Want to give more than just presents on the store? We’ve listed the ways on how to give love on Christmas day (and beyond).
1. Virlanie Foundation
Category: Children, Hunger, Poverty
About the foundation: Virlanie Foundation is a private, non-profit organization reaching out to street children in the Philippines. Virlanie has been helping children who come from difficult situation to become a responsible and an independent adult life with the hope of a brighter future.
Photo from Virlanie Philippines’ Facebook Page
How to Help:
1. Donate.
2. Sponsor a child.
3. Volunteer your time to play and teach the children.
4. Invite the Virlanie choir to sing in your event. (Contact choir@virlanie.org)
5. Hold a party in Virlanie or take the children out on a field trip.
6. Buy handmade items made by Virlanie children at the SiBuHi (Sining, Buhay, at Hilom) Mini Bazaar this Thursday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the ground floor of the Virlanie Office at 4055 Yague St., Bgy. Singkamas, Makati City.
Photo from Virlanie Philippines’ Facebook Page
Visitors wishing to organize an outreach event with Virlanie can get in touch with Ms. Debbie Bartolo via outreach@virlanie.org (+632 895 3460).
2. UNICEF Philippines
Category: Children, Human Rights
About the foundation: UNICEF is an agency of the United Nations devoted to serving the world’s children. UNICEF implements programs covering education, health and nutrition, disaster risk reduction and emergencies, HIV and AIDS prevention, child protection, communication, and local policy and institutional development.
Photo from UNICEF’s website
How to help:
1. Donate and be a champion for children.
2. Buy UNICEF cards and gifts. The cards and gifts are available at: Dash (Eastwood Mall), Hobbes & Landes (Alabang Town Center, Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5, Greenhills, Podium, Rockwell, Shangri-la Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Trinoma) and Rustan’s (Alabang Town Center, Makati, Shangri-la Mall). UNICEF cards are also available at National Book Store (Ali Mall, Ayala Mall Cebu, Festival Mall, Glorietta 5, Greenbelt, Katipunan Avenue, Market Market, Pampanga, Quezon Avenue, Robinson’s Ermita, Rockwell, Shangri-la Mall, SM Malls (Baguio, Cebu, Dasmarinas, Fairview, Mall of Asia, Manila, Megamall, North EDSA, San Lazaro, Southmall, Sta. Rosa, Super Branch Cubao, Trinoma) and Powerbooks (Alabang, Megamall, Trinoma). UNICEF gifts are also available at Fully Booked (*Bonifacio High Street, Eastwood, Edsa Shangri-la Hotel, Greenbelt 5, Greenhills, North Edsa andRockwell), Kidz Station (Greenbelt 5, Rockwell and Shangri-la Mall), Play2Learn (Cebu) and Rustan’s (Gateway Mall).
3. Hands On Manila Foundation, Inc.
Category: The group in partners with several organizations of different causes.
About the foundation: Hands On Manila (HOM) is an alternative model of volunteer service that gives socially-conscious individuals a wide range of innovative, flexible, and community-driven opportunities.
Screengrab from Hands on Manila’s website
How to help:
1. Donate.
2. Volunteer. They have different programs which you can choose from depending on your talents and skills. Orientations are usually given every last Thursday of the month for those who are interested in becoming a volunteer.
4. iVolunteer Philippines
Category: The group in partners with several organizations of different causes.
About the foundation: www.ivolunteer.net.ph is the Philippines’ first volunteerism portal. They regularly publish volunteerism opportunities organized by smaller groups.
Screengrab from ivolunteer’s website
How to help:
Register as volunteer. Choose from the scheduled activities this month.
5. Kythe Foundation
Category: Children
About the foundation: Kythe is a non-profit, non-stock organization aimed towards improving the quality of life among hospitalized children with cancer and other chronic illness. They have provided psychosocial support to over 8,000 children with cancer and other chronic illness and their families since 1992.
Photo from Kythe’s website
How to help:
6. Make a Wish Foundation
Category: Children
About the foundation: Make a Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.
Photo from Make a Wish Foundation’s Facebook page
How to help:
7. World Vision Philippines
Category: Children, Hunger and Poverty
About the foundation: World Vision is the world’s largest international children’s charity. Present in the Philippines for 56 years now, World Vision Philippines brings everyday hope to thousands of children in the hardest places of rural and urban poor areas.
How to help:
1. Donate.
2. Sponsor a child.
3. Volunteer.
8. A Liter of Light by MyShelter Foundation
Category: Poverty, Environment
About the foundation: MyShelter foundation is taking sustainable building solutions to the grassroots level—the people who are in most need of low-cost infrastructures. Their latest project, Liter of Light, or Isang Litrong Liwanag are waste plastic bottles recycled into solar bulbs. Each one emits the same amount of light as a 55-watt bulb. These bottle lights provide light for a Filipino family who cannot afford electricity. It is a free light that’s also carbon-free. Every bulb saves the planet 64kg of carbon waste a year.
Photo from Liter of Light’s Facebook Page
How to help:
1. Gift of Light. Instead of having a card printed; have a Bottle Light installed in your recipient’s name.
2. Donate.
3. Volunteer.
9. Habitat for Humanity
Category: Community Development
About the foundation: Habitat for Humanity Philippines is a non-profit organization that serves Filipino families in need of decent homes. Habitat brings together partners who share the same vision of transforming lives through building responsible and sustainable communities.
How to help:
1. Donate.
2. Volunteer.
3. Buy a gift for a family in need. Choose a recipient and help families in need of decent shelter. Habitat for Humanity will send your loved ones a card letting them know that you’ve made this gift in their honor.
10. Haribon Foundation
Category: Environment
About the foundation: Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Inc. is a membership organization committed to nature conservation through community empowerment and scientific excellence.
Photo from Haribon’s website
How to help:
1. Adopt a seedling.
2. Give a Gift Tree.
3. Nurture a tree.
Photo from Haribon’s website
11. WWF Philippines
Category: Environment
About the foundation: WWF is the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organization, operating in over 100 countries through the support of nearly five million people worldwide. WWF-Philippines has been working as a national organization of the WWF network since 1997. As the 26th national organization in the WWF network, WWF-Philippines successfully implemented various conservation projects to help protect some of the most biologically-significant ecosystems in Asia.
Photo from WWF Philippines’s website
How to help:
1. Donate.
2. Buy items from the Panda Gift Center.
12. Philippine Animal Welfare Society
Category: Animals
About the foundation: The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a volunteer-based non-government organization whose goal is to prevent animal cruelty through education, animal sheltering and advocacy. PAWS believes that the creation of a more peaceful society starts with the widening of mankind’s circle of compassion which includes animals, thereby envisions a nation that respects animals, practices responsible pet ownership and protects wildlife.
Photo from PAWS’ website
How to help:
1. Adopt a dog/cat.
2. Be a supporting member. Donate.
3. Volunteer.
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Are you a member or a founder of an organization that needs help from kind volunteers? Share with us your story in the comments section below.
