MANILA – In celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week, the Institute for Labor Studies staff and student interns conduct an outreach program for the beneficiaries housed in Hospicio de San Jose in Barangay 663, District 5 in Manila on October 6.

The Institute distributed food packages and purified drinking water to the shelter's beneficiaries. Apart from the donation, ILS personnel took the time to immerse themselves in the community through a guided tour of the shelter's facilities and socializing with the elderly beneficiaries.

“Nagpasalamat kami, minsan isinasama namin sa dasal namin na sana dumami pa ang tumulong sa amin. “May mga simba kami dito. Dasal kami sa umaga, dasal din kami sa hapon. Pag may dumating na bisita, hindi kami makadasal kasi humaharap kami sa kanila para mabigyan ng duster, o kaya pagkain,” shared by one elderly beneficiary to ILS donors.

The Hospicio de San Jose management was thankful to donations and donors for their continuous support of the shelter. “Thankful naman kami kasi nga kahit papano tumutulong pa rin sila kahit alam naman namin na meron din po silang mga priorities pero pinili pa rin po nila ang Hospicio para tulungan,” said one of the staff of the shelter.

Hospicio de San Jose is a welfare institution attending to the needs of the poor and abandoned since 1782. It was founded by Don Francisco Gomez Enriquez and his wife Doña Barbaza Verzosa. It opened its doors in 1810 to provide care and sustenance for the marginalized and vulnerable sectors such as the elderly, women, children, abandoned babies, and persons with mental illnesses. The Sisters of Charity manages the shelter and has been operating for 203 years. The shelter houses 223 clients, with 165 staff and 13 nuns managing its operations.

For donation drives, organizations can visit the website at https://hospiciodesanjose.ph/ for more information.

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