August 1, 2014. Every last Wednesday of the month, TeamAsia stops work for an hour to celebrate staff birthdays and company achievements, break bread (well, mostly pizza and cupcakes), welcome new staff (who gamely butt spell their names), bid adieu to those who move on, play games, sing and dance sometimes, and generally have loads of fun together. Called Pop Up Wednesdays, this tradition was started by Bea a year ago when she came back from her studies in Boston to a company grieving the loss of its founder, her dad. Bea’s arrival was a breath of fresh air, full of sunshine and sparkles, and she quickly formed a team from different departments tasked to be as creative as they can be to come up with a fresh theme each month.
Themes vary depending on the times. We’ve had Zen (loved the shoulder and foot massages), Frozen (icy games), Glaze (hot choco and donuts), Blockbusters (challenging games), Soirees (getting to know you better), Filipiniana (tested our native tongue), TAkot 2013 (Halloween spooktivities that had the entire office transformed into the stuff of nightmares), Chinese New Year, and more. Pop Up Wednesdays was a date each month where we tucked away the stress of everyday work life and client deadlines to just talk to each other and reconnect as family. For a sneak peak into our Pop Up Wednesdays, check out this link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGBM2H0C4aE.
Today’s Pop Up was different. July is Corporate Social Responsibility Month, and we wanted to give back to our local community. Because of the busy week, we moved Pop Up to a Friday afternoon, and went offsite to Haven for Children along Zapote Road. Haven for Children is a center for male street children aged 7-13 years who are recovering from substance abuse like rugby and marijuana. Some are addicted to alcohol and smoking. We were warned not to take frontal photos as some of them have taken refuge there to escape from fraternities and gangs, and to watch out for our things.
My heart sank as I learned from some of the boys that they had been abandoned by their parents, beaten black and blue by barangay tanods who caught them stealing or sniffing, survived on the streets foraging leftovers from garbage disposals or begging for food. By a twist of fate, this could have been me or my children, I thought.
The initial aloofness was soon dispelled when we began playing our games. Grouped into six teams with ate and kuya TeamAsians as game masters, the boys enacted values like pagiging matulungin (helpfulness), pag-aalaga ng kalikasan (concern for the environment), pagpapakita ng respeto sa kapwa (showing respecting for others), and pagiging madasalin (being prayerful). Each tableau was unique and I was struck that the boys were more inclusive than most adults, showing prayer in different religions: Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and in different situations: at home, at church, during calamities and celebrations. It was difficult to judge the groups; I wanted to hug each and every child and congratulate them.
The hare, wall and archer game (big brother version of paper, scissors and stone) had everyone whooping, cheering, and jumping as they competed with each other. The hula hoop relay challenged the children’s physical agility, and boy, were they fast! Tired and spent after the games, TeamAsians and their young wards happily munched on the burgers, fries and soda we brought. The children then wanted to dance and sing for us, impromptu, to show their appreciation. They wanted to go on and on, but it was getting late, and sadly we had to leave. As we walked back to the cars, the kids made “mano,” hugged, and high-fived us. “Balik kayo, ha? Promise?,” a little child asked. I nodded, my heart in my throat. One of the boys ran after our senior graphic designer and handed her a rosary as a gift.
One of the “nanays” (social workers) observed that the children have never been as noisy and happy as this afternoon’s outreach, although there have been several groups that have visited. “Iba kayo,” she said, “talagang masaya.” Truth to tell, Pop Up Wednesdays have always been noisy and happy, but today was so much more. It was fulfilling. We thought we were giving back, but instead, we were the ones who gained, hearts bursting with happiness, in full measure.
The words of Luke 6:38 ring true: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.”
We definitely will be returning.