Communities benefit from foundation program

As the SM Group of Companies celebrates its 50th year, the SM Foundation will continue its commitment to carry out its corporate social responsibility (CSR). This year it started with its mall-based outreach program, the Share Your Extras.

The foundation in collaboration with the DSWD launched the project with a ribbon cutting ceremony and symbolic turnover of donations at SM Mall of Asia. Booths were strategically located in all SM Supermalls to receive donations from shoppers, clients, suppliers and mall tenants from January 23 to February 21.

The project encourages shoppers to donate their "extras" such as clothes, food, furniture and toys or other items that can be useful to indigent families. Donations are sorted out, cleaned and repaired if needed and sent to target barangay level beneficiaries. Cash donations are used to purchase a wish list of the mall-assigned organizations.

Present during the ribbon cutting ceremony were: Undersecretary Celia Yanco of DSWD; Debbie Sy, SM Foundation, Inc. executive director; Annie S. Garcia, Shopping Centers Management Corporation president; and Steven Tan, Mall of Asia Complex assistant vice president. Raquel Bumbay of Banco de Oro handed over BDO’s cash donation. Other cash donations came from Miriam Tupaz of Café Mediterranean and Pancake House. Alexandra Foster of Florida, a three-year-old balikbayan, donated some of her toys to the project.

Target beneficiaries recommended by DSWD for this year are barangays Concordia in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, Brgy. Puntod, Cabatuan, Iloilo, Regional Center for Women (Haven) all in Region 6; five barangays in Cebu; four barangays in Region Xl; four barangays in the Cordilleras and a Youth rehabilitation Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Beneficiaries of the program in Metro Manila are communities in Caloocan, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Fairview, Valenzuela, Pasig, Sta. Mesa, San Lazaro and Paranaque. To ensure that donations collected will be distributed equitably throughout the country, all SM malls have been assigned beneficiaries in the region or province where the malls are located. Last year it benefited 23,616 families all over the country.