God’s Message magazine after the activity.

We often get caught up in life and sometimes take essential things, such as. shelter and food for granted. We are very fortunate here in this part of the world as we have a higher quality way of life and are lucky to be able to receive food, shelter and education every day. However, that should not stop us from helping out those in need.

I saw a quote online that said “Never judge people who have little to nothing, as one day you may find yourself having nothing at all.”

We should be thankful for what we have when some people have nothing at all. We should always try to do good deeds every day, no matter how small the act is. Even the little things, like donating that one extra can of food in our pantry, or donating that pile of old clothes in our closet, can help out someone’s life significantly. Little things can truly make a huge impact on those around you. I know it did for me.

The Calgary Food Bank serves families, individuals and organizations and rely solely on the generous support of the community. Visit http://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/ to see how you can help

Contributed by: Thea Canero

Thea Canero is an INC Giving Volunteer from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is an active participant in INC Giving Projects and the FYM Foundation. Thea is a Sociology major at the University of Calgary and hopes with her degree to help contribute and improve public social services to better support the needs of members in her community. Thea takes pride in helping others and believes that as a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) it is our duty to be kind and help those who are in need.

Helping Get Rid of Rubbish on Australia Clean Up Day

Yellow and white rectangles were laid neatly on the ground, one row above the other. As odd as it seemed, this clearly wasn’t random rubbish strewn across the ground. Something was happening here. There was a plan. A closer look revealed that these were actually rubbish bags that had been carefully laid out. Considering this all happened on Clean Up Australia Day, it made perfect sense.

Every year on the first Sunday of March, Clean Up Australia Day is held throughout the entire country. It’s an effort that was started in 1989 after Ian Kiernan noticed heavy pollution and trash in the various waterways that he passed through during a yacht race. He was moved to action and as soon as he returned, aimed to clean up the waterways, starting at Sydney Harbor in his home country. Fast-forward almost 30 years later, with over 7,253 sites and over 587,000 volunteers nation-wide, the Clean Up Australia Day effort continues to inspire others to take action.

One such group are the volunteers of the INC Giving Project from the various Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) local congregations across Australia. They were the ones responsible for the yellow and white rubbish bags on the ground, which they later filled to capacity with as much rubbish they could find. The broad reach of the Church Of Christ, along with the versatility of the INC Giving Project, made these volunteers well suited for an effort like Clean Up Australia Day. This was in full display as men and women, young and old, came together to clean up Australia’s parks, waterways and public spaces.

“…gain a deeper understanding of what volunteering is truly rooted in.”

These sorts of efforts benefit communities in so many ways. The obvious benefit of course is the environmental impact. Beyond this though is the improvement of societal health, which we see any time multiple communities are united by one common goal. It gives many the opportunities to meet and interact with people from outside of their own neighborhoods and social circles, and ideally, gain a deeper understanding of what volunteering is truly rooted in.

This is the ultimate goal of the INC Giving Volunteers; to pass along the message of kindness for the community and care for the environment, and above all the message of God’s teachings- not only through words but through the actual work and labor that is put in to volunteering.

“…feel free to grab a bag and jump right in…”

So the next time you see yellow and white rubbish bags that are laid out neatly on the ground, don’t worry. No need to call a clean up crew, because chances are the crew is already there; and since you are already there staring at a neat row of bags, feel free to grab a bag and jump right in and join the INC Giving Volunteers on their latest effort to do good.

“…join the INC Giving Volunteers on their latest effort to do good.”

How One Idea Impacted 200

Rhea Mae Cabardo, a small business owner and INC Giving volunteer from Omaha, Nebraska was sitting at her desk as usual when she felt a strong pull at her heart that she was supposed to do something for the kids at her sister’s school.

How did you get started?

Literally, that moment when I felt that tug, I contacted the school secretary and told her what I was inspired to do. I then drove over to Oriental Trading Company and spoke to the Marketing Manager. I sent them a follow-up email and within days they had sent me boxes to my house with more than 2000 items. I emailed Google and visited local supermarkets and informed them of what I was doing. I contacted the Universities in the area and all of those I had reached out to was more than willing to donate.

I have a small business marketing company and reached out to all the local small business owners and they were ready and willing to sponsor bags. After putting it on Facebook and Instagram, my friends from all over the world inquired and sent money to sponsor bags as well.

What was the reaction from those you contacted?

They were eager and did not hesitate to give what they could after speaking with them. It was so inspiring to see their hearts and love for children.

How did get in contact with the school?

My sister is the counselor and set up a time for me to talk to the school’s principal.

It snowballed into something amazing, in regards to the response from the community at large.

What was your biggest take away…and what would you say to someone thinking about doing something good for a local school?

My biggest take away is, don’t silence the small voice that’s telling you to be of service. Whether it’s to be of service to one person, 2 people or thousands. Sometimes the doubt is louder than that small voice telling you to do it that good thing. For a brief moment, the doubt kept creeping saying, “someone else will do it, who do you think you are, where are you going to get the money to do this.” But I just prayed and was reminded that if God is part of this, everything will fall into place.

