Concord Church to distribute food packs to refugees in Charlotte

Members of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina pose for a group

 picture with this writer (clad in hoodie sweater). Flanking the group are 

Senior Pastor Terry Casino (extreme left) and Senior Pastor Ralph Garay 

(extreme right) .

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The Concord International Church of North Carolina is scheduled to distribute 500 packed lunches and goodies to refugees in Charlotte on Nov. 23. 

Pastor Ralph Garay told Straight from the Carolinas that a member of their church would also distribute clothes and other goodies to the beneficiaries. The church is under the umbrella of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. 

He said the distribution of goods to the needy is one of the ways the congregation is celebrating its two year presence here at Tar Heels. 

The project is being done in partnership with the churches from Nepal, Lao/Thai, Burma, South Korea, Vietnam and Montagnard. 

“We want to reach out to them because we care,” Pastor Garay said, adding that is part of his church's core values. As Christians, Pastor Garay said a personal relationship with Christ helps you to reach out to those in need because one feels their pain.

He said the beneficiaries have yet to learn the country's system. Pastor Garay said they hope to make this a regular project. Senior Pastor Terry Casino, who's conducting a Bible study among members at the time of this interview, said he's excited about the project.

Elsa's store: A slice of the Philippines

Filipino merchandise can be found here at Elsa's store. 

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It is meant to be a retail store even if by its appearance it looks like a typical sari-sari store back home in the Philippines.

While Fil-American customers and the recently transplated Pinoys in the US may think of Elsa's Asian International Food Mart that way, the fact that it sells American and Filipino merchandise by the dozen certainly makes it a bonafide retail store.

At Elsa’s Asian International Food Mart, customers flock to buy goods and merchandise by the bulk from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m everyday, said Angelina Magcaleng, storekeeper confidante of Elsa Pepito-Laffite who owns and manages the store.

“Nanay” (mother) Magcaleng who tends the store in Elsa's absence, said the store is patronized by Fil-Americans, Americans, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indians and Thais. 

Those looking for a particular food item would place an order and come back days later. Magcaleng explained that American customers are fond of Filipino barbecue, while the Chinese and Vietnamese look for soy sauce and Indians buy tofu.

Snack fare
At first Magcaleng said she was astonished by the daily turnout of customers who buy by the bulk or dozen. Back home, Pinoys usually buy a cup of cooking oil, sugar or vinegar so this was something new to her at first, she said.

Elsa's store sells ready to cook barbecue, siopao (Chinese meat bun), ice cream and Filipino snack fare like otap, dingdong, torta and polvoron. 

Magcaleng's husband, who also works at the store, said he was surprised there was an American male customer who looked for “Dingdong” and “Boy Bawang”, snacks consisting of fried corn kernels mixed with nuts.  

They asked the American if he is married to a Filipino and he answered that he tasted these snacks when he visited the Philippines and developed a taste for it.

Elsa's store also sells all kinds of noodles, spices, fish like bangus (milk fish) and galunggong, the latter being a best-seller among their customers. It also sells rice, a Filipino and Asian staple, by sacks and packs in different sizes. 

Adopted country
The store is also a veritable pharmacy of Filipino medicines with products like Alaxan, Efficacent Oil and other lotions believed to relieve upset stomach or trapped air in one's extremities. 

Filipino beauty items are also on sale, like Likas Papaya soap, Belo's beauty products and glatatione, the skin-whitening cream. Its continuing presence is proof that Fil-Americans still believe in homegrown products. 

Of course there's the home staple food of canned sardines like Ligo and 555 endorsed by actor Cesar Montano and dried fish that are packed in accordance with US standards. Even Star margarine is available. 

As early as June Christmas lanterns were sold out. The store is fast becoming a hangout for Fil-Americans who bring their children and food there on weekends.

At the store, Fil-Americans and their American friends swap stories of experiences back home in the Philippines and of life adjusting to their first few days in their adopted country. For them, Elsa's store is a piece of the Philippines transplanted in the US.

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Baby shower for Garner's

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

A baby shower was held yesterday for spouses Mike and Rhina Garner at Thomasville, North Carolina.

