Dear Friends,

We, Utter Studio Singapore in partnership with friends from TGFI Singapore and Manila, are organizing an outreach program entitled ART REACH for the benefit of Bahay Aruga Foundation on 6^th of August 2017.

This is going to be our 8^th outreach program in the Philippines and we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting our previous outreach programs because without your help and generosity, these events wouldn’t be successful.

The Story of Bahay Aruga (The House of Care):

“Bahay Aruga,” a halfway house for kids with cancer, is presently the home of 25 young patients undergoing treatment at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila.

These kids are from marginalized communities like provinces as far as Bicol, Ilocos, the Visayas and Mindanao. While undergoing outpatient medication at PGH, they stay here to save on money, under the supervision of Founder and President Mayette Bonilla.

During our recent visit, we discovered two things: the house definitely needed help to sustain the daily expenses incurred (food, utilities, transportation) and the kids’ love for art.

We are thinking of the following activities for the event:

• Utter Studio will hold an art class to help the abled kids express their talent while getting art skills and experience
• TGFI will teach financial education to the parents, so they can learn how to manage income or think of additional income to help their situation
• In order to assist in the daily needs and improve the living conditions of the residents in the house, we will donate basic necessities and cash to cover utility bills and renovation for the house. The financial management will be overseen by TGFI Manila team for a certain period of time
• Lastly, we will share a simple lunch together to end the event.
• September is the Cancer Awareness Month and we are targeting to hold an art exhibit to sell or auction the children’s art works which will be donated to the parents or the house.

The promoters of this project believe that the best way to help is teach art and financial education – both life skills they can use as they courageously journey through this difficult life battling the big C.

Initial estimated cost for the event is itemized below:

We want to ensure they have money for the utility bills for at least 6 months but I highly encourage you to please do a monthly recurring donation to the house, if you are able to.

Again, we are hoping for your support and kind generosity in order to make this project a success that even for just a day we can make a difference in the lives of the kids with cancer and for at least 6 months we will be able to sustain the house’s utility bills.

How to give donations:

• Fund transfer to the following account under Wendy Feliciano
  1. POSB SA 171-47157-5
  2. BPI SA 3206-1889-07
• Fund transfer to BPI Current Account No. 9660-0015-97 under Esther Joy E. Sanchez
• Message me or Joy with the screenshot of the amount donated
• Deadline for accepting donations will be on 31^st July

You can also take a look at some of Bahay Aruga’s photos on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bahay.aruga/.

Thank you in advance for your generosity,          

Weng

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

– Winston Churchill