So at the end of December, proudly wearing her INC Giving T-shirt, Rhea delivered about 200 bags for the students of Florence Elementary School. When interviewed about what inspired her, Rhea simply said, “that the community cares about them, they’re thought about and they’re love.”

Rhea’s efforts was featured on KMTV News 3, the Point Forward, a local online publication and the Omaha Public School Newsletter.

Rhea Mae Cabardo works is a small business owner based in Omaha, Nebraska. She often helps with the events of the INCGiving Project in her hometown. She is already making plans to do a similar event this year with another local school

Geared Up

Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Geography– These are the things that children work on at school on a weekly basis. But what happens when they run out of school supplies?The INC members in the Southern Midwest portion of the United States made it their mission to help students from T’iiz NazBas Community School in Arizona.

_dsc0227 — Kim Urtola, one of the INCGiving Volunteers, led the children in various games during the event.

Members from New Mexico and Colorado congregations teamed up to organize free School Supplies and a fun-filled day for the Indian reservation school that sits a few miles away from the Four Corners Monument, a place in the Southwestern region in the United States where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet.

photo_2016-08-28_16-18-02 — Stephanie Begay travelled from Farmington, New Mexico to help volunteer during the School Supply Fair sponsored by the INCGiving project.

Stephanie Begay, a volunteer from the community, said, “It helps the community and the children in need out here, where there’s no stores to really go to buy their school supplies. I’m sure they appreciate that.” She just learned about the outreach programs in the Church of Christ, and has been looking forward to this project all week.

Meanwhile, Ms. Linda Morris, a security guard in the T’iiz NasBas Community School, commented that these kinds of outreach or projects help students realize how important it is to reach out to other communities, even if they are just a small community.

Linda Morris with a couple of the INCGiving volunteers from Farmington, New Mexico.

#INCGiving volunteers lead the local children in various games during the Free School Supply Fair.

Ms. Amelia Nakai, the school counselor, also happily helped out at the event. She came in early, welcoming the INCGiving volunteers to their school. The joy in her eyes was prominent as the children played games and appreciated the free school supplies.

photo_2016-08-28_17-10-51 — The INCGiving volunteers recognized Ms. Amelia Nakai, the school counselor for her help.

The games that the INC volunteers played along with the students, brought so much joy and smiles across the room. They played many games that brought the attendees together. But the camaraderie did not stop at games. They sat down with parents, teachers and students to talk to them and new friendships were made.

_dsc0281 — Minister of the Gospel, Brother Ben De La Paz, hands one of the local children a bag to pick out school supplies for the school year.

The school supplies helped students have a fresh successful and organized school year. The time and laughter shared between the students and the volunteers were meaningful and unforgotten. It reminded the students that their families and the community have high hopes for them to attain a bright future.

Contributed by: Kyla Mari Urtola, Farmington, New Mexico

Appreciating Medical Professionals

“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.

“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.

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.

Contributed by: Nikki Salazar, Southwest California

The Best High Five: A Runner’s Thank You to Volunteers

Most runs and walks that happen are usually tied to an important cause. As runners step across the finish line, they are celebrated for their willingness to sacrifice, to give so much of themselves for a good cause.

But they’re not the only ones to be celebrated.

October 18, 2015 – a group of us were about to run our very first half marathon – the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. As we made our way to downtown San Francisco to join the over 25,000 runners, you couldn’t help but be amazed by the amount of work it took to put together an event like this. Days before the run I had spent the afternoon reading Yelp reviews on the run (yes, there are Yelp reviews) and the one common thread with all the reviews was the experience of the run.

And what an experience it was.

As the 25,000 runners prepared to take on this challenge, volunteers had already been up hours before hand preparing for the day. Some checked in our bags, others picked up clothes dropped along the way, some filled cups of water to hand out and others, woke up early and braved the San Francisco cold to cheer us on. Their job was to give us high fives and encourage us to take one more step, one more stride and make our way closer to the finish line.

It didn’t seem like a big job, but for runners like myself – they were one of the most important reasons we made it through each mile.

There was a moment early in the race when the thought of being able to make all 13.1 miles seemed like a daunting task. Overwhelmed at the thought of just how far we still had left, I was met with a group of volunteers standing in two lines with their hands out.

Runners had the option: run by them or run through them. And at that very moment I learned that though running is a solo sport, it’s not a solo race.

So I ran through them, hands out receiving such powerful high fives. And I just kept running towards them – if their hands were out my hand was there to greet it.

So we may be the ones who ran for the cause that day, but the kindness of these volunteers is what brought us to the finish line. Their cheers, signs and much needed high fives at the right moment were the unsung heroes of that day.

Contributed By: Renezen Benedicto, Northern California