Reaching Out and Giving Back: The 2017 JCCI-EDI CSR
By: Marge Friginal-Sanchez
Tags: Jcevents, Csr

By Summer Medina

In their eyes and hearts, they witnessed a day to remember, but what they did not know was that they also gave us something back- they gave us an experience of a lifetime.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) promotes the engagement of an organization to its stakeholders and serves as a way for employees to bond and interact for a good cause. If you think about it, there are a lot of ways to reach out and get together at the same time, but how would we do it? What would be the basis of our theme? Would everyone enjoy this activity?

Here at John Clements Consultants, two words answered all the questions which, at the same time, have become a core theme for most of our CSR activities: giving back.

Last September 23, 2017, John Clements Consultants, Inc. held its annual CSR activity at the Chosen Children Village in Silang, Cavite. It was the third time the event was held at this location but, nevertheless, the participants were still excited.

There were two types of CSR participants that day: the familiars and the first-timers. Being part of the latter, I was really looking forward to this activity since it was my first time to visit the place and because it was, admittedly, a nice break from the usual workweek.

The day started with a brief introduction and history of the Chosen Children Village. We learned that the foundation was established in 1989 by Mrs. Maria Angeles “Lita” Fullerton, or “Mommy”, as the children fondly call her. The establishment cares for children with special needs, especially the physically and mentally challenged, within a family setting. The facilities were first built in Las Piñas but the foundation eventually transferred to Silang, Cavite to accommodate their growing family.

I was moved by the big heart and philosophy of Mrs. Fullerton, who said, “Each and every one of the children deserve to be cared for by people who will love them with a mother’s instinct.” And I could attest to this, as every child in the Village showed their love for their “mommy” through tight hugs and sweet kisses.

The CSR event was divided into three parts: (1) a tour of the Village, (2) interaction with several children, and (3) a short program over lunch. Likewise, we were divided into three groups in order to have an efficient tour and ample time to cover the cottages we were allowed to see.

Out of the 11 cottages, we went to the toddlers’ area, the older children’s facility, and their gym, where we witnessed how well-maintained their facilities were. All throughout our tour, we were greeted with big smiles from the children, which made us want to stay longer. From the outset, the aspiring psychologist in me was already learning and enjoying a lot — what more if we could extend our interaction with them?

At around 10:00 a.m., eight of us went back to the toddlers’ cottage in time to see the children begin their meal. Four of us volunteered to assist in feeding them while the rest watched and cheered on the children to finish their meal. I was amazed because at their age, they could eat with minimum assistance and finish their food without throwing a tantrum! The reward for finishing the meal was dessert, something they looked forward to.

Following their meal, the toddlers had a quick bath, and afterwards we were allowed to play with them. Personally, I liked the play part because the children were already comfortable with us and we were able to bond with them. It was fun seeing them so carefree and happy the way only children can be. We couldn’t help but smile at their antics — whether they danced, ran around, or played with their toys, they were really a joy to watch.

Aside from the toddlers’ cottage, other participants went to the gym and played basketball, badminton, and volleyball with the “athletes” of the Village. They broke into a sweat while playing, but I was sure they were also amazed at how athletic and agile those children were.

Next, we had our program over lunch at one of their halls. The program started with opening remarks from JCCI Managing Director Mario Biscocho, who said that it was always good to come back to the Chosen Children Village. This was followed by a short question and answer portion regarding our experiences, conducted by our hosts, Pauline Zantua and Andy Sanuco.

Everybody had a great time — there was a lot of dancing, singing (where, I thought, many were teary-eyed), and fun games.

It was a sad moment when the day ended and we had to leave, but we all left with gratitude for the things we accomplished and what the CSR event meant to us.

Giving back is not only limited to material things — it’s also the time and effort spent in the process. In this case, we helped the Village sustain their needs through donations and, at the same time, made the children smile with delight because we were able to spend time with them. Several parts of the program might be forgotten by the mind, but what truly transpired that day would always be remembered by the heart.

What started as a gloomy, overcast Saturday ended up being bright and warm because of the children. Their appreciation gave us an extra dose of Vitamin C — Vitamin Cheer — and it was something worth remembering. Our “reaching out and giving back” project was a success because we were able to achieve our objective of giving back. And what made it more successful was the fact that we also received something in return: love, appreciation, and inspiration to be a special kind of person.