By Mark Vincent A. Durano

Far Eastern University (FEU) Psychology Society (PsychSoc) initiated their first outreach program under Project Community Advocacies Resource Empowerment (CARE) to the orphans of Concordia Children’s Services in Sta. Mesa, last March 1.

“Why not start it with an institution muna (at first), specially sa mga (to those) children in orphanages… Super aligned din naman talaga ‘yung goals and mission ng orphanage [Concordia] du’n sa objectives din namin (The goals and mission of the orphanage are super aligned to our objectives too),” PsychSoc Secretary Missy Angeli Mabulay said in an interview with FEU Advocate. 

After the pandemic halted similar projects, Project CARE marked the organization’s first community involvement activity.

PsychSoc collected 322 school supplies, 79 food stocks, 17 hygiene items and more than 90 handwritten letters from FEU students in Pavilion 1. 

Mabulay also explained that the collected letters are an alternative way to extend the FEU community’s presence. 

“In little ways, like writing letters we can extend volunteerism, and at the same time, maiparamdam sa mga tutulungan, sa (express to the beneficiaries, to) communities, that there are many people that are very much willing to extend their help,” she said.

To gather more resources despite the logistics and limited people allowed in the orphanage, the organization took inspiration from similar initiatives where participants wrote care cards to other children and participants.

Through off-campus activities like Project CARE, the organization aimed to go beyond focusing on academic life and engage with new people as an avenue to learn. 

“As FEU Psych students, may advocacy din kami na palalimin ‘yung (we also have an advocacy to deepen) relationship with other people,” Mabulay expressed.

Additionally, PsychSoc President Rome Carly Aragon wanted to have student-led activities like FEU Department of Psychology’s previous off-campus outreach programs such as with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

She also urged other organizations to spearhead projects for community involvement  not only for academic purposes.

Moreover, PsychSoc shared their plans to expand Project CARE's reach and open it to other students besides their members by next year.

(Photo by Ken Harold Hadi/FEU Advocate)