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Maintaining its commitment to care for those in need regardless of status, age or gender, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brought its humanitarian efforts to the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly (LSAE) in San Juan City last 12 October 2023.
LSAE is a charity organization that runs the Sta. Teresa Journet Elderly Home. The retirement home caters specifically to abandoned older women, or lolas, and ensures their needs are met. One of their previous challenges is security, as only 25 volunteer workers strive to care for more than 100 lolas at the facility.
To help with this, the Church donated a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) security system to ensure that volunteers may be able to always keep an eye on the elderly and respond to their needs faster and more efficiently. In addition, the Church also turned over several ceiling fans and shower heaters for the comfort of the lolas.
Sister Sandra Da Silva, the Mother Superior of LSAE, expressed her gratitude for the friendship and donation of the Church, noting that humanitarian efforts and partnerships such as this glorify the life and gospel of the Savior Jesus Christ.
“God brought you out here, and now we are friends. We prayed for you. We promise to keep praying to God that we will continue to be good people, the way Jesus Christ taught we should be," Sister Sandra said.
In his concluding message, San Juan Vice Mayor Angelo Agcaoili also expressed his thanks and admiration for the humanitarian services of the Church, which he said has supported the City’s welfare projects for many years.
“Since I was a Councilor way back in 2010, all of my major projects, especially those who caters to senior citizens and persons with disabilities, I could not have possibly done it without the help of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Agcaoili said.
“Now, we are all here this afternoon because they, once again, showed us what we all learn as Christians: to love God and to love our fellow human beings. Through all their wondrous deeds, they have repeatedly shown us their love for God, manifested by their love for their fellow men,” he added.
After the messages from Vice Mayor Agcaoili and LSAE and Church representatives, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the two groups, forging bonds that would further benefit their relationship.
After the program, to entertain guests and the lolas, a group of volunteer senior citizens from San Juan City presented a cultural show to cap the afternoon with a celebration.
One of the fundamental beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to show love through genuine service. Members of the Church are encouraged to serve one another by actively participating in their neighborhoods.
People of all backgrounds come together to solve local problems and help individuals in their communities feel loved. To know more about the humanitarian efforts of the Church, click here.