The well-attended baby shower saw a beaming Mike Gardner talking with guests who are waiting along with the parents for the arrival of the baby on January next year.

Rhina took up Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at the Silliman University and also went to Asian College of Science and Technology. She finished a Certified Nursing Assistant course.

The expectant mother came from a big family. ”With my pregnancy I am thankful and blessed to be able to become a mom...at first I wanted to have a baby boy. But God give me a little girl... Knowing she's healthy...I am excited to see her and welcome her in this world. I am honored to be giving birth and to officially become a mother.

The baby shower was held at the home of spouses Andrew and Lydia Arnett. 

Relief goods for typhoon survivors

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Five boxes containing relief goods were prepared by the Family Outreach Church at Kernersville, North Carolina for delivery to the typhoon victims of Leyte province, Philippines through LBC.

Reverend Cielo Bueno Kramer of the Family Outreach Church at Kernersville, NC told Straight from the Carolinas that Fil-Americans in Kernersville, Thomasville, Winston Salem and Greensboro and Highpoint donated the relief goods.

Inside the boxes are clothing, canned goods and other essentials for survivors of supertyphoon Haiyan in Leyte province. Kramer said they met a driver of a company who works for LBC Virginia Beach who offered to deliver the boxes.

LBC is a Philippine company that services the pasalubong (gift) deliveries of Filipinos worldwide. It joined other Philippine companies in providing assistance to the survivors of typhoon “Ondoy” in 2010.

All LBC branches (local and international) are now accepting donations for the typhoon survivors. All donations must be properly labeled to the LBC Foundation – LBC Hangar.

The primary beneficiary of those donations will be the Philippine Red Cross. For international branches, LBC also accepts pick-up of donations (balikbayan boxes) but the donor needs to call their respective customer service hotline to schedule the pick-up.

Fil-Americans in North Carolina anxious over families in typhoon hit areas

by Susan Palmes

The volume of news about the devastation left by Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan) in Central Philippines can be both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Here at North Carolina which has a substantial Fil-American population, the news about the typhoon hit areas left many heartbroken.

Existing organizations don’t have the exact statistics of how many victims came from Leyte, Samar, Cebu and other regions (which I think might be a good project for the next FACC officers in order to start codifying the Filipinos here) since information is only by word of mouth. 

An increasing number of Fil-Americans are frantic to call home. It had been a grueling past few days for me asking people around if they knew of Filipinos who have families that were affected by the typhoon.

It is amazing that friends and friends of friends would lead me to this people. One of those bridges is Gina Cohold of Charlotte. She led me to Len Stevens whose parents from the town which is a three hours’ drive from Tacloban City were so desperate in the last two days when they couldn’t contact parents Edwin and Fe Bignay.

Siblings Junerose and hazel were happy to inform Straight from the Carolinas that they managed to contact them through another person the other day.

"My sister Hazel told me that at the height of the typhoon,. the family hid at the bathroom and when the winds were so strong they transferred to the middle room. I thank the Lord that my family is well and only wished that others would be good as well,” she said. 

Len, who was seven months pregnant, was born and raised at Albuera, Leyte, a three-hour drive from Tacloban City. 

But Yolanda wasn’t kind to the cousin of Grace Aligayen of Greensboro and Michelle Dupyawon of Asheville who learned that their cousin Geraldine Agawin Sustento perished with her entire family.

Grace was emotional as she looked at the family picture with Geraldine in it. She and Michelle were told about Geraldine’s death by another cousin in the Philippines.

She said Geraldine, whom she described as very kind and beautiful, was born and raised in Baguio. Her remains would be brought to Baguio for burial.

Another informant is Princess Diwata of Salisbury, who told Straight from the Carolinas that her friend from Statesville, Eva Alvarez, is looking for cousin Helen Sudario and her family. Eva is unable to contact them. 

“She is scared because Eva has no contact with the other members of the family” Diwata added.

Another concerned Fil-Am, Joan Dequina Lightle, is worried about her sister who lives at Kananga, Leyte in Ormoc City. Her parents in Ormoc couldn’t establish  contact.

