3 Places to Volunteer Today #5: Hands on Manila

Things have been on the bright side recently 🙂

Just a couple of weeks ago, Hands on Manila (HOM) picked me and 6 others to become official HOM bloggers for social change. Applying was something I had no choice but to do on the fly because of how busy work’s been making me, so their acceptance really came as a much-welcomed surprise.

I had known about them for a while already after seeing their booth at the VSO Bahaginan Volunteering Fair. They had a tarp with a huge red hand on it and a catchy name – I was immediately curious.

Hands On Manila has been around since 2001. Similar to iVolunteer, Hands on Manila connects people who want to help with partner communities and groups that need an extra hand. What makes them different is that HOM does its very best to make sure the volunteering opportunities they offer are diverse and flexible enough so that service can become integrated into your everyday grind.

It’s true that there are so many individuals who can still be tapped to help out. HOM’s “roadblock-free path to service” could maximize the potential of volunteering as a tool for creating change. That is, if we volunteer 🙂

Here are a few of their partners who are a bit more specialized than the usual:

1.  AIDS Society of the Philippines – AIDS Society of the Philippines is a group aiming to use education programs and community service to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. Their main locations are Caloocan, Pasay, Quezon City, and Manila. Contact Angelo Esperezante at (02) 376-2541 or (0917) 812-0424.

   

2. Mission: Katutubo Village (MKV) – MKV’s goal is to connect society to  their fellow Filipinos – specifically, the Aytas in Planas, Porac Pampaga. Over the past two years, MKV has worked with over 300 UP student-volunteers, 500 Aytas, and other groups and individuals to develop self-sufficient livelihood programs in the community. Other activities include leadership trainings, health and hygiene workshops, medical and dental missions. Contact Jarryd Bello at (0927) 981-8851 or Pauline Paguia (0917) 341 – 6016. You can also email them at missionkatutubovillage@gmail.com.

   

3. Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIBAT) – Their main cry is technology for sustaibility. SIBAT endeavors to enable poor communities to use science and technology to achieve self-reliance. They need skilled volunteers, such as: agroforesters, water engineers, water and sanitation experts, watershed specialists, project managers, web designers, and policy researchers. Their main office is in Matalino street, Quezon City Contact SIBAT at (02) 926-8971, or sibat@sibat.org. 

   

They have a lot more activities on their list: some include singing, sports etc. They also have activities with kids, and the elderly. You can download the full calendar here 🙂

You can also contact Hands on Manila’s program manager Toni Zuniga for help in coordinating with the partners, inquiries, and even arranging customized outreaches for your company or family. Contact him at toni.zuniga@handsonmanila.org or at (02) 843-7044, (02) 478-7044.

Hands on Manila is actually something I really need. More and more, I’m finding I have less time to reach out – it’s a situation I’m trying to figure out.

And I’m very grateful I get the chance to write for HOM in the months ahead 🙂

To see more places you can volunteer at, click here.  ❤