Baguio City – A group of dedicated volunteers from Cordillera Young Leaders Club recently facilitated a coffee painting activity at Child and Family Service Philippines last July 15, 2024.
Using coffee as the primary medium, the children created a variety of paintings, with many depicting scenes of tradition, culture, and home.
Joe Risty Castillo served as the speaker and he taught basic painting techniques to 19 girls at the shelter, each with poignant personal narratives.
The initiative was inspired by research from Infant and Child Development Specialist Calleigh Flannigan, highlighting the therapeutic benefits of painting for children.
Stephen Carl B. Humiwat, KordiArts Chairman of CYLC, shared his thoughts: “Being a volunteer gives me a platform wherein I am able to practice and stand for my advocacies while hearing different stories that I take and cherish along the way. In my opinion, being able to represent the people that I stand for gives them not only a visual representation but also a voice that can help us come up with solutions to a greater cause.“
Jessica Bilat, CYLC Organizational President, said that the original concept of Kordiarts is to use art as a form of mental and emotional therapy, and this exactly is the objective of the event last Monday. The coffee painting activity is nostalgic as it reminded her how Kordiarts started. At the same time, the center is one of their adopted communities so it’s great sustaining their partnership through different programs.
“Volunteering can be considered as a hobby that both benefits the community and yourself. You help the community with your work and it makes you a better person along the way. It opens your understanding on issues that truly matter, develops your soft and hard skills and you thrive in a community of people who love to share without expecting anything in return,” she remarked.
Founded in 1987, Child and Family Service Philippines Inc. remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the rights of vulnerable children and empowering women and families across the Cordillera region. The organization was established by Daniel Urquico, Patti Lyons, and Consuelo Alger, driven by a shared vision to provide care and support to abused and disadvantaged individuals.
The success of this event has inspired the volunteers to plan more such activities in the future. “There are so many in the pipeline but those that are already ongoing and with fixed schedules are our Adal Kordi where we provide webinars every week, another painting workshop on July 20, 10KOK Adopt a Park program launching in Benguet on July 27, raffle-for-a-cause draw on July 28 and Tagtag Kordilyera run for the children on October 20,” the CYLC President stated. By J.M. Rosario
