They Were There

They Were There
by Pureza D. Lacuesta

My eyes grew misty as I approached our Learning Center on the morning of December 22.

Old women, some of them in crutches, were holding tickets in their hands as they waited patiently at the door. There was a male paralytic sitting on his box built with wheels, one arm lost, his lips quivering, with one eye not functioning well, his ticket was placed in his shirt pocket. Nursing mothers, children dressed in old clothes, brothers and sisters holding hands as they waited for their turn, looked expectant and excited.

When finally I got inside, a lump formed in my throat when I saw some CPUDHS Batch 1991 Alumni, sitting before big boxes of toys, apples, and oranges which they gave to the recipients as they passed out of the gate, carrying bags of rice, canned goods, and used clothing.

These generous ladies; Daisy Posa Layson, Fatima Edemburgo, Jerelyn
Geneva Magbanua, Aida Salazar, and Rhodora Fernandez, were accompanied by Mrs. Posas’s Grade Five son, Shedrick.

The little boy was keeping traffic at the gate as the last bag of candies and cookies were given out. I went farther inside, and I could not stop my tears from falling when I saw hungry children eating hungrily, some with food in both hands. They were helping themselves to fruit salad, lumpia frito, chicken adobo, spaghetti, cake, yakult (this drink donated by Mary Ong), and Calo-calo bihon. My daughter Iris, who is the administrator of the Center had converted the cash donations to food which were served to 167 indigents.

Thanks to our parents, friends, and benefactors, the Center was able to serve some of God’s needy children.

After the group had gone, faculty members helped in cleaning the Center and were about to rest, when some more donations came in. Thus, we called for those who were still outside and gave them out.

What a beautiful day! God had sent many of His needy children to partake of the blessings of hose who have more and to make the meaning of Christmas clearer: the birth of Jesus is the time to make up for our transgressions, repent, and have a change of heart, by sending out a light of hope to those who are suffering from the burdens of life.
Let, therefore, our Christmas be an open gate to a more blessed New Year, filled with love and kindness, and overflowing with Christian brotherhood.