Home is Where the Heart is

“Love begins by taking care of the closest ones – the ones at home.” – St. Mother Teresa

A simple roof over your head can make any place feel like home, with the knowledge you’re protected from the surrounding winds of the world. But for numerous families, like the ones living near our Samar site in the Philippines, that safety isn’t a reality.

Houses in the area are often made of coconut lumber and woven frond shingles, materials that don’t keep out the regular rain and windstorms. Many families, including sponsored ones, struggle with inadequate space and insufficient finances. A new home isn’t in the cards.

Andrea and Leanard live in a small home made of light materials, and when not in school, love helping their parents around the house. They’re budding fishers, regularly heading out with their dad Joel to catch a few big ones. Their mother Lucia is a strong-willed and jolly woman, with a penchant for helping others, fishing and carpentry.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 ‘Healthcare’ photos.

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned this past year-and-a-half, it’s that healthcare workers are the backbone of society. They’ve worked long hours during hard times, and we can’t thank them enough.

This week, we’re honouring our brave medical professionals with our top 5 ‘Healthcare’ photos. We can’t get by without them!

#5: Nursing Her Dreams

Susmitha has dreamed of being a nurse since she was a little girl! It wasn’t certain she would achieve her dream, though, as she went to a lower-quality school. That all changed when her Chalice sponsor chose her. Her parents were thrilled, and enrolled Susmitha and her siblings in a better school.

She’s now attended nursing school, and says her sponsor made her feel a part of their family in Canada. She extends a big ‘thank you’ to her sponsor for making her dream come true!

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A Second Parent Brings Hope

Everyone has parents, but if you’re lucky, you might meet someone who becomes like a second parent to you. For some, that’s a Godparent, and for others, a teacher. For young women like Pushpa, it’s her Chalice sponsor.

Pushpa, the youngest of three girls, grew up in a small village near our Assam site in India with her sisters and parents. Her father eventually went to a bigger city to look for work, and her mother found daily wage work nearby. But it wasn’t enough to keep the girls in school.

“My parents struggled a lot to take care of us,” Pushpa recalls. “Whatever my parents earned was used for feeding the family and for our education.”

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 ‘Elderly Wisdom’ photos

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

This weekend we celebrate World Senior Citizens Day, a time to honour the elderly among us. Whether it’s a grandparent, friend or teacher, the elderly are full of so much wisdom and knowledge, it could fill a book. They pass on traditions and shape our futures.

This week, we’re sharing our top 5 ‘Elderly Wisdom’ photos as a reminder of all the little pieces of wisdom they’ve passed on over the years.

Did you know? In addition to child sponsorship, some of our sites have a sponsorship program for elders. Elders with little or no family support can rely on sponsorship and their Chalice site for food, medical support, and companionship.

#5: Work Hard

With the help of a local Chalice circle group, Sudha took out a small loan where she lives in India. Along with the money that came from being sponsored, she started her own agricultural business! She leases a half-acre of land to grow jasmine flowers, a highly valuable plant in India.

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Sasmita Makes a New House Home

At Chalice’s Orissa site in India, many have scant access to educational and medical resources. For women, girls and migrant workers, it’s even more challenging. Illiteracy is high in the area. Living nearby is Sasmita, a young woman from a hard-working family that’s been through some tough times.

Sasmita grew up with two sisters, and shared a hut with them and her parents. It was small, and definitely not big enough for the growing family. Her parents worked daily wage jobs, which didn’t make for reliable income.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 ‘God’s Grace’ photos.

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

It’s Friday the 13th, and you know what that means? Bad…er, good luck! Around here, we know that good luck is another way of saying God’s grace. This week, we’re sharing our top 5 ‘God’s Grace’ photos. After all, as 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power[a] is made perfect in weakness.” These photos remind us that all we do is a product of God’s grace.

#5: A Meal For Those In Need

Non-sponsored children near our Tondo site in the Philippines came to collect a meal at a street lunch in 2020. It is by God’s grace that those who have easy access to food share it with others, something we’re all called to do.

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Bushels of blessings in Baseco

While the city of Manila was still under strict COVID-19 lockdown protocols, the Tondo sponsor site knew there were children in their neighbourhood who didn’t have enough food. In particular, the site staff worried about the neighbourhood of Baseco, one of the largest slums in Manila.

When restrictions lifted enough for site staff to go out, they began delivering pre-packed meals every day to the children of Baseco – none of whom had Chalice sponsors. But the staff longed to see the children eating fresh fruits and vegetables. They imagined a Baseco community garden, cared for by the families.

As soon as gathering limits allowed, it was action time. Thanks to generous supporters of Chalice’s nutrition program, the site staff selected a plot of land by the shore and set to work making their vision a reality.

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Photo Friday: Our top 5 “Sunshine” Photos!

Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.

Keep the sun shining! It’s the last full month of summer, meaning it’s time to get out and enjoy the sun while you still can. Our top 5 ‘Sunshine’ photos remind us the sun is always shining somewhere around the world, even when the clouds around us are grey.

#5: Snackin’ In The Tree

The sun was shining at our CMAVIL site in Paraguay, and this guy took the opportunity to climb up high. Hey, you’ve got to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts! (As those of us in rainy climates know well…)

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Cecilia Becomes a Finance Wiz

Nerves have a way of fogging up your brain and making you forget things like your bank password. Cecilia, a lover mother of three, has figured out a strategy. She repeats her password, and that way, she always remembers.

Before encountering Chalice and its sponsors, Cecilia never thought a bank card was in reach.

“…I used to think that cards were for people with a lot of money,” Cecilia wrote from where she lives near our Chiclayo site in Peru. Receiving the card was a “beautiful experience”, she said, even though her hands shook on the way to get it. Later, she and her husband shared joyous laughter about the whole situation!

Cecilia is the coordinator of her local family circle, where she’s a leader and supportive resource to her fellow parents and neighbours.

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The Radiance of Filipino cuisine: Pansit

Our regions are known for their radiant cuisine, and the Philippines are no exception. With more than 100 ethno-linguistic groups scattered throughout the nation, the country’s cuisine reflects the rich diversity of its residents.

Noodles are a common ingredient in Filippino cooking, and pansit is no exception. This stir-fried noodle dish is made with fresh cabbage, sliced chicken, and a helping of soy sauce. It’s the ultimate comforting meal. Bonus points for not needing to turn on the oven, so it’ll keep you cool in the summer.

This dish has also become popular in the island of Guam, one of the Mariana islands in what is known as Micronesia. Residents of the Philippines have a history of migration to Guam, and today, pansit is often eaten on birthdays and New Year’s Eve.

When you make this dish, you can remember all those you support in the Philippines!

Did you know? Chalice ensures children have balanced and nutrient-rich diets by implementing school feeding programs through the support of the Chalice Children Nutrition Program.

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