Helping the Needy during Hard Times

[manofthecoldland]

I placed this under 'Safety and Security'  since your first line of defense is the people around you who do not wish any harm to befall you for a variety of reasons.  'Neighborhood Watch' is quite effective where I live, so its wise to have people of good will around you and to assist them. if able, when they are in dire need.

From my second story porch I now see 3 new garden plots that didn't exist a few days ago. They are on privately owned, but vacant,  rainy-season swampy  lots... but dry now and used to graze 3 goats or grow wild kankun. A few days ago some old roofing sheets and worn out bamboo fencing were erected, and the soil turned. Sorry goats, but some of your graze land is needed for now, apparently.  The goats owner will have to make do with the decrease since he was squat grazing and the gardeners probably got permission. Hard Times have arrived for many. Little work, little money, little food. 

Fellow forum members, Mike J 's  and Tommy T's wives have put together some food assistance packets to help the neighborhood needy,  and now so will my wife.

I  told her a few hours ago that I put funds into her account for an assistance venture and asked her what the plan was.

Apparently our minds work very differently. She has had time to think about this, so when I asked her if she would use the 50 kg. sack of rice to make 50-1 kg. or 25-2 kg. bags she looked puzzled. Same for how many dried noodle packets per handout packet. Sardine tins, coffee satchets etc. 

Instead, she had been checking with her rice suki for  cost, w/ate's sister who buys cases for her sari-sari, having a few trusted older woman making a list, and checking it twice..... gonna make sure who's naughty (will want it, but don't really need it) and nice (truly in need),  and how to make sure they get around whatever buyer limitations on amounts are in existence. 3 head of household barangay pass holders with separate carts/trolleys should do it she figures.

She hadn't given thought to how many/much of each item per packet.... which is the first thing I think of. I think of the items per packet and compute numbers with multiplication. She thinks.... spend all  the money, then count and divide.

Actually her method is probably better for the endeavour.

Have to see what happens tomorrow.  Her confederates are excited, since they will become givers.... like Santa... or maybe quite unlike the usual stingy and favoritism corrupted dispensers of public assistance they often despise in their chismis.

Other than bankrolling, I don't want to see how this sausage is made.... an will put my faith in them. I hope there isn't any blow back since little that you do in this world, doesn't displease someone for petty reasons.  Ha-Ha

If any of your friends or wives made, or will make, charitable food relief packets, please share their contents and amounts, costs etc., results, problems encountered and solved.  I think if I get that $1200 from my government, or convince my adult daughters to send me some dough and help a wee bit, I will do this again.

 

 

[Marvin Boggs]

-4 packs of noodles

-2 canned meatloaf

-a 10 pack of skyflakes

-1 kilo rice

 

I think it cost us 160P each and we gave about 30.  Actually we just paid for them and the family put it together in the province.  I didn't ask any questions about the choices included, mate.  We must think alike! 

[Jollygoodfellow]

Hope not to sound negative but since the topic is under safety and security have you thought about when word gets out of who is giving away food that there might end up a crowd at the front door/gate ETC ?

Hopefully this wont happen but something to think about. 

[Mike J]

5 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Hope not to sound negative but since the topic is under safety and security have you thought about when word gets out of who is giving away food that there might end up a crowd at the front door/gate ETC ?

Hopefully this wont happen but something to think about. 

Good point.  About two weeks ago (before the lockdowns started) I told Lani we needed to buy a 50 kilo bag of rice "just in case".  We ended up buying nine 50 kilo sacks of rice which we then distributed to the small churches that we partner with.  So if you know someone who is trustworthy and can do the distribution it could be a safer option than giving out to individuals. 

[manofthecoldland]

7 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Hope not to sound negative but since the topic is under safety and security have you thought about when word gets out of who is giving away food that there might end up a crowd at the front door/gate ETC ?

Hopefully this wont happen but something to think about. 

Excellent point JGF !

I read your and Mike J's comments to the Mrs.

She agreed that we do not want strangers coming who may bring the virus or cause problems. So she already ruled out using the nearby chapel, 100 yards away from our place but on the main beachfront road.

The food packets will only be for the small neighborhood we live in ( isolated pocket separated by rice fields from other hamlets who have different entry roads off the beach road. 

She and her trusted older women helpers know everyone here that they will give the food to, and have made a list. Its only people they personally know. I live in the back corner of this small, 1 dead-end road in, enclave with my bamboo bridge access. Outside my bridge gate are the empty backla's house ( with open space) and a small sari-sari. They will hand it out there and check off the name on the name list. We're only talking 25 packets right now, since each will get 2 kg. rice/other items.

This is a very limited and small assistance project with no expectation beyond a one-off, small helping hand.

[manofthecoldland]

9 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

Excellent point JGF !

I read your and Mike J's comments to the Mrs.

She agreed that we do not want strangers coming who may bring the virus or cause problems. So she already ruled out using the nearby chapel, 100 yards away from our place but on the main beachfront road.

The food packets will only be for the small neighborhood we live in ( isolated pocket separated by rice fields from other hamlets who have different entry roads off the beach road. 

She and her trusted older women helpers know everyone here that they will give the food to, and have made a list. Its only people they personally know. I live in the back corner of this small, 1 dead-end road in, enclave with my bamboo bridge access. Outside my bridge gate are the empty backla's house ( with open space) and a small sari-sari. They will hand it out there and check off the name on the name list. We're only talking 25 packets right now, since each will get 2 kg. rice/other items.

This is a very limited and small assistance project with no expectation beyond a one-off, small helping hand.

Follow Up Report:

It went well. It would have gone better for the recipients if the money that I sent yesterday to the wife's BDO account would have shown up. Usually within an hour after sending yesterday afternoon.  I had an immediate "Transfer completed successfully" notice from my bank then, but the money wasn't in her account this morning at 10, and she never got the normal  9am text from her BDO branch saying she had received funds. So she emptied her account at the outside ATM and got what she had money for. We are still waiting on their text 28 hours later. Ugh !

I hope their lobby is open tomorrow if it doesn't show up again since my US bank say it was sent. I hope this is just an unusual  glitch and not a harbinger.

So the ladies meted out the 50 kg sack of med. quality white rice she bought into 2 kg. bags. We didn't have the money for the sardines and noodles, sugar etc.

Ate went to the houses on their lists and told them to come around 4 pm, when the  shadows are long and the midday heat dissipated.  

It was pretty simple, since the people knew each other and the table ladies checked off their names on the list when they received their bag. Since everyone is used to social distancing by now, that wasn't a problem, but was enforced. Everyone wore their masks. Ate had her disinfectant spray bottle and sprayed the table. Placed a bag down and backed off. They pick it up and leave. Spray. Place another bag and back off. Repeat. Since we know them, the name is checked off at a distance. 

Since everyone is scared these days, despite no known cases here in the province, city, barangay or neighborhood.,  things were probably as safe as anywhere else, locally at the moment. Undoubtedly safer than in Sweden or many places in the USA.

It hadn't even occurred to me that strict preventive health protocols were needed, but the women saw to it. I'm glad  they did, since I realize now that maybe I could be placing us at risk with overzealous authorities. People are hungry and need food to survive.... and so far we haven't seen help forthcoming here.