Still another Fil-Am, Grace  Aligayenof Greensboro, North Carolina, wrote an article about her cousin Geraldine Agawin Sustento, her husband and son, who all perished last week in her Facebook page. Here's their photo.

 Small groups of Fil-Americans here in North Carolina are raising funds to help the victims in different ways.  The Filipino American Association of Triad is partnering with News 2 on Thursday this week for a telethon to raise funds for the victims of typhoon Yolanda.

As early as last Tuesday, officers of the organization headed by Marilyn Honcales and past president Joel Acain went on Facebook to ask for volunteers who can receive the calls of help.

Dell Fallar, past president of the Filipino-American Communities of the Carolinas (FACC) invited this writer to a meeting that would discuss ways on how to send donations to typhoon victims . 

Also here in Charlotte, invitations to a town meeting at the Asian Library on Nov. 14 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m were distributed by Dr. Nini Bautista, past FACC president. 

Dr. Bautista, incumbent president of the Filipino-American Spirit here at North Carolina, said donations will be accepted during the meeting. 

She said the meeting will discuss where the money will be sent to ensure that it will go to the intended recipients as well as short-term funding proposals.

Fund raising events for earthquake and typhoon victims in Central Philippines

A special charity event to provide assistance to typhoon & earthquake victims in Central Philippines. 

Hosted by: Janet Hixson, Mrs. Asia-USA, Serenity Spa and Premier Design Jewelry,and Sun.Star Publications(Straight from the Carolinas) 

A Red carpet event for fund raising. 

All proceeds will go to helping the typhoon victims and finance the rebuilding of the historic St. Peter’s Church of Bohol. 

The event includes: Red carpet by Charlotte Seen Cash bars, wine, hors d'oeuvres, live music, dancing and entertainment. 

A silent auction, photo shoot with Blue Kiss Studios. Special guests: Mrs. North Carolina & Mid-Atlantic Bodybuilding champion Victoria Lee, US Democratic presidential 2016 candidate Robby Wells.

A special live conference with Father Gerald Lopena, Pastor of St. Peters Church in Bohol province on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Bishops Ride  Clubhouse, Chalyce Lane RSVP: Jhixson77@yahoo.com (704)609.3831. Wear semi-formal attire.

Fil-Am anxiety over typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in Central Philippines

The past few days have caused anxiety for all of us Fil-Americans here at North 

Carolina who have families in areas hardest hit by typhoon Yolanda in the 

Central Philippines.

By God's grace some of us already received good news about our families back 

home while the rest are in limbo. We have been talking since yesterday to pool 

resources to help while others already packed boxes of clothes like the 

generous Princess Diwata of Salisbury, Hazel Willard, Rose Hagan and so on.

Very laudable indeed, such a quick response to calls for help. But there are

obstacles like massive looting done by outsiders wishing to exploit the crisis 

situation for their personal gain.

I have asked friends back home actually media friends who are aware of all the 

issues on times like thi and I have received advise from Stephen Capillas of 

Cebu Daily News and Jay Valleser of Goldstar Daily who advised us like us to 

make sure that what we give would end in better hands.

Here's Jay's message:

Hi Sansu, you know what they are talking now on TV here? That goods may not 

be the best way to help the victims of Yolanda. Think about that. By the time 

your good donations comes, the victims may not need them anymore.

Like Sendong here in Cagayan de Oro two years ago, after the initial burst of 

clothing, food and other goods, the victims found they had so much of these 

items and yet they were still lacking basic essentials.

Ikaw ra dugang (you add it up) hehehhe. Go on with your efforts. Yolanda 

victims are praying for your success. So do we. Here's an idea for a meaningful 

help; why won't your group "adopt" a barangay, say in Tacloban or wherever 

you are inspired to help.

Then, determine what would they need most that would impact on their 

rehabilitation. It could be a school, a barangay health center, a tanod center or 

maybe a chapel... Say it is a school, your group can come up with the necessary  

budget for a one classroom bldg.

Maybe that would cost something like P250 thou or could be in the vicinity of 

$5,000. With proper coordination, you can have the PTA of that school 

volunteer their labor!! Just an idea.... Good luck and God bless you!!!!