Helping Others Help Themselves
Guided by the motto “helping others help themselves,” the Ladies of Charity under the Social Services and Development Ministry (SSDM) launched the Livelihood and Skills Training programs in 2009 with the support of then parish priest Msgr. Dan Sta. Maria. The goal is to empower the participants and beneficiaries by building their capacity for livelihood as workers in the service industry or as self-employed practitioners. Believing in the dignity of work, the CTK Social Services and Development Ministry continues to give the underprivileged the opportunity to learn various skills through training and improve their earning capacity for the betterment of their families and communities. Among the courses included are Cosmetology, Food and Beverage Service, Health Care Services, Electrical Installation, and Reflexology. TESDA trainers conduct these courses.
Currently, under the leadership of our new parish priest Fr. Steven Zabala, the SSDM is undertaking various activities to help in poverty alleviation and improvement of the living conditions of the marginalized. With the support of the CTK social action arms like the Ladies of Charity, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Women’s League, Buklod ng Panginoon, Mother Butler Missions Guild, Apostleship of Prayer, and the Christian Family Movement, SSDM programs have expanded vigorously beyond the CTK’s territorial boundaries.
Under the Scholarship program, SSDM extends financial assistance to deserving students residing in the Libis and Bagumbayan area. The Ladies of Charity and the Knights of Columbus set standards and guidelines and evaluate applicants and approve their inclusion in the program. Catechism and values formation sessions are extended to scholars to instill discipline and help them become responsible citizens of the community.
To help the graduating scholars pass the entrance exam in the good universities, review classes and online practice test will be given starting this year. For school year 2019-2020, SSDM is supporting a total of 220 scholars in the high school and college level.
Our feeding program for 120 malnourished children aged three to seven years old uses a four-week menu prepared by the Philippine Food and Nutrition Research Institute and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The nutritious menu was designed to help in the development of the child’s brain.
The ministry also conducts prison visits and elderly care.
All these activities are made possible with the support from the parish’s stewardship funds. Mila Bangco and Menchu Pascual currently head the Social Services and Development Ministry.
