16,430 PERSONS SERVED IN 2020: AT LVF, CHRIST’ LOVE is enFLESHED!
Almost all things that we can say about Christmas are all cliché’, but for us here @ LVF, the phrase CHRISTMAS IS SHARING will always be our concrete gesture of celebrating the Birth of our Lord, God-Jesus becoming flesh for our salvation. LVF trying our best to enFLESH the Lord’s gifting and giving of Himself by our reaching out to the least, last and lost. Yes, Christmas is not just in our hearts… Christmas is stretching out our hands and hearts to others in great need this year of the PANDEMIC.
LVF ANNUAL PARTI-HAN TRADITION CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING 2020!
The year 2020 may be a year of full challenges and adversities, but the Laura Vicuña Foundation had remained creative and unstoppable in braving the war against the pandemic just to remain close to our countrymen who were, and are still enduring the continuing effects of the pandemic. Since we cannot hold large gatherings, the LVF’s Annual Parti-han Tradition Christmas gift-giving was conducted per area. Hand in hand, the Sisters, girls and staff packed and prepared hundreds and hundreds of food packs for the communities.
LVF was able to distribute a total of one thousand five hundred ninety (1,590) Noche Buena gift packs to its CPC Communities! Four hundred twenty (420) individuals were served by the first tranche of gift packs distributed on Dec. 19 and 20 to Marikina, Mandaluyong, Taguig and Cavite while the second tranche of 381 Christmas gift packs and Mang Inasal packed lunch were distributed on Dec. 21 and 22 to LVF-CPC communities in Culiat, Pinagkaisahan, Bacood, Hillcrest & Judge Jimenez.
As part of the LVF’s Annual Parti-han celebration, seven hundred eighty-nine (789) Media Noche gift packs to depressed communities and garbage collectors. Let us give LVF communities and families Media Noche to greet the New Year. With the Pandemic surely they are short of food. Let us afford them a simple joy for the the coming year 2021. (“Bigyan natin sila ng pang Media-Noche lalo na at magbabagong taon. Hindi natin alam, baka ‘yong iba walang panghanda kasi nga nasa krisis tayo, may Pandemic. Kahit kaunti lang, mabigyan natin sila ng kaligayahan.”) Sr. Marivic, LVF’s Managing Director said. Indeed, this pandemic had brought us closer towards each other, not because of any personal gains but we had focused on what was essential and we were trying our best to overcome various barriers of indifference.Upon receiving the gifts, the smile on their faces and the flicker of joy in their eyes as they expressed their thanks was priceless! A genuine ‘thank-you’ from the recipients was heartwarming enough. Seeing how happy they were to receive such gifts, you can visibly see how grateful they were to be remembered.
LVF ANNUAL FAMILY CONGRESS 2020!
Dec. 30, 2020. Traditionally, the LVF Annual Family Congress gathered hundreds of families where parents were given the opportunity to voice out their concerns and problems with their child-rearing and parenting styles as well as children had the opportunity to be heard of their concerns and difficulties in their journey of growing up. However, this year, LVF conducted its Annual Family Congress per area, so as to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus, online and offline! Its Social Workers braved the threat of COVID-19 as frontliners in conducting its advocacies for the people.
Observing the health protocols: social distancing, wearing of facemasks and face shields and hand sanitizing, LVF was able to reach seven hundred ten (710) children, youth & parents of LVF-CPC in Cavite, Marikina, Taguig, Bacood, Botocan, Culiat, Judge Jimenez, Hillcrest & Brgy. Pinagkaisahan joined the LVF’s Session on “Enhancing Families with Coping Skills during the Pandemic” conducted by LVF Social Worker, Mercedes Juncia, assisted by Joy Hugo, Ryan Azucena, Virginia Jison, Rosea Monsay, Liza and Eyen Corro.This aimed to provide an array of coping mechanisms to families especially in this time of Pandemic as well as a chance for them to freely speak and ventilate their feeling of worries, anxieties, fear and sadness as well as their experiences and how they managed to deal with their everyday situations.
