Sixty-five days to go and it’s Christmas! What more? Today is also the Sweetest Day, so we have one more reason to be extra nice.
The third Saturday of October is designated as the official Sweetest Day in some parts of the US. A day of sweet treats and deeds. We might be celebrating 8,000 miles off and it just might be my sweet-tooth talking, but hey! Who doesn’t need an excuse to munch a chocolate or share one?
Trace pattern on cloth. Cut. Stich, stuff and stuff, and stitch again. Stitch on the nose. Use buttons for the eyes. Close with a final stitch, and poof! A teddy bear is born. Continue reading “Seal With Love”
21st century human beings lead busy lives. They can be workaholics – racehorses in blinders focused on achieving a goal. They can be social media obsessed – sharing every bit of their day online. They are a generation prone to self-absorption, we are. Continue reading “7 Acts of Random Kindness to Celebrate “Be An Angel Day””
Join us as we celebrate Earth Day. In the next 7 days, we will be posting challenges that promote earth-friendly habits. Follow us daily, snap a creative photo while doing our challenge, use the #iVolunteerForEarth hashtag, be featured, and win a prize from us.
As iVolunteer Philippines partner with nonprofits and other advocacy-oriented institutions, we are often asked why a nonprofit should engage volunteers on top of its existing official staff. Some worry that the overhead of managing volunteers may be too taxing for staffs and overshadow delivery of the nonprofit’s programs. Why then invest in engaging volunteers?
As the year draws to a close, December is when a lot of people usually feel the most celebratory and generous at the same time. For volunteers around the world, the 5th of December is very special as it is recognized by the United Nations as the International Volunteer Day: “a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities”.
For iVolunteer Philippines, celebrating the International Volunteer Day and giving back to the community was much more meaningful, as it spent its last official volunteer day in 2016 for its staff with a partner NGO caring for the elderly home, Tahanang Balik-Alay in Taytay, Rizal on December 3, 2016.
We all love to eat. We always look forward to a hearty meal after a hard day’s work. Even just a quick but sumptuous merienda in the afternoon is enough to light us up. And we also know sharing our food with good company, especially our loved ones is just priceless. We love it so much, it’s usually our first question or greeting – “Kumain ka na ba?!” And oftentimes, we do not really mind if we put on a little weight, as long as our stomach is full, because for most of us, it doesn’t take much to make us happy.
Now, imagine skipping a meal just for a day. We become grumpy, impatient, and frustrated. In short, an irreversible damage ensues, and our whole day is automatically ruined. In reality, not all of us could afford to whine if for some reason, there is no source of food when it’s time to eat. Some of us have no choice but to go on through the day finding ways to fill in empty stomachs, or maybe trying to forget about it completely. Yes, these children know the drill so well.
“Giving is limitless. I’d love to see every NGO working hand- in-hand with the government and the private sector, as everyone helps each other towards one goal. No one gets left behind. I believe every Filipino has a role in fulfilling this dream. “ – Jasmine Salem of iVolunteer
As iVolunteer’s Associate Director of Finance, Jasmine Salem or “Jas” handles fundraising activities as well as the financial books of the organization. She is also the team’s Executive Secretary, and is in charge of iVolunteer’s legal requirements and documentations. As a state auditor, Jasmine loves how her day job coincides with her responsibilities in managing the organization. It makes her understand more about how the government and NGOs can work better together in nation-building.
For Jasmine, volunteering allows her to connect with her community and offers opportunities for her to make it a better place. She wants to see a world where serving others is a top priority.
