We speak naturally of our heart’s

contents. Short remarks of

gratitude mirror the content of

one’s heart touched by an act of

compassion.

 

[1]Aunt Melody, one of the

recipients recounted to us the

hard work and sacrifices their

family has to build their house

before the earthquake. She said,

“It took us many years to build

our house. The money we spent

to buy the materials came from

hard work, selling vegetables in the marketplace. Our family’s joy is inexplicable when our house was built. But in a blink of an eye, all was lost. This helps become more meaningful. It lightens our life’s burdens.”

 

When calamity, disaster or crisis strikes, the most vulnerable sector of society are the poor and marginalized. They are the most affected because of the challenging environmental and economic conditions they are in. These human welfare and needs were all the more highlighted because of the COVID-19 crisis. The provincial lockdowns and community quarantines mitigated by the government further reduced the people’s access and mobility to work and earn income for their families.

 

                                                              The PCMN and the Mindanao Children’s Ministries Network partnership deliver                                                                timely relief efforts to Magsaysay, Davao Del Sur, and Makilala, North Cotabato,                                                                two municipalities that are in dire need of relief assistance. Each family of 2,500                                                                received a pack of groceries on April 13 and 18 consisting of rice, noodles,                                                                          biscuits, canned goods, sugar, coffee, and creamer. Hygiene kits were also                                                                        given out to support the community’s effort to control and eliminate the                                                                            spread of the CORONA virus.

 

                                                              Ricardo, a construction worker, and father of three echoed similarly, “The food                                                                  assistance is a big blessing from God. Thank you for remembering us.”

 

                                                              Compassion is love in action. Through compassionate acts, we reflect the                                                                          character and commitment of God to the poor and the needy.  This call to                                                                          action is rooted in God’s love towards all He has made: “The Lord is good to                                                                      everyone; He shows His mercy to everything He made.” Psalm 145:9

 

 

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[1] All names are altered to protect identity of vulnerable people