HELPING HAND

#InTouchStoriesofHope

By:  Ahlgilyn Cabanado

In Touch Mental Health Volunteer

It was in March 2020 when the Philippines was put under lockdown due to the global pandemic -- COVID-19. It went on for weeks, and then months, as the government tried to outsmart this virus. Last April, it was just a normal grocery day for my friend and I, but something happened unexpectedly, and I believe that God used us to be a channel of blessings.

My friend and I just finished our grocery shopping then, and were on our way home when we happened to pass by the construction areas along the road. We saw some men waving to our car and we thought they were trying to hitchhike and since we were just two girls in the car, we got scared. There were also a couple guys sitting on the side of the road with their placard asking for help or food. It dawned on us that they might be construction workers who were stranded because of the lockdown and might be neglected by their employers.

My heart just went out for them. I could not keep the image off of my head, so I asked some barangay officials about those men, and the leaders confirmed that they were indeed construction workers who got stranded when the lockdown was implemented. According to them, there were at least 50 men in the area but that was just their estimated number, they were still not sure with the exact number. We were only able to see at least 15 to 20 men.

My friend and I took the initiative to post it online. At that time, we were just hoping that it would get to the barangay officials but - we were shocked because just after posting it, people started chipping in. Wow! I was amazed. These were hard times and people were still helping amidst the pandemic. This was actually our first time to organize a donation drive. We took the necessary steps: informed the LGUs about the situation, and asked permission from the municipal hall to allow us to buy in bulk items for donation. Along the way, we saw some workers outside, still waiting for help. We stopped by and asked

them if they knew the actual numbers of the workers stranded and they informed us that there were 80 to 100 of them. We asked the phone numbers of their representatives for proper communication. But wow, 100 people? Our goal was just to help 50 construction workers, but since it was a big number we would need more cash to make our assistance sufficient for at least 100 people. We were transparent about the whole thing in our posts and people just kept on chipping in their in-kind donations. There were also people we didn't personally know but helped nonetheless. We were able to reach our target P17,000 in just 2 days! Amazing!  We bought, repacked, and delivered the goods in that week, too.

Looking back, it was a humbling experience for us. I was grateful to those who helped this mini-donation drive. It wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for their kind generosity. I believed God also used us to be a channel of blessings to people. Even if at the middle of a crisis, some people were still willing to lend a hand and just had the heart to help. We did not just give them relief goods, we were able to show them that there was still hope at the end of the day and there will always be something to look forward to tomorrow.

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#InTouchStoriesofHope aims to bring you mental and emotional relief during the COVID-19 pandemic through the inspiring stories and perspectives of In Touch community of counselors, volunteers, partners, and clients.

Ahlgilyn Cabanado is a Registered Psychometrician and an In Touch Mental Health Volunteer. She's also a Freelance Writer for different blogsites and forums that talk about mental health, self-care, self-help, personal growth, and motivation. She believes that compassion, empathy, and kindness go a long way.
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