LCP Rowena Bato
In the early part of August, we reached out to two barangays in Dasmarinas City to join what is becoming the new norm in reaching out to communities called “Community Pantry.” Since our club is situated in the City of Dasmarinas, we selected Barangays San Jose and Zone II. Our club administrator together with the officials of each respective local government unit coordinated in selecting three hundred families to be the recipient of the food community drive.
In Barangay San Jose, it was so pleasant that the elders are the team leaders. During the distribution, we cannot seem to contain our smiles that they are very much involved in their community. When we asked them to post for the camera for some picture taking they immediately lined up to have it taken with us.
In light of our support to economic development, our club made sure to procure all the 600 packs of bread and 600 pieces of eggs and vegetables in the nearby bakery and farm respectively within the community area. The rice was donated by a club member while the canned goods and others items were purchased from a consumer cooperative. The contents were humbly put together by our club headed by our administrator. Individually not much but enough to put a smile in the faces of each family and collectively enough for us to be inspired to share.
In Barangay Zone II, we are so proud how organized they were when we said social distancing must be observed. We asked them to stay on their seats and we will come to them to provide each food packs for them.
Each day, we are just grateful for the blessing that we are safe, sound and healthy, that notwithstanding the economic challenge, threat of a virus still making havoc to almost areas of the country, we still allowed ourselves to share and be considered to be a blessing up to the best of our abilities.
We extend our utmost gratitude to all the members of Rotary Club of Metro Dasmarinas and Mr. Ralph Christopher Jaberina with the generous donations, effort and most the time assisting to distribute the food package to almost 300 families in two different barangays.
We just hope that restrictions on face-to-face come to an end for us to follow through on the initial program we intended to launch and allow the first community we intended to nurture achieve a sustainable livelihood program.
At the end of the day, we are so grateful that even in the painful reality of the global pandemic, Rotary’s aim to provide assistance to different communities is indeed providing service to economy through the various products and services provided to their beneficiaries.
The theme of “Serving to Change Lives” embodies the actual work done by Rotarians.