Written by: Ate C, U! Happy Core Member
December 15 was a particularly busy Saturday for U! Happy because we had 5 events lined up on that day alone. Despite the number of events that we do, especially in December, every outreach program exudes its own special character because of the diversity of people who partner with us.
For this event, Kuya Patrick de Leon and his churchmates and friends to deliver an afternoon of fun and learning to 25 children of Center for Community Transformation (CCT) in Pasay City. When our sponsors and the kids were already at the venue, they were seated and grouped to get acquainted with one another. All the groups were also asked to decide on a group name, and they all came up with a cool one – Respect My Hood, Matapang na Leon, Mapagmahal, Magagaling, Black Panther, and Epic.
We then dived right into the games for more bonding between the kids and their Ates and Kuyas. We played Dress Me Up, which was a relay where each member had to wear a large U! Happy Shirt and take it off to be passed on to the next member until the whole team has completed the drill. The next game was Paint a Picture, where a scene was given by the game facilitator and each team would have to muster their creativity to stage a tableau representing the given category. Beyond the fun, games shared between kids and adults foster the spirit of trust, teamwork, sportsmanship, and accountability.
After playing, everyone was given the time to recover their energy by sharing a hearty meal together. Afterwards, prizes were given to the winning teams as our sponsors started handing out their gifts to the kids – a pack of school supplies which the kids can use in their studies. Our sponsors also took the time to share the word of God to the children, speaking about Jesus whom we celebrate Christmas for. They also prayed for the children and spoke blessings upon them.
We closed the program with the customary group photos, and with the kids giving their Ates and Kuyas a big hug of thanks. Thank you Kuya Patrick for blessing the kids of CCT, not only physically but also spiritually, and for inspiring them to have faith in their lives!
