My Day in a Soup Kitchen by Rudee Mae Carnaje
By: Shiela Manalo
Tags: Philippines, Helping Others, Volunteering, Charity, Advocacy

02.02.2020 — people say that dates like these are special and rarely occur in the calendar. Well, I totally agree because on this date, I had one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

The eruption of Taal Volcano last January 12, 2020 has affected and displaced countless families in Batangas and, as an immediate response, a lot of individuals and organizations came to their aid. For one, our company, John Clements Consultants (JC), adopted an evacuation center and built a soup kitchen for 2,000 evacuees. And so, on January 25, 2020, together with 50 of my colleagues, our families and friends, I went to Tanauan Batangas to participate in JC’s initiative of sponsoring warm, prepared meals for a day. It was heartwarming and truly inspiring!

Coincidentally, one of my closest friends asked me for help with relief operations and, to be honest, how it all unfolded came as a surprise. Everything started small — we just had about 20,000 pesos in funds and less than 10 volunteers. Surprisingly, we ended up sponsoring a feast for 3,000 people, with 20 volunteers! We cooked and prepared breakfast — rice, tuyo, scrambled eggs with tomatoes; lunch/dinner — rice, dinuguan, adobo, estofado, fish burgers, and the star of the menu — salmon sinigang.

It was February 2, 2020 and I would be meeting most of the volunteers for the first time. These were professionals, mostly CPAs (the profession I turned my back from),who are on top of their game. At first, I felt really nervous. How can a bunch of millennials pull this off? When our company did it, everything had been planned and laid out well — we met two hours a day for almost a week to make sure everything was clear. When it was our turn, I couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong. I worried that everything might turn into a disaster. I had so many questions. Are they going to listen? Are they willing to wash dishes? Would they even trust me and follow my lead?

But I was amazed by their initiative, flexibility, and passion. I expected worse things to happen, yet everything ran smoothly, organized, and so close to perfection. They seriously looked like veterans, considering that most of them also just did this for the first time. They were so hardworking that I needed to beg them to eat and stay hydrated. People kept asking which company, association, foundation, or government unit we’re from and they were always shocked to hear our answer — “We’re just a bunch of friends enjoying what we’re doing.”

My key takeaway from this experience is that you don’t have to be rich, an owner of a company, or even wait to be in your 30s to take action, especially when it comes to social issues. As long as you have the drive and determination to accomplish something, whatever it may be, you can succeed! We may be millennials, who have just starting our careers and earning a decent amount of money, but wow! Who would have thought that we were capable of feeding 3,000 people? Until now, I still feel like I’m on cloud nine! I am proud and happy to have done this with the help of my family and friends. I am looking forward to another opportunity to be able to bring joy and comfort to others.