Needing Your Help, Helping While Cruising WOW

One of the disadvantages we quickly found out about the cruising lifestyle is the loss of attachment to our parish church and the stewardship with which we chose to help the community. Staying in a place for just 3 weeks max did not afford us enough time to build relationships and work on a ministry, at least not like our favorite Filipino-American Association of St. John the Baptist Church in Covington, Washington which we helped found, the Supper Clubs we participated in, and the Eucharistic Ministry.

We discussed our dilemma with Fr. Jack Walmesley of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church in West Seattle and he broached an idea that we will pursue upon our return from the Philippines to the RVing lifestyle, going North East three months from now.  We will document best practices in community outreach all over the USA. But my greater inclination is to find something that takes from a developed country like my adopted home, the USA, to help my underdeveloped birth home, the Philippines, as long as it fits our lifestyle and resources. That means giving more of our talent, not time or treasure.

We found a competition of Seven Fund, the Fisherman Foundation, and the University of Asia and the Pacific. $20,000 will be given to the BIG (Breakthrough Innovation Grant) idea that will best help alleviate poverty in Metro Manila (Manila and 15 surrounding cities). So my only daughter who still resides in Manila, April, and I worked on an idea we have been dreaming to do and she entered it in the contest. In the meantime, my husband Bill and I, now pretty seasoned travelers, worked on another idea that we wished the Philippines could offer those interested to visit the country and he entered it.

The contest ends March 15, 2011. One of three criteria is the quantity and quality of promotional outreach the idea generates, i.e., number of likes and quality of comments. May I take this opportunity to appeal to all of you who have come to like visiting this blog, to read the 2 appeals below and click on the link you like better (or better yet, click both links!) and click the entry’s Like button and perhaps leave a comment! We will greatly appreciate your help.

Bill and April discussing their ideas

APPEAL FROM APRIL: When my mother and I co-wrote The Good Story (which won the online contest of the Morality of Profit Project last year), we had the germ of an idea for a social enterprise. I entered this idea called PinoySEEde into Seven Fund’s Think BIG competition. Pinoy SEEDE seeks to establish a network that links the Source of Expertise and Experience to the Development of Entrepreneurs. It will be similar in platform to Facebook, but it will be a community of volunteer experts in business matched with struggling businessmen. IA thrust like this will help generate more jobs and ultimately create a strong middle class, the backbone of good economies. You may vote for this idea by clicking the link below, clicking the Like button at the top of the entry, and leaving a comment. Thank you so much!

http://www.breakthroughinnovationgrant.com/pinoyseede-linking-expertise-to-struggling-entrepreneurs/

APPEAL FROM BILL: Since I retired, I have had a desire to do something as part of my “payback”.  Being a Filipina, Carol’s plan had always been to somehow help the Philippines. She asked me to join this Think BIG contest sponsored by Seven Fund. We entered this project: GEM, a substantial website to attract tourism dollars. The ultimate goal is to create jobs and alleviate poverty in the megalopolis. Please go to the following link, click the “like” button at the top of the entry and make a comment. Quality inputs/promotional reach are in the criteria for selecting the idea that would get the $20,000 seed money. We would surely appreciate your help!

http://www.breakthroughinnovationgrant.com/gem-go-and-experience-manila/