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Trio of mosaics of upcycled coffee capsules
LIFESTYLE FASHION
SHARING THE BLESSING
SPREAD SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER WITH MEANINGFUL GIFTS
By Raoul J. Chee Kee
@Raoul Chee Kee      the
Despite the year we’ve all been through,
we still find reasons to be thankful, whether it be
for renewed family ties, improved health or still
holding down a job. Sharing one’s blessings
becomes even more important and meaningful at
a time like this. Here are some ways to spread
some Christmas cheer.
Supporting skilled,
underserved sectors
For many years now, Gifts & Graces has
been helping skilled but underserved
communities in different parts of the country.
They work with banig weavers from Bicol, Leyte
and Palawan; T’boli brass artisans who produce
beautiful bells and other keepsakes; and sewing
communities of women from Biñan in Laguna,
Mandaluyong, Pandacan, Bicutan and Tarlac.
Give a gift of hope while
Efforts and groups that also support good cause
supporting the hands that made these gifts. Find
perfect gift atgiftsandgraces.shop.
(giftsandgraces.shop/pages/meet-the-people-
behind-the-product)
Lip balms, disinfecting wipes
for front-liners
Burt’s Bees Philippines is donating
1,000 lip balms to front-liners in five hospitals in
Metro Manila: The Medical City, St. Luke’s
Medical Center QC, Lung Center of the
Philippines, National Children’s Hospital and
Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
“We hope that by treating our front-
liners to something as simple as lip balm, we can
spark hope and lift them up,” said Paulo Lao,
Burt’s Bees international sales and marketing
director for Southeast Asia. “This is our own little
way of sharing joy and thanking them for their
heroic efforts to save and protect Filipinos.”
Clorox is also giving 1,000 packs of
disinfecting wipes to the
five hospitals. “We’re starting with these five, but
we’re already securing resources to extend this
initiative to more hospitals nationwide,” said Lao,
who is also Clorox international sales and
marketing director for the region.
Art that’s fit to print
Artist Ehrran Montoya, who does fashion-
inspired illustrations on pages of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, held his first exhibit in his
hometown in Morong, Rizal, earlier this month.
A portion (10 percent) of the sales will
be donated to Morong Volunteers Emergency
Response Team to organize the distribution of
relief goods for poor families in Sitio Agas-as
(Barangay San Guillermo) and Sitio Talaga
(Barangay Maybancal) where poverty is
disproportionally high.
(facebook.com/ehrran.montoya)
Star of Hope
The Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC)
Foundation
has a selection of beautiful handmade pieces
including the Star of Hope fashioned out of fabric
scraps used to make personal protective
equipment gowns. In their Facebook page (NVC
Foundation), this new symbol of hope “helps us
remember that faith overcomes fear, courage sees
us through crises, and hope shines bright because
love ways delivers.”
The four-inch ornament is embroidered and
beaded by hand,and comes with a card and
handsewn pouch.
Every purchase of the ornament supports
The Feeding Force program for families affected
by the COVID-19 crisis.
Other interesting pieces include upcycled
parol and a trio of mosaic artworks also made
with discarded coffee capsules. Each piece sold
helps fund the foundation’s Feeding Force
program. (nvcfoundation-ph.org/product/star-of-
hope-ornament-e) INQ

Painting by artist Errah Montoya Handsown design for Gifts & Graces NVC Foundation’s Star of Hope is made of fabric
Handwoven design for Gifts & Graces scraps from personal protective equipment gowns
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