Children’s Hope Fund will be holding a Year in Review event on Tuesday, 7/26 from 7-9pm at Forest Room 5 in Denver, CO (map).  We invite everyone to join us for a presentation of our efforts and accomplishments over the last year and see how your support has helped the children of Bacoor. We’re also excited to announce that representatives from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation will be joining us to present Children’s Hope Fund with a generous grant to help in our continuing efforts. We hope to see you there, and please invite your friends!

On March 21st we conducted our March meals program where over 300 children at Bacoor Elementary school were provided a hot meal of arroz caldo, a traditional Filipino comfort food.  Thanks to all our supporters and volunteers for making this possible.  We couldn’t do it without you!

We would like to thank everyone who supported our meals program in February. Meals were delivered to over 300 children at Bacoor Elementary School. A dish called arroz caldo was served. Arroz caldo is a Filipino comfort food – a porridge with rice, vegetables and chicken cooked in chicken broth that is eaten in many Asian countries. Filipinos love arroz caldo and will eat it anytime of day.

This activity was conducted by volunteers who unselfishly shared their time and effort in preparing and distributing the meals. Thank you to all who made it possible for these kids to enjoy a much needed meal. I would also like to thank the people of Bacoor who volunteered their time to help facilitate everything. Please check out the pictures so you can see the children that you’re helping.

In November 2010, I went on a two-week backpacking trip to the Philippines with my sister and friend. From Manila, with our 40-pound backpacks, our destination was 9.5 miles away: Bacoor Cavite. A typical 10-minute drive in the States was a three-hour adventure. We first took a tricycle to the train station, then rode the train to a jeepney stop.

Jeepneys. I’ve never seen anything like it – picture a carnival on wheels. Bright colors, wild graffiti and decorative adornments embellished a school-bus-shaped vehicle. We missed our stop, going too far south and had to tread down a dirt road to get to another jeepney stop headed back the way we came. We then took another tricycle to Bacoor Elementary School. We made it!

On our journey, many asked us why we, tourists, were going to visit this town. What is there to do or see in this poor area? Well, today we were going to volunteer with Children’s Hope Fund (CHF), a Denver-based nonprofit organization that provides educational opportunities and resources to impoverished children.

We were greeted by Rosalie Concepcion, a school teacher and volunteer for CHF. She warmly welcomed us into her home where over a dozen volunteers were cooking. This day was an exciting day for 300 children. They were going to receive a hot meal – for free!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA-Y65ywCIk

The Children’s Hope Fund was hosting its monthly meal program that provided one piece of fried chicken, white rice and a juice box to each child. When we arrived at the site in the poor village of Tramo, the children were waiting patiently and orderly in the hot sun. They were lined in rows, each holding “the golden ticket.” Tickets for the free meal were distributed to children in school, as a way of encouraging them to attend.

The volunteers gave us a tour of the area. Many of the homes did not have doors – we could look right into them. They appeared to be formed by upright pieces of wood with a board slapped on top to function as the roof.

Some of the children did not have shoes, running around on the path of dirt and rocks. They were playing with bottle caps. Everyone greeted us with a smile. Many were missing teeth.

When the food arrived, my sister and friend assisted in passing out the meal boxes to the children. I wandered the area taking photos and making conversation with the parents – nearly all were women. Most said they were single mothers, working as the breadwinners for their family. They expressed their gratitude for Children’s Hope Fund. This meal was important to them. Some children had waited in line for more than two hours. Many mothers asked if there would be leftover lunchboxes available for them. I watched the joy on the children’s faces as they enjoyed such a simple meal.

It was an eye-opening experience. With the kind hearts of its volunteers, the Children’s Hope Fund was making a substantial impact on the lives of these children. Rosalie shared a major problem is that after concepts are taught in school, they are not reinforced at home because most parents are not educated enough to help. Many parents shared the same sentiments, but with guilt that they could not provide more for their children.

As my eyes began to well up, I realized that not only do I need to better appreciate what I have, but that there are many ways to help others even on the other side of the world.

With this experience kept firmly in my mind and closely in my heart, we left Bacoor Cavite to Batangas.

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Annie Guo is the President of Asian Avenue magazine, a monthly publication based in Denver, Colorado. This is an excerpt from the magazine.

Children’s Hope Fund spread a little holiday cheer during the Family Day Celebration at Bacoor Elementary School. The event included games, gift-giving activities and music. We would like to thank everyone who supported Children’s Hope Fund. You’ve brought so much laughter, you made it possible for these kids to enjoy the holiday season and most of all – you showed a child that someone cares.

