I suggest you go participate in Kythe Foundation. A foundation that caters to the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients mostly Cancer patients. You do playroom activities, bedside activities, etc...

I attended the orientation last Saturday. And I'll be on my first volunteer work this week.

Join ka na rin!

CLENG

floi: i'm still a part of paws but i can't join activities with animals much kasi i developed an allergy kainis talaga. like i get these red spots all the time. so yun...

thank you guys.

i actually celebrated my birthday once with the cancer patients na kids nga because i have a friend who's a kythe volunteer. paws also had an event with kythe so yeah that's an option i'm considering.:)

thanks guys. hope i get more.:)

What floi said was right, "the best factor in choosing your volunteerism is your interests". So like the others, my first instinct was to suggest those two foundations (The Red Cross and Kythe) which do many great things and have many room for volunteers.

But the truth is, there are many many foundations out there with many many different needs. I suggest you finding one that is both close to your heart and something in line with the industry/field you'll be getting into. Your everyday work fuels your passion even more, gives you knowledge about the injustices that actually happen, and actually empowers you to do something about it. (eg, becoming a doctor -- aside from my livelihood -- exposed me to understand what people need, and I use my knowledge of medicine to help them).

Lastly, through the years, I learned that sometimes you don't need to find a big foundation to help. If you want to give time, instead of money, then I suggest you finding a small community that you can take care of. One that you can constantly go to and visit regularly where you can share the skills that you have.

If more people did small things, what a big difference it would make. :)

mrdents: thing is, i have too many interests. hehehe. so i really don't know where to start.

i'm interested in kythe, greenpeace, red cross...pero....i think they're too known na marami na silang volunteers. gets? not that i don't wanna join but tama ka, i think maraming mas nangangailangan....:)

hello, i learned from your previous post that you transfered to UP. while you're in it, you might wish to check out the UP Ugnayang Pahinungod. I'm just not too sure if they renamed it, or reformatted the program (this i sort of heard before i left). But they do have several outreach programs like teaching/tutoring kids, teaching sports to special children, visiting home for the aged, etc. I used to do para-legal service. We visited inmates at QC jail and helped them follow-up their cases (adjudication sched, contacting their families or lawyers etc) at the QC hall of justice. They have PAO lawyers (some of them don't have the faintest idea who exactly, or that having one is even possible). Unfortunately, it appears like some of those lawyers, rarely if at all, take time to visit them let alone explain to them what they're really up against or what exactly the process is. You'd really be surprised some of them are there longer than neccessary because they do not have the necessary representations. Imagine there was this guy who's detained for years on charges of gambling--getting caught in a cara y cruz game in public (some toss coin sugal?). He could've gotten out sooner (in a few month's time if he can't afford the bail) but he didn't know who to talk to or what to do...

True, there's so much injustice in the world, and we're only talking about those that get media attention. Good luck =) 

Hi Paula! I've been a silent reader of your blog for the past couple of months. (My sister was actually your batchmate at Holy, and my other sister was your sister's batchmate. I also met your sister when her former show taped episodes at our house.)

Anyway, I just wanted to suggest Philippine Jesuit Prison Service (PJPS) as another NGO that is in dire need of volunteers. They visit and do paralegal work with the inmates of New Bilibid Prison, as well as the families of the inmates. They also work with the inmates of Correctional Institution for Women, albeit to a more limited degree because of the small staff size. (When I was still based in the Philippines, I used to tag along with someone from PJPS whenever he would visit CIW, and I still visit CIW whenever I go home.) If you're interested, let me know.

Take care!

hi ther Paula, you haven't updated ur site? what happened? curious though.. busy in school? how are you..

Marissa

1. Ayela Foundation

2. IRRI, get Kellogg foundation to give money to IRRI.

3. Red Cross, the help a lot of the Hurricain victims in New Orleans.

To bad you don't have moveon.org

http://jonbird.net

If you want to help animals try this---->

http://peta.org

Hi There,

I heard Gawad Kalinga 777 is a life changing program.... both for recipients and supporters.  maybe you can try at least ? www.gawadkalinga.org.  look at this videos as examples (http://www.gawadkalinga.org/marc/128_windowsmediaformat.wmv  and http://www.gawadkalinga.org/videos/warner_manning.wmv) and this website: http://diariofilipino.50webs.com/2005/edi_wilk.html ...very inspirational.  I now live in Australia but still supports this program to help poorest of the poors in Philippines.

Cheers

try to check this site--->www.hungersite.com

Let us support our co-blogger Bianca Gonzalez.

She is now nominated in Pinoy Big Brother

Celebrity Edition.

Text BB BIANCA

and send to:

231 - Smart/TNT
2331 - Globe/Sun Cellular

Thank You.

hi..read your blog about old women in prison,,,you are right its actually living hell for them and most of them are dying inside one by one due to depression or sickness isee them being carried one by one with my own 2 eyes..why and how??because my last living relative is one of those women in there...the environment inside is so difficult,,,you wouldnt know who to trust..we sought for help already but unfortunately we were left hanging in the air...now i really dont know who to ask help for about her matter even the president seems deaf about this issue,,,my grandama has been serving for 11 years she was sent to prison when i was 7 just 3 months after my father died,,and now im 17 i cant help but want to od something about it i mean i wouldnt want to see her end up like the others...who died waiting in vain....i have so much to say since i have practically spent my years growing up seeing them grow even older and more wearier in prison....i dint understand why justice seems so far away for people like us who cant even afford to pay a lawyer..wont somebody defend women like them??im not saying this just for my grandma but for all those other mothers and grandmothers who are still suffering inside....

my xanga site is purpleflush

hi..just came across your blog..i know how you feel about these women...and how they are living hell here on earth...my last realtive is actually with those women in jail serving life sentence for somehing she wansnt even proven guilty of...the environment there is absolutely sickening...its actually hard since i practically spent my years growing up visiting her every week and most of the time i catch them carrying the dead ones around to be taken by the  morgue...most of these old ladies die of depression of sickness and one by one they die slowly in vain....hoping they come home,,,,i dont want to see my grandma end up that way.we tried asking for help but unfortunately we were left hanging in the air even the lady president seems deaf about this issue..i was 7 when she was sent to jail..3 months after my dad died and now im 17 i want to do something about it.i dont want her to leave me,,i dont want to see her die in there...its absolutely heart breakin to see them that way,,i have so much more to say,,i m not just saying this for my grandma but for the other women there who are silently abused,,,others silently dying...i wish someone would help openheartedly to those who like us who cant even afford to pay a lawyer to defend us..i think they really all deserve to go home to thier families and spent the rest of thier living days on earth happy ...

my xanga site purpleflush