An opportunity to share...
By aseretdd
@aseretdd (13730)
Philippines
October 3, 2009 5:07am CST
And to rid my apartment of all those unnecessary clutter...
I never thought that the tragedy brought by Typhoon Ondoy will be a blessing in disguise on my part... the maintenance guy in my office lost his home and everything inside to great the flood... so now he needs all the help he can get... and i saw that as an opportunity to share what i have... or the things that i don't use... but take up a lot of space in my apartment... like a dish rack, old pots and pans, clothes that we don't use anymore but are still very much i good condition, baby clothes, etc. etc...
And if there is only a vehicle available... i would even give him my sofa, small dining table, and a bed because i so much want to buy new ones... i already have the money for that... but wasn't able to do so because i don't know what i will do with the old ones... so now, i will be able to help and in turn i will benefit a lot from that too...
Have you shared your blessings to those affected by typhoon Ondoy?... in what way?... prayers are counted... so if we cannot help financially... prayers will do wonders...
2 people like this
12 responses
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
My mother is a pack rat and I want so much to give away two metal frame beds and two mattresses to those who can use it. These beds are just collecting dust in the other room. Our house is small and we are overflowing with things, most of them belonging to my brother who lives abroad and my mom. My things will fit in a small box, but their things are really overflowing and they don't want to throw away things or donate them to a good cause such as for the typhoon victims. I am distressed because a few months ago I had asked them both to give away things that they don't need to the garbage collectors. They did give away two boxes of clothes, but bought clothes again. I also have a 10-cubic refrigerator that is not working but my mother refuses to give away. Plus an extra sofa. But whenever I sound off the idea of giving away these stuff so that we can free ourselves from clutter, she begins her "drama" that I should just haul all of her stuff to be thrown away.
On my part, I shopped at a supermarket who will give a percentage of their sales to the victims when you do your grocery shopping there. I cannot give any food or stuff, as much as I want to right now.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I was also a pack rat when i was younger... but the drive to keep my old stuff is leaving me slowly... and now... i just want to give away things that i don't use... i can't bare to just throw them away... but the thought of them being used by those who needs them the most is very comforting... i hope you mother will be able to rid herself of being too attached to material things...
Shopping at a supermarket who give away for a good cause is a good way of helping... thanks for giving me that idea...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
Let me tell you how much of a pack rat my mom is, and also my brother. My mother keeps half slips that are yellowed with the garters no longer elastic! I can only surmise that they are older than I am. Plus bed covers that are super heavy, but no one uses because it is hell to wash. We used to live in San Juan and there was one time that we experienced flooding too. We were able to bring most of the furniture upstairs but I was of no help at that time because I just had an operation. There is a wooden display cabinet that we were not able to bring upstairs because it was heavy and full of things. So the flood waters was able to get it and it took five hours before the flood water receded. Needless to say, the cabinet was destroyed by the flood. But instead of throwing it out, my mother and my brother insisted on still using it 
. When we transferred to my house, I had no choice because I was outnumbered two to one on leaving that cabinet behind. We moved again after a few years and I told them that we no longer have space for that cabinet so finally it is gone from my living room. Up to now my mother is wailing about those yellowed half slips I asked her to throw away.1 person likes this
@edujccz (929)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
i really wanted to laugh at your words, LOL a pack rat, and my wife is too a pack rat. Saturday was the heavy rain of Ondoy and the next day Sunday my wife was to leave for Davao on a seminar, so it was 11am when she has to go to the airport, I made joke at her that no plane is going to fly due to bad weather but she insisted ot leave , so I let her be.
The house was still flooded when she left, on her slippers she wade by the water LOL. As she disappear in sight, I asked my children to help me cleaning which then I realized that my children too hates their mother of being a pack rat, so I took out every thing in the house, clean them and segregate the useful one, but i notice my children throwing everything their mother was keeping and i cannot imagine to see a truckload of old things, old clothes, old shoes, old furnitures,old kitchen equipments that are not running anymore, everything that is unusable, we throw it to the garbage and the garbageman was really happy.
Then my daugther said, daddy mommy will be mad when she come home, but i just laugh and when she was back after 5 days, we recieved a lot of sermon the whole day, but the house was clean, spacious and a good smell. Anyway gone is gone and thank you for Ondoy. LOL what a pack rat.
What a pack rat. LOL
@sophie_dfuss (2365)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Thats nice to hear that you are trying to help others who were struck by the calamity. Its good to give your other things to others if you are not using it anymore. I always give a helping hand to others in times of need like that. I have helped by joining some causes for a relief operation of the typhoon victims lately. I have given some old clothes and shoes to the relief goods. I was also praying last weekend that the heavy rains will stop, I was so happy that it became sunny again last Sunday.
@sophie_dfuss (2365)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I forgot to share, "Someone's trash is another man's treasure."
I give my old or unwanted things to others especially if I know its still useful.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
I used to volunteer in relief operation activities when i was in college... and there were times when i organized some too... but since i have my family and doesn't have any contact with ngo's... i just try to help to the best of my abilities... and i am glad i was able to extend a helping hand to someone who is close to me...
