IN THE COMMUNITY
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TFC Volunteers with Local Community to Provide Food to Families in Need
Children of TFC employees believe in the Power of Good. (L-R) Front Row: Andrea Castillo, Patrick Talavera, Ira Vizcarra, and Martina Lopez. Back Row: Alyssa and Alyana Castillo, Sophia and Ella Beggs, and Matthew Vo. (Photo courtesy of Pia Lopezbanos-Carrion)
DALY CITY, Calif., March 21, 2018 — One drizzling Saturday, families picked up milk, tuna, peanut butter, rice and whole grains, vegetables, apples and oranges, cheese, eggs and bread for free at the school campus of Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. Representatives of Second Harvest Food Bank, Cumberland Presbyterian, the school staff, and TFC employees distributed the free groceries to low-income families in the neighborhood.
Woodrow Wilson is the same school where TFC employees played Secret Santa last Christmas, where many families experience hardship and are below the poverty line. Tatiana Sanchez wrote in The Mercury News that “The cost of living across Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is so high that more than a quarter of people in the region struggle to pay for food each month, according to a new food insecurity study by Second Harvest Food Bank.”
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is one of the largest food banks in the nation. The Food Bank distributes nutritious food, including more fresh produce than almost any other food bank in the country, through a network of 300 nonprofit partners at 905 sites.
The school was recently selected by Second Harvest Food Bank as beneficiary of their Family Harvest Program. When the school reached out to TFC requesting for volunteers to help in food distribution, a good number of employees immediately signed up. Many of them brought their family members to help.
TFC employees and their familes believe that the power of good lies in concrete acts of sharing and caring. (L-R) Alyana and her mother, TFC’s Regional Marketing Head for North and Latin America Pam Castillo, Sophia and her mother, Executive Assistant MJ Beggs, Solutions Delivery Head Gilbert Talavera and his son Patrick, Remittance Operations Manager Egay Bulawan, Rica Tang and her niece, Martina Lopez, sister and daughter respectively of Digital Partnership & Integration Head Connie Lopez.
Executive Assistant MJ Beggs (2nd from right) believes that having her daughters Ella (2nd from left) and Sophia (right) do volunteer work in the community is key for them to learn and practice compassion. They are joined at the “Potato and Onion Station” by other volunteers (L-R) Matthew Vo, Tea Ywai of Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Patrick Meehan.
Remittance Operations Manager Egay Bulawan, Solutions Delivery Head Gilbert Talavera, and AFI Office & Development Manager Alma Magsombol happy to be of service at the “Milk Station.”
TFC is honored to be part of this food drive, serving side-by-side with the Second Harvest Food Bank, teachers and staff of Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, and volunteers from Cumberland Presbyterian Church to help fight hunger in the community.
Marketing Specialist Mimi Dayo-Arguelles emphasizes that “You have a purpose, you really feel good giving back.” HR & Admin Specialist Jennifer Santos believes that there is good in each one. “They just need to experience a bit of human kindness so that the good within them can also come out.”
Harry Beggs, husband of Executive Assistant MJ Beggs, says that “It’s a great service to the community to give back. Reach one, teach one.” The Beggs also brought their two daughters and a friend because they wanted to show their children that volunteerism is what drives a community forward. They believe that doing good is the best lesson they can impart to the children.
Alyana Castillo, daughter of Regional Marketing Head for NOLA Pam Castillo, admits that “It makes me feel better about myself knowing that I am helping some kids and families.”
Jenn Yamanoha, a third-grade teacher at Woodrow Wilson, expressed that “We are just so grateful to have TFC volunteering their time. That’s what we teach our students, to give kindness to other people. The more that our students can see that there are people out there that care about them, the more it spreads love and kindness.”
ABS-CBN Foundation International Managing Director Jerry Bennett was pleased to announce that “together with Second Harvest Food Bank and the other volunteers, we gave out food stuff to around 60 poor families. It truly felt good to be part of this giving activity.” Bennett adds that “If we get ourselves involved in the community, especially in helping the poor, it will amplify the power of good of the people, for the people. This, then, creates compassion within the community.”
The kindness that shone through on that damp and cold Saturday warmed the hearts of those who were there. Relive the experience here.
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Media Contact:
Pia Lopezbanos-Carrion
ABS-CBN International – TFC
2001 Juniperro Serra Blvd, Ste. 200
Daly City, CA 94014
pia_lopezbanos@abs-cbn.com
1-650-241-5607