J. Amado Araneta Foundation – JAAF
Community in Focus: Christ the King Parish Greenmeadows, Quezon City.
Christ the King (CTK) Parish in Greenmeadows, Quezon City has been extending help to poor communities in the Cubao Diocese and medical frontliners in hospitals as part of its OPLAN COVID, an ongoing outreach to respond to those most affected by the pandemic.
Among those that are supporting this effort is J. Amado Araneta Foundation and other generous benefactors from parish organizations and other entities. Oplan COVID was launched on March 16, right after the Enhanced Community Quarantine was enforced. The fundraiser was originally intended to provide food assistance to Libis and nearby poor communities and give financial help to some Cubao parishes for their operational expenses.
On April 16, Parish Priest Fr. Steven Zabala sent an urgent call for at least 80 medical health workers of nearby The Medical City. Almost overnight, several groups responded to his call and donations of beds, mattresses, bed linen, slippers, coffee, drinks and other food items flowed in. A generous donor offered their facility in Marikina to house the frontliners while other groups including the J. Amado Araneta Foundation donated for the meals of the health workers. The response was so overwhelming that the frontliners are assured of meals until June!
There were also excess donations of mattresses, bedding, and coffee that prompted CTK to accommodate other facilities that were seeking similar assistance. These include the East Avenue Medical Center, University of the Philippines Health Service, and most recently, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Fr. Steve in a recent update on Oplan COVID said that he could hardly contain his amazement at the outpouring of help from all sectors. He echoed the reactions of frontliners saying, “Blockbuster po ang donations niyo!” and “Ngayon po ay hindi na kami mahihirapan pang umuwi sa amin.” He noted that some health workers had nowhere to rest their tired bodies and slept on cold floors along hallways. Fr. Steve also expressed appreciation for the continuing flow of generosity since he says this pandemic is “a mid-marathon and not a short sprint.” With donations coming in through Oplan COVID he says, “You can really feel the happiness of the health workers and the poor. Thank you very much to all the donors!”
