Thirty street children in Mandaue City who used to wear rubber slippers during their jogging sessions with policemen can now run with new pairs of rubber shoes donated by an American national.
Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, city police community relations chief, distributed the first batch of 17 pairs of Fila shoes to the beneficiaries last Tuesday.
The donor, Robert Gower, is an American engineer assigned at the US Air Base in Saudi Arabia and is married to a Filipina from Lapu-Lapu City.
He read about the street children’s need for shoes and took pity on the kids in the news and wanted to help.
Bastes said the American appreciated the police program that engages street children in wholesome activities like jogging and learning good values to keep them away from street crimes and vices.
Some of the shoes were also donated by other concerned individuals.
Bastes said more pairs are being sent by another foreign benefactor, who is an official of a call center company based in the I.T. Park in Cebu City.
“On behalf of the donors, we are happy to distribute these new pairs of shoes to the street children,” Bastes said.
Bastes said he plans to invite the children to regular physical exercise, bring them to Church and have dinner together.
Bastes started the program in 2009 and has continued it wherever he is assigned.
Among the beneficiaries are two sisters aged 7 and 8, and their 20-year-old brother who are under the custody of Mandaue city’s social welfare and services center. Their parents were imprisoned a year ago for an illegal drug case. The eldest brother, who studies in Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School, takes care of his sisters.
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