Nonprofit group brings back in-person community engagement

AFTER more than two years of lockdowns, quarantines and social isolation, nonprofit group I Am Making A Difference (MAD) revived its award-winning flagship program, called "MAD Camp," with its first comeback, face-to-face community engagement, held recently at Tampayan Elementary School in Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island, Romblon.

Awarded as one of the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations in 2016 for Culture and the Arts, Peace and Human Development, I Am MAD has regularly conducted a MAD Camp in key areas nationwide. The community outreach program has gathered volunteers together to facilitate values formation activities and engage school children ages 10 to 12 with games, team building, storytelling and workshops. These activities were designed to promote positive traits of Filipinos, inspiring them to see themselves as dreamers and future leaders with a heart for service.

"The past few years have overwhelmed most of us, leaving some with a feeling of isolation and a sense of cabin fever. We strongly believe that volunteering and coming together again physically can help break the spell, and I Am MAD has always been open to anyone who would like to be of service to others," said Maco Ravanzo, co-founder and chief executive volunteer of I Am MAD.

"With so much going on in the world that seems out of our control, giving back to our local communities, even in the smallest of ways, can be tremendously empowering," added Ravanzo.

Many things have changed because of the pandemic, including observing minimum public health standards, but not the importance of community engagement.

Source: TheManila Times