Coming ‘HOM’

HOM is where the heart is.

The stoutest hearts are the hearts of volunteers. This isn’t according to the gospel of Joanne, but to a war hero named Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle in the movie, Pearl Harbor, explaining why men who volunteer for the most dangerous of missions can be trusted to deliver. “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.”

In my gospel, if anyone lends his time, talent and treasure — expecting no return for his investment but the joy of having uplifted another man’s life  —  he is to be trusted with YOUR time, talent and treasure. Even your life. Just think of the doctor and the missionary who were willing to lay down their lives in Ebola-infested places just to be able to save bodies and souls. They volunteered willingly.

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Led by “Sherpas” (after the mountaineering guides of the Himalayas), Hands On Manila (HOM) is composed of volunteers who rebuild, repaint and reinforce classrooms and toilets in dilapidated public schools and conduct special Math, Science, English and Civics classes for gifted public school students. HOM, through its Galing Mo Kid program, has graduated over 120 students in the last seven years and has an average of 90 students at any given time under the tutelage of its volunteers.

In a nutshell, Gianna R. Montinola, co-founder of Hands On Manila and current president, describes HOM. “Basically it is a model from the US from an organization called HandsOn Network USA. Essentially, what it does is it provides a flexible model for volunteers. A lot of us are having a difficulty in finding ways to volunteer unless you are really affiliated with somebody. And sometimes people hesitate because for them, the relationship becomes financial. At HOM, we really want you volunteering your time. And the model was put so you can choose when to go, what cause you want to help with.”

(The other founding members are Wynn Wynn Ong, Maricris Olbes, Nicole Fandiño, Dr. Rene Gayo, Sandy Romualdez, Gizela Montinola and Piki Lopez.)

Junie del Mundo, former HOM president, adds, “In the beginning, all that HOM aspired to do was to bring together volunteers and individuals who needed help the most — the disadvantaged, the marginalized, the oppressed. Yet once we lighted the spirit of volunteerism, there was no stopping it from inflaming the desire to help others.”

HOM also puts out weekly a calendar of regular volunteering activities from Monday to Sunday. There are 40 calendar projects and 170 service projects per month to choose from.

“Before, it wasn’t cool to volunteer. But now, it’s pretty cool to volunteer, plus what we have done is to make volunteerism equals Hands On Manila and now we have evolved to a different level. Right now, we have entered corporations already. We are now volunteerism consultants for corporations with Corporate Employee Volunteer programs.”

According to Junie, employees who volunteer for corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are actually those who are most loyal to their company; they are those who stay.

Lizette Cojuangco joined HOM over three years ago and, like most HOM volunteers, is “inflamed’ by the spirit of volunteerism.

A HOM trustee, she headed last year’s “Servathon,” an annual day of community service among partner corporations that mobilizes hundreds of first-time and veteran volunteers to work together doing service projects simultaneously in half a day providing assistance to marginalized sectors.

Two of the HOM Sherpas, Chito Dela Vega and his wife Marge, who take care of the group’s breakfast feeding program for poor kids, define the HOM spirit of volunteerism succinctly: “As HOM Sherpas, we would guide volunteers through a journey and, if need be, take their pictures when they reached their ‘Everest’.”

Hands On Manila’s Vintage Bazaar

On Saturday, Sept. 6, Hands On Manila Foundation, Inc. will host its first “Vintage Bazaar” at the Rockwell Tent, Makati City. The bazaar will feature furniture and home accessories, as well as designer clothing, shoes and bags.

A centerpiece of the bazaar will be a sale of gowns donated by women who are role models in society. The gowns featured are by renowned Filipino designers like Inno Sotto, Rajo Laurel, Pitoy Moreno and the late Aureo Alonzo. 

Items from the four corners of the world will be sold at reasonable prices. There are leather chairs from Budji Layug, a molave dining table from Jo-Liza. Sofas, armchairs, dining chairs and coffee tables are for sale for as low as P3,000.  There will be bargains like designer clothing for as low as P2,000, gowns for as low as P1,500, designer bags for as low as P3,000, Oriental home accessories for as low as P1,500, and framed prints for as low as P1,500. 

Concessionaires include Kassa of Karen Santos for vintage silver pieces from New York, Doctor Leather offering brand new designer bags and bag repair services, Janina and Lucille Dizon selling “once loved” branded bags, shoes and accessories, Natalya Lagdameo jewelry and home décor, and Marga Espiritu of Bungalow 300 furniture and home decor. 

According to Gianna, “The Vintage Bazaar requires an army of people to get things done. We are fortunate to have the support of long-standing Hands On Manila partners like The Philippine STAR, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Rockwell Land Corp. and Ethos Creative Solutions.”

Camille Samson, Hands On Manila board member and Vintage Bazaar chair, adds, “Like our volunteering projects, the bazaar is the latest of our many initiatives to raise the profile of volunteering and service throughout the country. For this event, we were fortunate enough to have generous friends and relatives who donated their brand-new and gently used items, including treasures from their homes. ”

Proceeds from sales will go to support Hands On Manila’s programs on education, the environment, children and the elderly.

(The bazaar runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Rockwell Tent, Makati City. For more information, please call 843-7044; telefax 478-7217 and look for Ami Valdemoro or Perrey Belen. You can also e-mail [email protected] or visit www.handsonmanila.org.) (You may e-mail me at [email protected].)