From Hopelessness to Helpfulness

In these dark times, how do we find hope, and bring help to people in need? We sit down with Chuck Araneta - one of the first responders to our frontliners’ needs - and we talk about how God has been using him mightily to be a blessing to our modern-day heroes - from a simple cup of good coffee, to more than Php1,000,000 worth of PPEs.

First Response on the Crisis

The news about the virus was around since January but it never really hit hard on us until it came to the Philippines and actually affected people that we know personally. And to take it even further, our front liners are now crying out about the situations of the hospitals. Because of this instance, it gave Chuck the idea to reach out. “That time, lack of PPEs is not yet a thing, but that gave me the idea to help even in the smallest way. And I think a good cup of coffee can change your day. So that’s it! I just wanted to take a small opportunity to bless someone. And I think I’ve given 100-150cups of coffee in the first week of pandemic. God really orchestrate these things to happen for us to still have the opportunity to let our front liners know that they are appreciated.” From giving out coffee, Chuck now moved on to giving masks and PPEs.

“It really starts with the heart of giving. The reason why it’s so important to tell others that you’re helping is because they are encouraged also to reach out and give to other people.”

— Joyce Pring

How are the front liners now?

Most of them are exhausted. These front liners are risking their lives for us, knowing that anytime they could be infected. Because of the lack of medical supplies, they now recycle suits and masks. At the end of the day, the cup of coffee or those supplies we gave out won’t really save their lives, but our project is more likely a way for us to communicate that we don’t forget their works and what they’re doing for us. We might not know what they are going through, but we just want to let them know that we are here to equip them to fight against the virus and also pray for them. (CA)

Helpfulness in Difficult Times

What other channels we can use to help out this time?

There are different ways. At the end of the day, prayer is still the most powerful weapon against all battles. Other than that, there are countless opportunities right now on social media. There are a lot of individuals that have started fundraisers. And at this point, the question that we should ask ourselves is “Why not start helping now?” (CA)

It’s either you make yourself useful or you educate yourself enough so that one day you can be useful. Start important conversations. If you can’t donate, it really boils down to praying for the people who’s doing all the gritty work. Also, we shouldn’t respond with hatred or anger right now, rather ask ourselves, “How do we change this kind of system?” We can strive for better things for our country. (JP)

No matter on which side we stand, there should always be no room for hate. It should not be the way to deal with situations. It’s really about education and information. We might not all be front liners or might not support our front liners with our wallets but there are countless ways for us to help while we’re at home.