Volunteer Mother/Daughter Teams Promote Global Peace

Kym Elam and daughters Natalie and Annaliese of NCL sort and pack donated school supplies at BftB for their less-advantaged classmates overseas.

The National Charity League’s mission to “foster the mother-daughter relationship in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences” was fulfilled once again in Concord, California, where teams of mothers and daughters volunteered their time and effort at BOOKS for the BARRIOS.

In the month of June, several groups from NCL visited the BOOKS for the BARRIOS headquarters and packed an estimated 150 boxes of books and educational supplies, ranging from 20 to 50 pounds. After the experience, Kym Elam – a mother who brought in her two daughters, Natalie and Annaliese, to volunteer – commented on the BOOKS for the BARRIOS effort, “I like the girls to understand where the donations go. It’s not only giving for them, but also getting – a wonderful cultural experience. I’m always in shock to think about something we take advantage of, like books, being something some children have never seen before.”

After sorting and packing donated books and materials, Natalie shares why she particularly enjoys the experience, “I like to read, and I like that, by helping out here, I can share that opportunity with someone in need.” The mother and daughter team also expressed how thoroughly they enjoyed learning about Philippine culture while doing important work.

Having packed over one hundred boxes, Natalie and her fellow National Charity League volunteers can take pride in their humanitarian effort to “think globally, act locally.”

PHILIPPINE CHILDREN MANDATED TO ATTEND PUBLIC PRE-SCHOOLS

BOOKS for the BARRIOS Collecting Deficient School Supplies

In its move toward education reform, the Philippine Department of Education established the Universal Kindergarten Education program that mandates that children turning five years old by June to October be provided public pre-school. Permanent teachers in the public school system are to handle not more than two classes of 30 pupils; volunteer teachers are instructed to handle not more than one class of 30 students.

The implementation of Universal Kindergarten Education aims to reach out to the poorest households in the Philippines and to provide free pre-school public education so that children may be ready for the primary grades. Unfortunately, the Department of Education currently is not in position to provide the necessary resources for the program; luckily, help is on the way from kids in California. BOOKS for the BARRIOS in Concord is conducting a special donation drive to collect the material resources and funding to provide for the expected influx of millions of new pupils into the public system that will otherwise overwhelm the nation’s schools ability to meet the challenge.

A report this week states that one of the BftB National Model-of-Excellence Program schools in Manila has three pre-school classes with 50 students in each class. Another told of one pre-school class with 100 students. These classrooms, are in need of school supplies, books and learning materials to facilitate the mandatory expansion process now underway.

Those interested in helping the “…project of the heart” may do so through donations of these crucial school materials. BOOKS for the BARRIOS offers tax-deduction receipts and community appreciation. Bring donations to the organization’s headquarters at 2350 Whitman Road, Suite D Concord, CA 94518  Tel. 925-687-7701 www.booksforthebarrios.org  info@booksforthebarrios.org

The play area of a Model School library

Murals and bright colors make learning fun!

Model School libraries are filled with plenty of books!

Crayons for Peace

From Colorado to the Philippines: Crayons for Peace
By Roschelle Lowe

For the past fifteen years, Green Mountain United Methodist Church in Colorado has been collecting end-of-year school supplies for BOOKS for the BARRIOS – a volunteer-led non-profit organization operated by volunteer American schoolchildren. Based in Concord, California, the humanitarian grassroots community action program ships thousands of tons of educational books and supplies to underdeveloped public schools in remote villages in the Philippines.

This year the volunteers of Green Mountain UMC executed a drive that enabled all of the schoolchildren of the Denver area to donate 80 boxes of crayons weighing 30 pounds each – over a ton altogether! Long-time organizers Brenda Bronson and Tom Walker promoted the passion for sharing that touched the hearts of each donor. Green reuse action of educational resources helps the environment in both countries and promotes peace and goodwill.  Green Mountain UMC has shown that public education opportunity sharing is an essential element of our American humanitarian foreign policy in the 21st Century.

Peace Activists Brenda Bronson and Thomas Walker proudly display hundreds of bags of crayons Green Mountain UMC collected from Denver Area schoolchildren.

Philippine Consulate General Takes Action

During the month of November, the Philippine Consulate General dedicated much of their time to supporting the efforts of BOOKS for the BARRIOS (BftB). On Thursday the 6th, BftB's Vice President, Ephraim Toche, gave a powerful presentation to encourage the Filipino-American community to take a stand for the barrio children of their homeland. Consul General Marciano Paynor also put forth a strong call to action and said that he will do all he can to support the global education development efforts of BOOKS for the BARRIOS.


Later that week, a large group from the Philippine Consulate and their families came to the BftB facility in Concord, CA to learn, get involved, and help those without a quality education opportunity. The children who attended learned about their counterparts in the Philippines. Then, everyone worked together to pack books and write messages to the children in the remote, under-served barrio schools. In addition, the Officers took part in BftB's first P.E.S.O (Philippine Education System Omnibus) Conference. Here, a discussion was held regarding the Philippine government, challenges in education development, and networking strategies. The group also brainstormed ways the Consulate can get involved and who they can contact to support this ...project of the heart. This was the first of many future meetings to come. BftB program officers and volunteers would like to thank those from the Philippine Consulate for their efforts, service, and support.

TOYS for TROOPS: Help the Troops Help Children in Need during the Holidays

This holiday season BOOKS for the BARRIOS will be collecting TOYS for TROOPS... so start collecting new/used educational supplies now. These toys will go to the American Special Forces engaged in the war on terror. BOOKS for the BARRIOS provides educaional resources to support their humanitarian projects. They have recognized that education is key to their peacekeeping efforts. Terrorism posses a serious threat, as Al Qaeda and other groups are active in the Philippines. Please support our troops' global humantarian mission to create peace through their education development projects.

Week of Caring

In September, several Well's Fargo employees chose to volunteer at BOOKS for the BARRIOS during United Way's annual Week of Caring. These passionate men and women worked hard to make sure that they could pack as many boxes as possible to be sent to needy children overseas. Many were shocked to see the large amount of quality educational materials that could have been dumped into landfills. Over the week, they packed over 200 boxes, which will enhance the quality of education for over 10,000 children. These books will stock many shelves in libraries developed by BOOKS for the BARRIOS in the most remote, under-served areas worldwide. We would like to thank the volunteers who took a little time off work to make a big difference.

Teachers Set Example for Bay Area School Districts

A group of 6 teachers from Iron Horse Middle School (located in San Ramon, CA) took it upon themselves to deliver over 4 truckloads of almost brand new textbooks that their school needed to get rid of. Many schools discard quality books because they are upgrading to a newer edition. These amazing teachers recognize that education and the environment are just too important. Due to limited funds and high gas prices, BOOKS for the BARRIOS has recently been unable to provide pick-ups from schools, homes, and organizations. This has caused many to throw out their materials into landfills, while they are desperately needed by children worldwide. These teachers have set the example for all surrounding school districts to take environmental responsibility seriously. We make an urgent call to all school districts to bring their educational materials to BOOKS for the BARRIOS.

YOU CAN HELP by contacting your local superintendents and school boards to organize volunteers and/or put a small portion of their discretionary funds towards delivering their discarded textbooks and educational supplies to BOOKS for the BARRIOS.