CHARIS, as part of its social outreach and youth development project, launches this December the Make A Child Smile (MACS) project for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

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The MACS project wishes to uplift the human spirit of some less privileged individuals who were affected by typhoon Yolanda by extending them the joy of the Christmas season through the giving of semi-personalized gifts to select children based on their Christmas wish list. The targeted communities include Tolosa in Leyte, San Remigio in Cebu and Fabella in Manila. We are targeting around 750 children from the 3 sites.

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The project includes having select children write a letter to Baby Jesus their experience during the typhoon and if they prayed during the calamity. After writing their experience, the children will then be asked to write down the type of gifts that they would like to receive during Christmas (note: children are told to ask for gifts within a specified set of categories so as not to condition them to ask for impractical gifts).

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The letters will be distributed to potential donors (referred to as the “MACS Ninong/Ninang”) who will fulfill the wishes. CHARIS will take charge of looking for these MACS Ninong/Ninang and of overseeing the logistics of the gift distribution.

There are three sites for the MACS Project which have been suggested to by friends of CHARIS. These are

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1. Tolosa, Leyte

2. San Remigio, Cebu

3. Dr. Jose Fabella Hospital

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