Hearts That Care
Something good for the heart.
I was touched by a blogger’s interest in bringing a smile to the less fortunate this Christmas. She and her friends and family came up with this project called Hearts That Care.
All in the spirit of blogging, wouldn’t it be nice if we thought about something similar to this even just for this time of the year?
I remember at my children’s school two summers ago. A province nearby was literally on fire. The forest was burned, the houses were reduced to ashes, electricity was not even a priority and the people had no potable water. The school came up with a project called “Operation Shoebox”. The students were asked to fill one shoebox with whatever a student their age would appreciate if they were in that situation.
My daughter spent her allowance on a toothpaste, a toothbrush, a comb, pencils, pens, erasers, a pair of socks, and a notebook. What touched me was when she slipped a couple of chocolates and a note of hope. My daughter is a very private person but she let me read her note just the same.
I did that last year. I packed literally the same things intended for a 7 year old girl. I had no clue who was going to get it. I met a man I usually meet everytime I go home. He looks after our needs like cleaning our place or just doing some errands for us. I asked him if he has a daughter and he said "meron po ma'am, pitong taong gulang po". There you go. I haven’t met the recipient but I knew the father was in awe. It wasn’t much but I intend to do it again when I go home next year.
I was touched by a blogger’s interest in bringing a smile to the less fortunate this Christmas. She and her friends and family came up with this project called Hearts That Care.
All in the spirit of blogging, wouldn’t it be nice if we thought about something similar to this even just for this time of the year?
I remember at my children’s school two summers ago. A province nearby was literally on fire. The forest was burned, the houses were reduced to ashes, electricity was not even a priority and the people had no potable water. The school came up with a project called “Operation Shoebox”. The students were asked to fill one shoebox with whatever a student their age would appreciate if they were in that situation.
My daughter spent her allowance on a toothpaste, a toothbrush, a comb, pencils, pens, erasers, a pair of socks, and a notebook. What touched me was when she slipped a couple of chocolates and a note of hope. My daughter is a very private person but she let me read her note just the same.
I did that last year. I packed literally the same things intended for a 7 year old girl. I had no clue who was going to get it. I met a man I usually meet everytime I go home. He looks after our needs like cleaning our place or just doing some errands for us. I asked him if he has a daughter and he said "meron po ma'am, pitong taong gulang po". There you go. I haven’t met the recipient but I knew the father was in awe. It wasn’t much but I intend to do it again when I go home next year.
I know the happiness and the smile might only be for a moment but think about how you made one happy even for a moment this year. A moment is better than not having tried at all. The shoebox might not even be 1% of the blessings you received for the whole year.
posted by ting-aling at 2:50 PM
16 Comments:
Ninang (ayan naging godmother na kita--in the spirit of christmas), i have visited the site (Hearts that Care) and that kind of endeavor is the humblest undertaking i always appreciate and admire. I onced been the recepient of a good heart (during one christmas in my life) and i felt so blessed, the happiness is insurmountable. I have also experienced sharing the blessings i received from my labour and the feeling is blissful, more than the happiness i experienced when i was the recepient. Since then, i have always engage myself in works of similar intention, not to mention my being the santa clause to my dozens of nephews and nieces who are (believe me) all my inaanak :-).. mas masarap talaga ang feeling ng ikaw ang nagbibigay...
Ay Bong, Iho, ang bait mo naman. Eh di sige exempted ka na muna. Kindness comes back in a hundred fold daw so carry on. Puwede ba pakibilhan mo na rin yung mga inaanak kong naiwanan diyan?
Hello ting-aling! I myself have been blessed with a lot of things, di lang material kundi pati friends and people who care.
It is in our nature to make a big issue about the things that don't go our way, but if we stop and think about it, there are also lots to thank for.
Once upon a time, I volunteered an hour every Friday at Don Bosco in Makati (they have a place there for street children) teaching about Science. But I found myself very busy lately with work and other stuff even on Fridays. But your post is inspiration to do something selfless for others, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is.
Christmas is really for children. I pity those who cannot even have something to eat during noche buena. I pity those poor kids who have to beg for food while we see other houses throwing away excess food. Life can be cruel sometimes but that's how it is. if only we can make everybody happy, no? i wonder what I will be doing this christmas that would be as productive.
Bayi, I could tell that you are one with a big heart.
Watson, haha..reading your posts tells me that you are one happy soul who shares his blessings to others.
Tito Rolly, here I am food blogging and trying to shed of some fats due to excessive eating (guilty as charged) and you remind me of the hungry kids this Christmas. I shouldn't tell my kids to think of the people in Africa anymore when they try to not eat because they don't want the food I prepared. I should tell them simply that there are a lot of children who do not enjoy the things otherwise my kids enjoy.
Operation Shoebox sounds like a really good idea! Thanks for bringing that to mind. Maybe I can start my own Operation Shoebox among our family members. Thank you so much!
you know, that seems to be a pretty cool idea. how aobut starting something up? and signing up with paypal to be attached to the blog wherein us bloggers here can send the money for this purpose however little we can send. We just need good, patient people to do the shopping for us to fill a shoebox. ...wonder what you & the rest of the bloggers think about this. Too bad it is very close to Xmas, we could have started something sooner.
thanks Ting for posting HTC on your blog. we have two projects in the works, one to be launched in january and the other in june.
we want to serve as a channel for people who wants to help but do not have the means (e.g. they're overseas) i'll email you on this.
take care! (:
Good idea Toni..it's not too late yet.
G..I don't know if we can make it universal..the logistics just doesn't look doable unless we have a taker who can manage all this..siguro we can do it on our own like what Toni is thinking of..
Tin, sige, looking forward to your e-mail..
wow ate akalako nagkamali ako ng pagpasok, bagong skin/template mo ah, ang ganda, napaka aliwalas.. buti ka pa marunong mag change ng outfit sa blog mo hehehehehe
merry christmas ha!
Bong, salamat. Di ko na nga na-a-update eto pero this week sigurado meron na. Tutulungan kita sa template kung gusto mo..hehehe..kaya lang basic lang ang alam ko eh.
Let's all become undercover Santa Clauses this Christmas and more! :)
Wouldn't that be fun Doc?
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