Thursday, August 30, 2012
Rain Love U.K. sends away!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Rain Love from LA
Now the next challenge is to send this over to LBC LA, for direct shipping to the Red Cross.
It has come to our attention though that LBC will not forward donations of used clothing. The RLOM volunteers in LA and UK are devising a way to send the clothes to those in need, with or without the help of LBC. Meanwhile, RLOM in NY will still push through with shipping the items (used clothing included), from the help of friends who have donated money for shipping fare.
If you wish to send your goods directly to LBC, please wrap your food, medicine and similar donations in blankets.
In talks with a potential volunteer in Dubai! Stay tuned!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Rain Love Approaches the Philippine Consulate in NY
New York, NY. Rain Love on Manila reached out to the Philippine Consulate in New York this week to seek for help in hosting a temporary drop-off venue, so that it would be easier for donors to access. However, our group and initiative were met with disappointment. Because we are operating on our own initiative, they have advised us to simply help in other means, like join a "fun run" which will happen in the next few months. Anyway, it was a government directive that specified that the items we chose to ask for - the used (but clean) clothes - are not allowed to be donated.
It makes one wonder about the concept of help, need and giving. A person in need deserves help. Those who have the capacity to help, should. Because life sometimes puts you in situations where you may be in and out of need. You help any way you can. You can give anyway you can. But you can never give what you don't have. You should not promise what you cannot deliver. On the other hand, if you are in need, you welcome whatever help you can get. But if you are lending the help to the one in need, then those people are the ones who have the right to decide what they need.
A person who has no dry clothes on his or her back would probably want something to wear. A clean pre-owned shirt is better than no shirt or a dirty one. If one has money and clothes to spare, it seems more logical to buy the needy sustenance, while giving them their own clothes, instead of buying them new threads. There is a greater symbol to passing to the other what you have used to cover yourself. "When I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was naked, you clothed me."
To all those who want to help out our fellowmen, give what you can, and give what will be necessary for people to restore not just their strength, but their self-worth. Donate things that you would want someone to give you when you are the one without the clothes, without food, without shelter. Give with your heart, and nothing will be turned away.
It makes one wonder about the concept of help, need and giving. A person in need deserves help. Those who have the capacity to help, should. Because life sometimes puts you in situations where you may be in and out of need. You help any way you can. You can give anyway you can. But you can never give what you don't have. You should not promise what you cannot deliver. On the other hand, if you are in need, you welcome whatever help you can get. But if you are lending the help to the one in need, then those people are the ones who have the right to decide what they need.
A person who has no dry clothes on his or her back would probably want something to wear. A clean pre-owned shirt is better than no shirt or a dirty one. If one has money and clothes to spare, it seems more logical to buy the needy sustenance, while giving them their own clothes, instead of buying them new threads. There is a greater symbol to passing to the other what you have used to cover yourself. "When I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was naked, you clothed me."
To all those who want to help out our fellowmen, give what you can, and give what will be necessary for people to restore not just their strength, but their self-worth. Donate things that you would want someone to give you when you are the one without the clothes, without food, without shelter. Give with your heart, and nothing will be turned away.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
How to Drop Off Donations
New York City, NY. The best way to contact Rain Love on Manila volunteers especially regarding drop-off arrangements is through emailing rainloveonmanila@yahoo.com. The Facebook group is also a venue to post inquiries regarding drop-offs, and to learn about what else is Rain Love on Manila doing. Please look for us at http://www.facebook.com/groups/rainloveonmanila/.
The main number for leaving SMS messages is 646-820-3327, within the US.
Right now these are the 3 locations for the drop-offs:
If it is from NYC - 182-25 Wexford Terrace, Midland Manor, Jamaica NYC 11432. Volunteer Deb handles this location. Times and dates of the drop must be coordinated through email.
If it is from London - 165 Metro Central Heights 119 Newington Causeway London UK SE1 6BT
Volunteer Pat handles this location. Times and dates of the drop must also be coordinated through email.
If it is from LA - 14423 Hamlin Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401. Volunteer Ritz handles this location.
Monday through Fridays, between 9-5pm, someone can receive the packages. But prior arrangement must be made through email. Please indicate that drop-offs are meant for Ritz Calvo.
All the care packages collected from these locations will be shipped via LBC to the address in Manila: 8100 C. Raymundo Avenue, Caniogan, Pasig City 1600. From here, it will be turned over to the Philippine National Red Cross.
In LA or UK, if people have filled more than 1 box of LBC, and wish to drop it off at LBC directly (as they also handle distribution straight to Red Cross), donors may request a copy of the Rain Love on Manila logo to be stuck to the box, for identification. It is advisable to email RLOM a list and also to print a list of contents along with the packages that the donors will drop off, so that all items will be accounted for.
Thank you for helping us help each other out!
The main number for leaving SMS messages is 646-820-3327, within the US.
Right now these are the 3 locations for the drop-offs:
If it is from NYC - 182-25 Wexford Terrace, Midland Manor, Jamaica NYC 11432. Volunteer Deb handles this location. Times and dates of the drop must be coordinated through email.
If it is from London - 165 Metro Central Heights 119 Newington Causeway London UK SE1 6BT
Volunteer Pat handles this location. Times and dates of the drop must also be coordinated through email.
