Young, old spend free time to help

Jed Carmona joins his mother, DSWD staffer Nadz Carmona, and other volunteers repack relief goods for victims of Typhoon Ruby at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC). (CDN PHOTOS/LITO TECSON)

While many Cebu residents chose to stay indoors as typhoon Ruby crossed the Visayas, about a hundred people volunteered their free time to help in the packing of relief goods for families displaced by the storm.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has made Cebu as its hub for food repackaging. The repacking work started Thursday at the basement of the Cebu International Convention Cente in Mandaue City.

Seven-year-old Jed Carmona of barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City attracted attention for being the youngest volunteer.

He was busy opening boxes of canned sardines. At times, he’d jump over to reach for plastic bags bearing the DSWD logo.

His mother, Nadz Carmona, said Jed wanted to finish “one million food packs” before they go back home.

“He cried (Jed) when I was about to leave home because he wanted to come with me,” said Carmona, an employee of the DSWD Central Visayas office.

Jed, who shied away from reporters, focused on counting canned sardines that he stuffs inside plastic bags.

In a nearby table, 12 other child volunteers were busy with their own tasks.

Each food pack contains six kilos of rice, eight canned sardines, eight cans of beef loaf or corned beef and eight sachets of coffee. A pack is  worth about P518 and is rated to   take care of a family’s food needs for the next two to three days.

Volunteers started arriving at the CICC at 9 a.m.   They were given a quick briefing on what to put into the DSWD food bags before they were actually given assignments.

Volunteers get busy with their individual assignments at the CICC. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

The CICC basement was subdivided into storage and packing areas.

Tables were provided for those preparing food packs.  One table is used to pack rice while another table is used to pack canned goods and sachets of coffee.

More volunteers which include personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard-Cebu station and some students started coming in at noon. DSWD recorded 300 volunteers since Thursday.

Kia Franzine Carbon, 10, of barangay Tayud in Consolacion town took charge of opening plastic bags.

“I wanted to help because I sympathize with the plight of the typhoon victims,” she said.

Kia and her parents Angie and Agapito arrived at the CICC at 9 a.m. yesterday.

She hopped from one table to another to open bags that were used for packing rice.

In some instances, she would stay beside her mother, Angie, who was in charge of  putting six kilos of rice into the plastic packs.

Community work

Nanie Gonzaga, administrator of My Home, a center located in Consolacion town that caters to Children in Conflict with the Law (CICLs) also brought 11 of their  wards with her to the CICC.

Gonzaga said she brought her clients to the CICC so they can be exposed to community work. Eddie, one of the CICLs, said he enjoyed the experience.

He did not mind having to stand for hours to pack canned goods into plastic bags. “I want to come back tomorrow,” he said.

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