Volunteerism makes a difference

By Noralyn Dudt

When people actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism. Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide assistance,  and sustain these commitments over extended periods of time,  often at considerable personal cost.

That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008.  They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs,  they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized,  accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability,  as well as those who are considered  neurotypical. The Founders of St. Philomena School made it their mission to provide a safe and conducive  learning environment to these socially- challenged students so that they grow into self-determined individuals. To reach that goal,  the school  provides a  variety of  learning opportunities. Simple tasks  such as  setting goals, making plans, and guiding them to make the right choices on the  goals they set for themselves may not seem scholastically challenging but such tasks are life-savers for these socially-challenged youth. The teachers and mentors lovingly provide a setting where the students are guided but still can develop without too much interference so that they can grow into responsible adults and become assets to their families, their neighborhoods, their communities and beyond.

St. Philomena School  has just celebrated its 14^th graduation ceremony, a testament to the dedication of the teaching staff and the power of teamwork with the school's Founders. Marilao, a town  in Bulacan province where St. Philomena is located is surely becoming a better place; lives are being changed, and it's simply because a very godly  couple, their families and  friends had acted on  a vision—a vision that  those with learning disabilities can thrive just as well if the curriculum is structured to their needs. It's their conviction that these children should be accorded equal opportunities to empower them to  reach their highest potential, the very beings that surely their Creator would want them to become.

The power of teamwork  in volunteering is also exemplified by a small group of like-minded people who founded the Reading & Mentoring Center in Claveria, Cagayan in 2019. Ten civic-minded folks had the vision that a Reading & Mentoring Center could make a difference in the lives of the youth. The love of reading  was to be encouraged as reading would broaden the horizon of  a young mind and enhances his/her critical thinking skills—skills that are vital to making the right judgement when faced with choices that could impact one's future. As the Founders believe that the youth are the future of the community, they should  be guided and nurtured by the community.

To implement their goals, the founders decided to hire a coordinator, someone who should be very knowledgeable and who is capable of  organizing  activities that would promote the love of reading. As a result the “Reading EnClave” has been successful in conducting essay writing competitions for high school students, spelling bees for elementary students and summer reading program  for those whose reading skills needed improvement. Other mentoring activities are in the pipeline.  The Reading Center is open five days a week and it's well-stocked with a variety of books and educational magazines, puzzles and boardgames for all ages, in  Science, History, Geography, Math, Travel, and Culture.

The cost of daily operations and stipends for the coordinator and facility manager at the Reading EnClave come from the founders themselves. However, several benevolent folks have come forward with donations of books, electric fans, computers,  copier machines, and other materials that the center needs to successfully implement its goals.

The phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child” was popularized by Hillary Clinton in a book that she authored when she was First Lady of the United States. It is supposed to have originated from an African proverb that conveys the message that it takes many people ("the village") to provide a safe, healthy environment for children where they are provided the security they need to develop and flourish, and to be able to realize their hopes and dreams. But then, what happens if the "village" does not respond in a way that does not nurture the child?  What happens then when the parents of the child do not want the "village" to get involved?  What happens then when the "village" does not have the resources to keep up with the demands of today's world in raising a child? It is then, I believe, that volunteer groups like the St. Philomena School in Bulacan, or the Reading & Mentoring EnClave in Claveria, Cagayan can make a great impact.

We say to the community, "we are all in this together." The folks at St. Philomena School and at the Reading EnClave are reaching out to our youth and they hope that benefactors will reach out to them. We are the community and our youth are our future.

Noralyn Onto Dudt  decided to write this article when she learned what St. Philomena School was all about. As one of the Founders of the Claveria Reading & Mentoring Center, she hopes that others will be inspired to share this vision/mission.