Through Her Charity, Bea Alonzo Extends Help To The SOS Children's Village
"Seeing them smile back at me, even with masks on, is a reflection of how we can still have hope amid chaos," she writes
The thing about charity and donations drives during a crisis is that people can lose steam.
Those who rallied to help the most vulnerable, those who consistently posted hashtags and used their time to be at the front lines can eventually move on to other things, not because they stopped caring, but because life simply keeps turning for most people. Other responsibilities aside from being responsible members of society come around, and in a few weeks' time, the baton of helping is passed on to those who have the time, energy, and resources to do so, all the way up to the day a crisis is officially deemed over and done.
Enter Bea Alonzo, one of the handful of Filipino celebrities who has actively contributed to alleviating the negative consequences of the COVID-19 crisis since March.
The organization has spearheaded and participated in several charitable activities since then, including creating DIY face shields, raising at least P9 million in financial aid as of the end of May, partnering with Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto to distribute relief goods in June, aiding shelter-less Filipino workers unable to return home to their provinces, cooking hundreds of meals for stranded UP Diliman students, delivering food donations to several hospitals, bringing medical supplies to Leyte, helping Tondo-based Project Pearls, and so much more.
See photos of I Am Hope Org.'s charitable activities in the gallery below:
I am hope org. in action
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Bea and a small group make DIY face shields for frontliners.
They also include other medical supplies and face shield materials to stock their recipients with items needed to make more shields in the future.
Pandesal and other relief goods plus medical supplies make their way to the frontliners of selected hospitals and medical facilities.
Bea uses her brand endorsements for charitable purposes.
Here she is trying her hand at cooking in bulk for the first time for the benefit of medical frontliners.
Project Pearls receives food donations to give to some of Tondo's most impoverished families.
I Am Hope Org. also came to the aid of Tondo families affected by a large fire that broke out in their community in April.
Visayas-based I Am Hope Org. volunteers extend the help to hospitals outside of Luzon.
"I’m starting to love cooking in big batches. May nahanap na yata akong bagong career," she joked. This is Bea preparing meals for more frontliners within Metro Manila.
A second batch of donations reaches Visayas. Leyte in particular received items from this round of relief operations.
Jeepney drivers and their families receive donations. Many of them had lost their source of income due to the cessation of jeepney operations across Metro Manila and could no longer afford to purchase food and other basic necessities.
Here is the I Am Hope Org. team extending help to families in Rizal's more remote areas.
The Office of Leni Robredo accepts food donations from Bea and her team for UP Diliman students who were stranded while working with the VP's office.
Blankets and food are distributed to stranded Filipino workers unable to find ways to return to the province.
Bea and Mayor Vico Sotto team up.
And finally, Bea joins her team to visit Muntinlupa's SOS Children's Village to hand over donations.
Come July, I Am Hope Org. continues to provide help where it's most needed.
She and the organization's volunteers found their way to Muntinlupa where they paid SOS Children's Village a visit.
The non-profit organization that gives orphaned children, or children no longer able to live with their own families, a safe and loving home. According to Bea, SOS Children's Village approaches orphanage work differently, as they put children's rights above all and "a sense of family" is created within the community in order for children to be able to receive the same love, care, and attention despite their circumstances.
"Seeing them smile back at me, even with masks on, is a reflection of how we can still have hope amid chaos," she wrote, as she shared scenes from her day with them.
As the country continues to fight against the COVID-19, all Filipinos should be glad that Bea doesn't seem to know what "losing steam" means—and that she continues to help, always with a smile on her face.
Photos from @beaalonzo