If it is from LA - 14423 Hamlin Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401. Volunteer Ritz handles this location.
Monday through Fridays, between 9-5pm, someone can receive the packages. But prior arrangement must be made through email. Please indicate that drop-offs are meant for Ritz Calvo.
All the care packages collected from these locations will be shipped via LBC to the address in Manila: 8100 C. Raymundo Avenue, Caniogan, Pasig City 1600. From here, it will be turned over to the Philippine National Red Cross.
In LA or UK, if people have filled more than 1 box of LBC, and wish to drop it off at LBC directly (as they also handle distribution straight to Red Cross), donors may request a copy of the Rain Love on Manila logo to be stuck to the box, for identification. It is advisable to email RLOM a list and also to print a list of contents along with the packages that the donors will drop off, so that all items will be accounted for.
Thank you for helping us help each other out!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Rain Love Drop-Off Venues
New York, New York. Rain Love on Manila is currently gathering care packages in the residences of their volunteers. If you would like to consolidate your donations to theirs, for shipping back to Manila for the receipt of the Philippine National Red Cross, please email rainloveonmanila@yahoo.com. Indicate your name, where you are from (city, country), when you intend to do the drop-off, and we will be in touch with you. These are the cities that are currently active:
Central London, UK
Queens, NY, USA
West Hills, CA, USA
Thank you and let's keep working to send more love back home.
Central London, UK
Queens, NY, USA
West Hills, CA, USA
Thank you and let's keep working to send more love back home.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
No Land in Sight: Metro Manila Today
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| Bridge in Tarlac City going to Camiling town |
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| The level of water reaching the tops of the street lamps in Marikina City |
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| UST university campus field |
World Vision tells Rain Love on Manila:
"You may be interested to know that World Vision is readying relief efforts in response to the flooding in the Philippines. As soon as the flood significantly recedes, our response teams will visit the affected areas of Malabon, Manila, Cavite and Zambales."
Thank you World Vision!
Rain Love Again
While
the eyes of the world remain on London for the Olympic games in its
gob-smacking spectacle, my country, the Philippines sinks under a national
disaster of apocalyptic rains that continue to drown it.
I
hear from the news that capital city of Manila has had 504 millimeters or 20
inches of rain – and that apparently it’s not yet over. To put this into
perspective, Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive
calamities of the United States felt rainfall of 14 inches.
140,000
people have been forced out of their homes. There are deep waters, waist deep
and even higher floods, overflowing rivers and dams, ferocious landslides,
which have buried communities, stranded cars, blocked roads, trapped families
on roofs, and killed people. The death toll of the country is up to 53 today,
August 7.
My
country is under complete red alert. Where will the 7,107 islands of the
country find itself after a storm bigger than its landmass leaves it? How will
the 92 million Filipinos survive? Being a Filipino away from the Philippines, seeing
the deadly disaster that’s happened only through a laptop screen, I immediately try to reach my parents back home, feel relief
to find out only an inch of water has seeped through our home, but at the same
time I feel the pang of anxiety for the rest of my country who might not be as
lucky with unimaginable water levels. This misfortune that has struck, I am
filled with hope that there can only be light at the end.
Because
the country has seen a disaster just as deadly before, not even 3 years ago,
called Ondoy, we already know that the effects of this storm are far-reaching
and profound. And because we have seen this before, then we’ve already seen how
much people can do, what people can give, what people can be to turn our
country from what it looks like now, to what it can become.
With
the recent debate of the RH bill that has divided the country, and now with
another great storm, I know this flood, might its waters linger for weeks, will
float something else – something good to the country, as people rise up with
nationalism, pick up a brother, and take control to turn the tide themselves.
Here
in London, while the Games have united people under the banner of ambition,
hard work and competition, in Manila – I know that we have just as dramatic a
lesson from the storm, which is that when we are united with a purpose, it can
bring out the best.
During
times like these, there is no more government, there are no rich or poor, there
are no drenched or dry - there are only people - people who are cold, people
who are hungry, and people who need help but cannot call for help. I'm writing
on behalf of my people, to you, friends, if you can spare some time to
gather things that can provide relief to Filipinos at this time of
"endless dusk" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19159509).
My
sister has started a disaster relief campaign called Rain Love on Manila (rainloveonmanila.blogspot.com) in
2009, which helped create care packages to send back to our country for the
victims, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross. Today, we begin
the Rain Love on Manila 2012 relief campaign for last night’s victims by
collecting anything you feel like donating.
Today, any of these
things will be most helpful:
1) basic clothes -
tops, bottoms, underwear
2) rain gear and cold
weather clothes
3) flotation devices
- old air beds, life vests, flotation sleeves
4) basic food - rice,
powdered milk for infants, cup noodles, canned goods
5) blankets, pillows
- some people are living in makeshift evacuation centers like schools, gyms,
parking garages, without facilities
6) funds to cover the
shipping of these boxes via LBC
personal email of my sister: debflo@gmail.com
campaign email: rainloveonmanila@yahoo.com
SMS (UK based): +44776821964
SMS (NY based): 646-820-3327
As of today, there
are Rain Love on Manila volunteer teams assembling in Manila, UK, California
and NY, to better facilitate the collection of care.
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