Thanks for your kindness and generosity! Please check out the pictures so you can see the children that you’re helping.

We would like to thank everyone who supported our free meal program in November.  Hot meals were delivered to children in Tramo, a village in Bacoor, Cavite. There were over 300 children who attended the meal program, some of these kids in this area frequently skip meals or eat too little. Fried chicken, rice and juice was served.

This activity was conducted by volunteers who unselfishly shared their time and effort in the preparation and distribution of the meals. Thank you to all who made it possible for these kids to enjoy a much needed meal. I would also like to thank the people of Bacoor who volunteered their time to help facilitate everything. Please check out the pictures on our Facebook page so you can see the children that you’re helping.

Thank you to everyone for attending our Halloween Boo Bash and Silent Auction Fundraiser and participating in the silent auction. The event was a huge success and we were able to raise over $3000 for Children’s Hope Fund. We hope you had fun and enjoyed the event. Together we made a difference in the future of Filipino children!

Many, many thanks to all of you who came and to all our sponsors who made the event our most successful to date. A big thank you to Michelle, Anna, Brad, Rob, Ken, Fran, Melanie, Maryann, Nichole, Ron and Eric, for volunteering their time to this event many of you spent months preparing for this event. Hats off to you all! You did a tremendous job and through all of your hard work, the event came off as a huge success and I enjoyed working with you. Your continued dedication is very much appreciated. We have thus far had only positive feedback . A heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers and all the staff at Rex Lounge.

All I can say is
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

We will be updating the website with photos of the event in the coming week. Please visit soon. Thanks again to everyone who contributed their time and efforts.

The Inaugural Halloween Boo Bash and Silent Auction fundraiser for the Children’s Hope Fund takes place Saturday, October 23, 7 to 11 p.m. at Rex Lounge, 2936 Fox Street in Denver for ages 21 and over. Children’s Hope Fund (CHF) is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to improve the lives of disadvantaged children living in the slums of Bacoor, Philippines, a suburb of Cavite. The funds raised at the Boo Bash and Silent Auction will go to providing children there with an education and the necessities they need, including backpacks, uniforms, school supplies and tuition assistance. One hundred percent of funds raised go to the children. Boo Bash is a Halloween party with karaoke, dancing, costumes (optional), a DJ and music. Included in the $5 admission are snacks and drink specials. Silent auction items include private karate lessons, bowling party, $350 airline ticket, admissions to the Denver Zoo, Royal Gorge, the Denver Art Museum, and much more. CHF works to break the cycle of poverty that plagues the poorest children of the Philippines. CHF envisions a future where children have access to education and become healthy, driven adults who create a better world.

Children’s Hope Fund is holding its inaugural Halloween Boo-Bash and Silent Auction Fundraiser at 7pm on 10/23/2010 at Rex Lounge in Denver, CO. (map)

Come help us celebrate our one-year anniversary and help the children of Bacoor, Cavite in the Philippines. There will be a DJ with music and karaoke, dancing, and lots of fun. We’re getting a lot of great items donated for the silent auction, so come bid and treat yourself to something good while helping the children at the same time.

It’s just $5 at the door to join in the fun, with all proceeds from the door and the silent auction going to help the kids.  Costumes are optional, so wear one if you want, but don’t feel like you have to in order to join in.

Please let all your friends know, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Children’s Hope Fund coordinated the collection and shipment of donations which were received in Bacoor, Cavite on August 05, 2010. The shipment included backpacks, pens, pencils, notebook, crayons, eraser, used children’s books, shoes, clothing, educational games and other miscellaneous items. Can you imagine how thankful, excited and happy these children were when they saw all that had been sent? I was told by one of our volunteers that English reading books are very rare and all the kids in the neighborhood were excited when they heard that the boxes had arrived – it’s like Christmas in August!

The donated clothing and other miscellaneous items will be distributed to the recent fire and typhoon victims in Bacoor, Cavite. The books, puzzles and other miscellaneous educational items will go to Bacoor Elementary School. CHF volunteers and the Barangay representatives will coordinate the distribution of the donated items.

If you have any books, children’s clothes, children’s shoes that are taking up too much space? Why not put them to good use in the Philippines? We will continue to collect donations and plan on sending more to the Philippines by the end of the year.

We want to thank everyone who has sent donations to help these kids.