EPCC NEWS

October 14, 2009

PEOPLE’S CORE DISASTER RELIEF EFFORTS PROVE SUCCESSFUL

Los Angeles ---Congratulations to volunteers and community members who did an amazing job supporting the relief efforts for the campaigns Sagip-Tulong sa Pilipinas (STP) and Operation Metro Manila.

Over 100 volunteers gathered to package relief items to be sent to the areas hardest hit by the floods in the Philippines. Students, activist, families, and community members organized by People’s CORE, Alliance Philippines, GABRIELA Network Los Angeles, KmB Pro-People Youth, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), UCLA Samahang Pilipino, UCLA Kappa Psi Epsilon, CSULB Pilipino American Coalition, and Search to Involve Pilipino American (SIPA), collected and packed more than 400 bags of material donations for the Typhoon Ondoy victims at SIPA Hall in Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles, on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009. Please visit our gallery videos to see a brief news coverage of Saturday's STP Donation Drive entitled "Sagip Tulong sa Pilipinas (STP), People's CORE, Alliance Philippines, Gab-Net and SIPA" or click this link to go there directly: www.peoplescore.net/video_gallery.php

People’s CORE launched (STP) Relief Drive on September 27th, 2009, working in partnership with four other non-profit and community-based organizations; AKAP (Ang Kalusugan para sa Pinoy, Inc. or Embracing with Care), AJLPP (Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines), KmB Pro-People Youth, and JFAV (Justice for Filipino American Veterans).

The STP Relief Drive is collecting monetary and material donations such as clothes, shoes, medicines or non-perishable foods such as canned goods, to support the disaster relief efforts in the Philippines. This relief project will support food, sanitation, medical services and supplies for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.

Response to the campaign has been positive. Since the launching of STP, donations have been generous. People's CORE staff and volunteers have filled over 50 boxes, and more are still being packed.

All monetary and material donations will be sent to AKAP, a federally recognized nonprofit organization based in Metro Manila, Philippines, comprised of doctors and other medical health professionals, providing health services to the poorest of the Filipino population. AKAP is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (CN number: 200910875, TIN Number: 007-332-287). AKAP Chairperson is Dr. Ma. Welma Nenita De Guzman. AKAP’s address is 7 Mulawin St, Mapayapa Village III, Capitol Hills, Quezon City, MM. AKAP’s phone number is (632) 425-2576.

The monetary donations will be used for direct relief support, sent immediately to AKAP. These donations will enable AKAP doctors, nurses, and health care workers to provide direct relief through health services and the provision of food at 21 sites in Metro Manila.

The material donations will be shipped both by People’s CORE for the STP campaign, and by the Team Pacquiao Foundation for Operation Metro Manila. The cost to send the boxes to the Philippines has been negotiated to a charitable rate of per box. The usual rate to send a large box to the Philippines is over .

However, the cost to send the boxes will be substantial, considering the large amount of boxes being sent. To help with the shipping expenses, People's CORE is requesting donations to sponsor the shipping of the boxes.

Although the water has subsided, 25% of Metro Manila still remains underwater. Sixteen towns and two cities of Laguna are still submerged. More than 110,000 people are still seeking shelter from emergency evacuation centers. Two more typhoons are expected to hit the country in the following weeks. An acute food shortage is expected, as farming areas in Luzon have experienced widespread crop failures due to the floods, and more are expected to fail, due to the coming storms.

The STP campaign will continue until December, 2009. All monetary donations may be sent to: People's CORE, 1610 Beverly Blvd.; Ste. #2, Los Angeles CA, 90026. Checks may be made payable to "People's CORE" with "Typhoon Relief" written in the memo. Donations of or more are tax-deductible.

Material donations may be delivered to any one of the following drop off sites. Please contact Rebecca Peterson at (213) 241-0906 or (213) 241-0995 for more information.

Drop-Off Centers in Los Angeles County:

People’s CORE Main Office:

1610 Beverly Blvd. Suite No. 2

Los Angeles, CA 90026

Collection hours: 9:00 to 6:00 PM; Mon.- Fri.

People’s CORE Culture and Arts Center

337 Glendale St. Los Angeles, CA 90026

Collection Hours: 10:00 - 3:00 PM; Mon. - Fri.

Glassel Park Field Office for Council District 13 (Eagle Rock)

3700 Verdugo Road

Los Angeles, CA 90065

Collection hours: 9:00 - 4:00 PM; Mon. -Fri.

LAANE Office

464 Lucas Ave. Suite 202

Los Angeles, Ca 90017

Collection hours: 8:30 – 6:30 PM; Mon. - Fri.

Beatrock

4158 Norse Way

Long Beach, CA 90808

Collection hours: 2:00 - 7:00 PM; Mon. - Sat





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