Thanks for the response...
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
3 Oct 09
Its really wonderful to know that you have used this natural calamity to good use in helping people and also to clear your home of clutter. Here in my home state, we have a similar devastating hurricane in April-May and vast areas of the coast were affected…floods and all that and people losing homes and everything. So there were these collection trucks going all round the city collecting whatever the people could donate and I pitched in too…mostly old clothes but in very good condition, shoes, old containers, medicine and such. I think as a community, it’s the least we can do.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
People who were not affected by calamities should really share their blessing to those who were... it would have been more better if it did not happen at all but like you said... as a community that is the very least thing we can do...
Thanks for the response...
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
We were not affected by typhoon Ondoy as we are in the Visayas area. I was supposed to give a bundle of second hand clothing which I was supposed to give last Christmas. However, it was too late when I learned that ABS CBN were collecting donations in our area and when I was about to bring to their regional station, I found out that they already sent it to Manila.
Anyway, I will just give these clothes come Christmas.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
Christmas is not far because it is already October... i am sure the clothes you will donate then will still reach the victims of typhoon Ondoy... from the destruction that typhoon brought... it would take a long time for the victims to recuperate... so Christmas is like the best time to help them...
Thanks for the response...
@suzzy3 (8342)
•
3 Oct 09
How nice of you to help this man out,it must be awful to lose everything right down to your pots and pans.I can not even imagine how awful that is.Prayers ,money,items that anyone can spare must be all welcome to those who have suffered such losses.When something like this happens you really see the good side of people who stretch what they have got to help others.We give a lot of stuff to charity shops to sell or pass on.We have a new three piece suite ordered for the front room which should come before christmas but our old one will do someone a turn,till they can get something better.We have loads of organisations who do this now.
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
There was such a shop where i worked for two years... and it was quite nice because we were able to buy stuff we can use... and we did not even need a lot of money... i remember 1 dollar was able to buy me some sheets for my bed, glasses, magazines, a candy jar, and some books... i wish there is such a store here in my area...
Thanks for the response...
@biman_s (1060)
• India
3 Oct 09
My heart goes out to all those who have lost not just their possessions but also their family members. Its a great thing to share your things with others. When "Aila" struck in West Bengal in India I also did the same thing by helping out those who needed our help. If everyone gives a little bit from what they have then recovery becomes very easy.
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I do agree... recovery does becomes very easy when we all share a little bit of what we have to those who badly need them the most... and i am just glad that more and more kind hearted people even those in other countries are giving their share...
Thanks for the response...
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
6 Oct 09
There are a lot of people who went out of their way to give a helping hand... and i am just glad that i was able to help in my own little way... times like these... we need each other in order to rise up the flood waters...
Thanks for the response...
@dhugoi (315)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
It's always better to give than to recieve...
I could only imagine the joy that guy just felt when do that for him, it could mean everything for him to start a new life.
My God bless you more so you could share your blessings to more people.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
4 Oct 09
aseretdd hi okay if prayers count then I send them by'the
ton to all those afflicted by the typhoon ondoy. I wish
I had other things to donate but I don't not even any'mnoney
nothing but my prayers and best wishes that God will bless
them and help them. hope that is enough.
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
I know there are a lot of people around the world who would love to help... but because of certain circumstances... they can't... so for prayers will do... as long as it is sincere and is truely from the heart...
Thank you for the prayers... and thanks for the response...
@sharlionse (739)
• Philippines
7 Oct 09
yes, we tried to collect some fund to help our friends who were greatly affected by the typhoon.
@CrimsonRain (336)
• United States
3 Oct 09
Wow. What you did was just fantastic! Let me share with you a personal experience. When typhoon Ondoy hit the Philippines last Saturday, I got stranded in an airport. My friend and I were there for 6 whole hours. Sounds short, doesn't it? But when I was there in that very moment, those 6 hours felt like forever. Other airlines were already starting to cancel their flights through the P.A. system, and I was sitting there, still hoping to get home before the day ends. When one of the airport crews turned on the TV, the news flashed out before me, and then I saw what difficulties people in Manila were going through right at that very moment: children swimming through the flood, elders sitting on their roofs, waiting to be rescued. At that very moment, I felt a strong sense of compassion towards them. I felt one with them, that I was not the only victim of typhoon Ondoy, that their situation was way worse than mine. A friend even sent me an SMS, asking me to pray for her brother and cousins who were stranded in their attic. So I said a silent prayer, and after a few minutes, I saw the airport crews calling out our flight number and asking us to board the plane. We were ready to fly to Manila. :-)
2 people like this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I know how it feels to wait in an airport for hours because the flight was cancelled due to bad weather... it can be so frustrating... in when the plane can finally take off... there is still a feeling of fear that the weather might still make the plane crash...
The whole world feels for all those who were affected... and we can all help in our own way... little or big...
Thanks for the response... welcome to mylot and i hope you enjoy every minute of your stay here...
1 person likes this
