Hmong tribe benefits from SNCFC’s early Christmas gift-giving program
PHITSANULOK, Thailand -It was an early Christmas treat for the Hmong Hill Tribe children and adults as the Saint Nicholas Church Foreign Community (SNCFC) held its annual outreach program on Saturday and Sunday, December 7-8, at Chat Trakan District, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
“This is our way to share God’s love to our Hmong brothers and sisters who are located at the northernmost part of Phitsanulok province. Christmas becomes more meaningful when we share joy and blessings to others,” SNCFC president Mr. Jeffrey Amparo said.
The Saint Nicholas Church Foreign Community is an organization of at least 60 foreign members of Saint Nicholas church who regularly meet every Sunday for the church’s English mass. For more than 10 years now, the community has been conducting annual Christmas outreach programs to different Catholic Thai communities around Phitsanulok province.
In 2013, the community spearheaded a fund-raising activity for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan that hit many parts of Leyte in the Philippines. SNCFC raised a total amount of 231,629 baht which they sent for aid through ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and GMA Kapuso Foundation.
Ms. Letty Comeros-Carey, one of the advisers of SNCFC quoted Saint Francis of Asisi when asked about the essence of the community’s annual gift-giving.
“The real meaning of Christmas is giving and not receiving for it is in giving that we receive,” Mrs. Carey told Pinoy Legacy. “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone. Doing little things but with great love will go a long way” she added.
Miss Leah Doysabas, the community’s pioneering president recalled that the outreach activity started in 2008 when some SNCFC members joined the current Parish priest Rev. Fr. Prasert Sitti in one of his masses in a small community church in the outskirt of Phitsanulok.
“We saw that there were a lot of kids in the community, so we decided to hold our first share-a-gift activity in that village. We also held an English camp with them later on,” she revealed. “We started from there until the outreach activity became an annual mission of the members,” Ms. Doysabas added.
As early as November, the SNCFC officers collected clothing and cash donations for the outreach program. During the event, the kids also received toys, snacks, and school supplies as prizes for winning different games.
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