Mano Amiga gives thanks for a successful 2nd School year

On June 26, the entire Mano Amiga Academy faculty and school officials, along with some of Mano Amiga's partners and padrinos came together for a thanksgiving mass at the Everest Academy Chapel. Father Daniel Polzer, LC, officiated the Holy Mass while Mano Amiga volunteers led the singing for the celebration.

In his homily, Father Polzer thanked everyone for all the little sacrifices they have made for the sake of the Mano Amiga families: the teachers and staff for choosing to teach in an environment that is not always comfortable, the volunteers for spending their weekends to serve as youth mentors instead of on some other leisurely activity, and the partners for giving up some luxuries to help send a stranger to school. Father Polzer said that the real challenge is to be joyful in serving others "even when there isn't always an applause or recognition for those deeds."

After the Thanksgiving Mass, Mano Amiga Development Director Eleanor Pinugu shared how grateful she is to be part of an organization comprised of people who see Mano Amiga not just as a job or an advocacy, but as their vocation.

Incoming Principal Revelyn Siasoyco thanked everyone for their faith in her abilities to lead the school. She shared how she has seen the school grow from an infrastructure with bare walls and no restrooms to a learning center and second home for the Mano Amiga students and their families.

H.E.R.O.es for Education

The PHINMA Helpful Employees Responsible for Others (H.E.R.O) Network, recently held a Charity fun run to raise money for the Mano Amiga Scholarship fund. About 300 PHINMA employees joined the three-kilometer race to help send one student to Mano Amiga, as well as to raise funds for PHINMA's other environmental, livelihood, and capacity-building programs. To raise more money for the project, several employees gathered monetary pledges and ran for an additional three-five kilometers.

The goal of the PHINMA HERO NETWORK is "to encourage employees to live and practice volunteerism in whatever cause or community they hold dear to their hearts."

Mano Amiga thanks and salutes all the PHINMA employees who graciously supported this event!

An Invitation: Mano Amiga Thanksgiving Mass

Mano Amiga Academy Thanksgiving Mass

26th of June 2010, 4pm at the Everest Academy Chapel