On the Road
A Center with a Dual Purpose
The Santo Nino Center in the Philippines serves children in many different ways
Since I had arrived in Tacloban to visit our affiliated sites in early January, I had heard so much from our volunteer coordinator, WimWim, about Typhoon Yolanda and how it had devastated the city ten years earlier. WimWim explained that although very tragic, the entire community and the government of Tacloban learned a valuable lesson in the aftermath about emergency preparedness and the importance of having a plan in place in case a storm of […]
Finding Bliss in Tacloban
The Visayans Center supports urban families living in poverty
After spending the morning with Ester and WimWim, our volunteer coordinators at the Volunteer for the Visayans, it was time to get ready for the monthly distribution of supplies to the children in our program at the first of three affiliated sites in the Philippines I would be visiting during my time in Tacloban. We didn’t spend long traveling to the first site — in fact, all we had to do is walk downstairs from […]
Volunteer for the Visayans
We have worked with VFV in the Philippines since 2005
Our volunteer coordinator, WimWim, picked me up early the morning after I arrived in Tacloban to take me to the Volunteer for the Visayans main office, located a short distance from the downtown area in a neighborhood called Bliss. When we arrived, we parked along the cobblestone road, right next to a few small shops selling candy, snacks and household items. Across the street was a large entry way with Volunteer for the Visayans written […]
Facts About Child Hunger and Poverty
What you should know about how child hunger affects children’s well-being
Hunger is a problem that most often affects low-income families, because living in poverty means that people are often going without basic needs such as food, clothing, and adequate shelter. In order for a child to have a chance at a bright future, they need to eat healthy meals every day. When they’re hungry, children are more likely to be hospitalized, and they face a higher risk of health conditions because they have weakened immune […]
Seeking Refuge from the Floods
The Cancumbang Center in Tacloban was built above the ground to help protect families when in need
I spent the last three days of my trip to the Philippines with our volunteer coordinators, WimWim and Ester, visiting our affiliated sites in Tacloban, all operated under the Volunteer for the Visayans organization, or VFV. After visiting the Visayans Center at Bliss and the Santo Nino Center in previous days, it was time to visit our final site, the Cancumbang Center, located in the Cancumbang neighborhood about an hour outside of the city center. […]
Hope After Yolanda
Ten years later, residents of Tacloban are still reminded of tragedy
When I first started at Children Incorporated in May of 2014, I remember hearing a lot about our relief efforts in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, which had devastated areas of southeast Asia in November 2013. I recall clearly stories from our staff about the damage that had occurred in Tacloban, where our affiliated site, the Visayans Center (which is run by non-profit organization, Volunteer for the Visayans, or VFV) was located. After the storm […]