Our FFCC team landed in the Philippines this past Friday and have been moving about the islands that have been decimated by the typhoon (Nov) and the earthquake (Oct). Here is an update sent from the team.

  

Daan Bantayan is 4-5 hours north of Cebu City.  There is incredible devastation here.  Power lines are down and all over the streets.  Houses crushed by the fallen trees.  It looks so much like Biloxi when we first arrived after Hurricane Katrina.  There are so many hurting people.  The food we handed out is only a drop in the ocean for this community (1200 bags of rice & some produce donated by Pilipino churches and government).

Today we handed out hygiene kits and are doing a water filter presentation for the mayor and leaders in the town we distributed the food yesterday.  We are working with both Japan and French relief workers.  We shared with Japan the help we provided after their earthquake and tsunami so they jumped in to help us with some of the heavy lifting.  We told the French how we are working together to help Haiti so they jumped in to help us.  We had a great day working together.  We are very sore from all the heavy lifting.  We are going back to Cebu tonight and then off to Bohol tomorrow and then to Tacloban.

  

 

 

The team will return to San Diego on Sunday and there will be an informational meeting on Wednesday, December 4^th at 6:30 pm to discuss all that they have learned about how FFCC can continue to help with their recovery. We hope to take a second team from December 12 - 23^rd. If you are interested in attending the meeting, contact Tina Socha at tina.socha@ffccsd.org.

How are we helping these Pilipino families from here at home?

• Poway community packaged 100,000 meals on November 17^th. Thank you sponsors: Cornerstone Church, Poway High School, Poway Youth Soccer league, Always Positive, and Chiro Touch

 

• Santa Fe Christian School with the support of their sponsors packaged 200,000 meals at their 'Give Thanks, Give Back' event on November 21-22. Thank you sponsors: SFC, AetherComm, Risen Magazine, Chick-Fil-A, Value Selling Assoc., Rita's Italian Ice, and Ignite.

 

The 300,000 meals from these two events will fill a 40-foot shipping container that will be sent to the Philippines on December 5^th.  This food is desperately needed and will be a tremendous blessing!

• We have a goal to purchase 1,000 water filters to provide safe water for these families. We are currently about a quarter of the way there. Due to the manufacturer discounting the filters, your $45 donation can provide a filter for a family. Just note, 'water filters for Philippines' in the memo section of your check or in the special instruction box on Paypal.

 

• We are collecting over-the-counter medications to provide for those who are sick or injured. Click here for a list of suggested donations.Donations can be dropped off at the Dream Dinners in Poway- 12218 Poway Road, #100, Poway 92064 until Wednesday, Dec 4th.

  

If your business, organization, church or family would be interested in sponsoring a food packaging event or donating to any of these efforts, contact Tina Socha at tina.socha@ffccsd.org or send your donation to:

FFCC

12463 Rancho Bernardo Road, PMB #158

San Diego, CA 92128

Friends & Family Community Connection was able to provide Thanksgiving food bags to over 675 local families in need this season!   This is a new record for us! Our ability to increase the outreach was due to many generous donors like Church at Rancho Bernardo, San Rafael Catholic Church, Penasquitos Lutheran Church, BACTES Imaging Solutions,  Carmel Valley Girl Scouts, Oak Hills Covenant Church, Diamond Gateway Women's Organization, San Diego State University Business Department, Carmel Mountain Preschool, Penasquitos Christian Preschool, Chaparral Elementary School, Ellen Browning Scripps Elementary, Dream Dinners,  AON Engineering,  Westview High School, Sunset Hills Elementary, Abraxas, San Elijo Kids Korps, Poway Valley Garden Club, and Sunshine Care Assisted Living,  just to name a few of the donors and supporters helping to get the work accomplished!  

One of the grateful recipients who is a single Mom said,

" I just unloaded everything out of the bag you gave me. Thank you so much, it's really appreciated. I hope one day I will be able to help out someone less fortunate like you have helped me."  

Another single Mom also remarked,  

"Once again, there are no words I could say to tell you how much I love and appreciate FFCC, helping me through such a much needed time."

Our FFCC team has made such a difference and as we roll into the December holidays, we'll continue to affect lives of struggling families in positive, memorable ways!
Contact Becky at  ffccsdlocal@gmail.com  if you would like to participate in holiday giving for local families in need.

FFCC has been invited back to New Jersey to host another Food Packaging Event.  This will be our third New Jersey Event.