Due to the experiences we had this COVID-19 pandemic, mental health is an important issue in our communities. The Laura Vicuña Foundation (LVF)came up with an online session on “Mindfulness-Road to Mental Health” in partnership with DepEd Schools Division of Cadiz City and Colegio de Sta. Ana de Victorias (CSAV) in Negros Occidental. It had reached a total of 500 participants for their advocacy sessions: CSAV 435 participants and DepEd Cadiz 65 participants.The LVF Social Workers were being tapped to facilitate the sessions.College students, Guidance and Admin staff attended the CSAV sessions while SSG officers, Yes-O officers and Teacher advisers attended the DepEd Cadiz sessions.The dates were December 5, 11 and 18 for CSAV and December 4 and 11 for DepEd Cadiz. After listening to the tips on mindfulness one teacher said, “The session is very timely as most of us are experiencing difficulties in this time of pandemic.” For the students one of them said, “The face-to-face encounter we had with our teachers and classmates were denied from us this pandemic but we need to be positive in all things so that it will lead us to an optimistic horizon.Then another student said, “Having a smile on our faces, putting God first in our lives and being grateful for His blessings will give us a purpose and a renewed meaning with our lives after the pandemic lockdown.”
ONLINE ADVOCACY SESSION ON CHILD’S RIGHTS
The Laura Vicuña Foundation’s advocacy on Child’s Rights does not end with the culmination of the month of November. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated, globally, that up to 1 billion children aged 2-17 years have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year. Hence, as part of LVF’s campaign in Ending Violence against Women and Children, LVF continues to conduct its online advocacy session on Child’s Rights and Responsibilities to: 100 youth and parents of LVF-CPC Culiat (Dec. 2), 34 children and young people in Pius (Dec. 6),31 young people of Majada (Dec. 12), and 56 children, youth and parent participants in Marikina (Dec. 19). “Ano-ano po ang dapat naming gawin kung mayroon po kaming nakikitang karahasan o pang-aabuso sa aming komunidad?” (What should we do if we happen to witness an abuse in our community?) ask one of the participant. Hence, it is vital to conduct this kind of sessions as it raises their awareness on the various abuses and it gives them basic knowledge on how to report, who to report and where to report if in any instance, they witness such abuses. LVF will continue in CHAMPIONING CHILD PROTECTION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT for the years to come!
THANK YOU PCSO!
The Laura Vicuña Foundation had received 200 packs of goods from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Dec. 30, 2020! It was gladly received by the LVF Managing Director, Sr. Ma. Victoria P. Sta. Ana, FMA and the whole LVF Community. According to PCSO, they had chosen LVF as a beneficiary for their year-end gift-giving for they had seen its continuous and active programs, despite of the pandemic, especially with their solidarity initiatives on the ground-which means going out face to face with the populace just to bring its services to the people! These goods will be distributed to LVF’s Child Protection Communities. We heal as one!
December 8 – Immaculate Conception
We cannot pass this very significant day without celebrating the great Solemnity of Mary Immaculate. This year was extra special and peculiar because our girls made the PLEDGE OF PURITY, no sexual relations until marriage! It was done within a solemn ritual in a prayer celebration with all the Sisters and LVF Staff. A small card memento with the exact time, date, place and their signature made it not only memorable for the girls but a true promise to God of their purity with Mary as their model and guide. The Sisters and Staff on their part fervently prayed that our girls may be faithful to their promise. Come Dec 14 the President of LIVE PURE MOVEMENT, Sir Jose Ibarra Fabello Villas and Kuya JC a full time missionary of the said movement with the supportive help of Rev. Fr. Juvelan Samia,SDB, had a very intimate encounter with our girls via Zoom. He strongly convinced them to believe that they are AMAZING, INSIDE- OUT! They are WORTH WAITING FOR IN MARRIAGE and if in their past came a time when the complete opposite was said of them or their dignity as a person was violated; still, forgiveness is the key and moving forward should be the only choice to be whole again. The two ‘kuyas’ heart rending apologies on behalf of their ‘kabaro’ who in anyway had been missed in their demonstration of respect for them brought most of us to tears. It was indeed a treasured encounter of hearts and souls in the Lord! We pray and hope that this encounter will be etched in our hearts and be kept alive in our choices in life.
Laura Vicuña Foundation, Inc. 