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Vol. II Number 3 October, November,
December 1997
ANOTHER 7 BOXES OF CLOTHING SHIPPED TO SIQUIJOR!
Fremont, California, October 28. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the
needy in Siquijor. Seven more large boxes of clothing and other used items were shipped to
Siquijor on October 27. It is hoped that these items will get into the hands of our
indigent brothers and sisters by Christmastime. Wouldn't that indeed be a bountiful
Yuletide for them? This recent batch of "goodies" will make it the third
shipment, in just a little over a year, since this humanitarian progam was started. To
date, a total of 21 boxes have already been shipped to Siquijor.
The seven boxes shipped in late March have already been received and were immediately
distributed by the Rotary Club of Siquijor. Brian Micklewri, a representing member of the
Rotary Club of Hinckley, England and married to a Siquijodnon, also helped in the
distribution. Right after the March shipment, every weekend since early April, GASA staff
and volunteers have been visiting garages around the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento
and Stockton, following invitations from donors, to pick up items for the
"clothes-for-the-needy" and the just recently launched "mobile
library" programs. Many donors from other states and other areas donated cash,
instead of their used items. "The cash donations helped us tremendously because GASA
needs funds for shipping these items," said GASA President Bebe Carmeņa. "We
want to emphasize that, as dictated by its purpose and its constitution, GASA cannot dip
into its general funds for these projects. To continue these humanitarian programs, we
must rely heavily on the goodness of hearts of friends and supporters," she added.
Most of the boxes recently shipped, contained used toys, cuddly stuffed animals, dolls,
old shoes, sweaters, shirts, ladies skirts, jeans, pants, kitchenware, bags, jackets and
safety glasses and many other usable items. "GASA welcomes any item, used or new, as
long as they are clean, usable and shippable. Used reading eyeglasses and over-the-counter
medicines such as Tylenol, Aspirins, Band-aids and the likes are also very much
welcome," Bebe said.
In the meantime, items for the "mobile library" that need more
"bookkeeping" and inventory, like children's books, text books, novels,
educational magazines, journals, periodicals, manuals, school supplies and other reading
materials, are at present being checked and will be shipped very soon. Several piles of
these items have already been collected and are now "parked" in the garages of
some of our GASA volunteers.
The GASA volunteers do their rounds, mostly on weekends, travelling as far as Sacramento
and other areas to pick up used clothing and other items including books.
In the meantime Patrick and Bebe Al Malicay Camilo of Costa Mesa, California, have
volunteered to manage and handle donations from Southern California. Similar arrangements
are also in the works for volunteers from other States including Canada. If you think you
can volunteer your services or donate used or new items toward any of the GASA
humanitarian programs, please give any of these GASA Staff a call.
GASA would like to thank all those who have supported the organization, its programs and
is hoping for more and continued support.
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