Staff Blog

With all the changes going on at CSC, including changes with our staff, we find ourselves anticipating a question from our friends: Is CSC okay? We are! There are many big reasons, like the talent and commitment of staff, excellent Filipinos moving into Leadership positions, a loyal and generous donor base and a good financial position. But there are lots of little reasons, too. I see them every day at the Shelter if I keep my eyes open to them. They are acts of love and care done by our workers to the CSC kids, people who sometimes get overlooked when we tally up our assets as a ministry.

The other night I was "on duty" at the Eicher Home. Staff take turns hanging out in one of the homes when the house parents are off. We were playing a bowling game with plastic pins and ball. Wilmar, who has special needs and really loves bowling, was doing very well. He has the most unorthodox, twisting, flailing technique you could imagine, but he was somehow getting the pins down. To say the least, he was very excited by his success. The child care worker who shadows Wilmar both inside and outside the house, was there helping him stay focused and approximate following the rule for sitting down between turns and not getting in the way of others. Wilmar has a personal auntie for most of the day, including mealtimes. His auntie the other night was Christita. It isn't always easy to care for Wilmar, especially at supper time. He would much rather talk, sing, dance, joke and laugh than eat, and he is always the last one to leave the table. Lots of reminders are needed and tons of patience. Christita has that. And she has something more. She loves Wilmar. I noticed her during the bowling competition, pulling for Wilmar, cheering his success and working to keep him engaged and focused. When he finally won the event I looked at her giving him a hug with a huge smile on her face. She knew how much that moment meant to Wilmar, and she was sharing in his triumph with joy. It was one of those great moments that happen over and over again at CSC. And it reinforced to me that for our workers, like with our staff members, CSC is more than just a job. It is a ministry of building, strengthening, encouraging and glorying in the lives of the children that live here.

One of the most important changes at CSC these days involves our new Human Resources department and Eldie Allocod. Eldie has been a counselor at CSC for the past seven years, but he will relinquish that position as he takes over the leadership of HR. Eldie worked in the business world  before coming to CSC so has a basic understanding of the workings of an HR department and the government requirements for employers. But more importantly, he understands CSC and our employees. He will be great resource for them in terms of compensation, benefits and designing staff development and team building activities. Since CSC has 125 employees that will be a big job. Eldie will soon be hiring an associate to help him in the department.

Congratulations, Eldie, on this promotion and we look forward to watching this department get established and begin to meet the needs of a growing organization. As Eldie says, happier employees translates to better care for our children. And that is something that we are always looking for at CSC!

Big and small changes are happening at CSC. Whatever the size is, our arms are wide open in welcoming these changes. Sometimes in our lives "cool change" is needed and same is true for companies and ministries.

Last year we hired a Social Work Director and hired two more Social Workers to be on staff. This department had a big change with Carmelita Baya's retirement, our long time Social Worker. Just like the rest of the departments at CSC, Social Work has a vital role in the lives of our children. They are in the front row in admitting new CSC children and one of the many hands that prepare the children for adoption.

My department, Child Development, and Social Work works hand in hand. Together with the Counselors, our departments meet every month to talk about updates on each child. Our departments needs to be on the same page in writing our reports. Child Development needs to know where the child's paperwork is at and at the same time, Social Work needs to know of any challenges and progress our children meet.

So many people work together to make CSC go. Years ago, our friends in Canada put together an organization to help support the ministry in Cebu. The Cebu Children's Shelter Society of Canada was former by people who had lived in Cebu and knew about the work that we were doing. CCSSC is an entirely volunteer-run organization that sends all the money that comes in to Cebu for the ministry. Every year they have a banquet and auction as a fund raiser for the ministry. I have had the pleasure of attending a few of these events and have always been amazed at how hard these volunteers work for the sake of our kids here. It is a labor of love, and the labor is significant - planning, soliciting donations, organizing, displaying, decorating, cooking, greeting, cleaning up, counting, receipting. And lots 0f prayer goes into the event.

It takes many people to make CSC go and these dear folks' love for our children is humbling and very encouraging for our staff. Thank you so much for all you do for the ministry! 

The recent CSC banquet was attended by almost 700 people in Minnesota. On the other side of the world, the staff and workers of CSC were also avid participants. We have a lot of investment in the CSC Annual Banquet. We contribute many hours in helping Matt and Jill prepare, taking pictures, shooting videos and offering suggestions concerning the program. Our workers know how important the banquet is and spend time praying for the event. Even the children of CSC are aware of the timing of the banquet and ask lots of questions about it. They love to see pictures of the banquet and watch the videos that are prepared for showing there.

The banquet started at 7:30 am on Sunday here in Cebu. but we were up and watching via Skype, thanks to Heidi Erickson who had her computer on their table near the stage at Bethel. We couldn't hear all that well, but it was great fun t0 watch what was going on and get a feel for the love and interest in that room. We are the second audience for the CSC banquet, 10,000 miles away, but very interested and engaged and excited to see what gets accomplished every year. We hold our breath when the banquet offering total is announced because we know first-hand how important that income is to the ministry and get to see every day how it is used for the needs of the children we care for here.

The term "stakeholder" is used a lot these days to describe people who have a financial, emotional or spiritual connection to a ministry or program. Certainly all of us in Cebu are stakeholders of the success of the banquet and all the fundraising and promotional efforts of our stateside ministry. But so are all the supporters and lovers of CSC. In that respect, there are many more than two audiences for the banquet. People all around the world are involved as donors and sponsors. In fact, people other than those attending in Minnesota participate in the offering by designating a gift to be included in the collection taken at the end of the banquet. They are excited to hear of the total, as are those who wait  patiently at Bethel for the envelop to reach the emcees hands and be announced. It was $126,000!!

But the banquet is more than just an offering, and our stakeholders get to hear and see what is happening in Cebu. It is a night of fellowship, fun, laughter, tears and thanksgiving. One Minnesota attender said that there was "a lot of energy in the room" at Bethel. I know there was. And there was a lot of energy in the room across the world from Minnesota where we were gathered to watch and experience much of what was going on in that room full of CSC lovers, our fellow stakeholders of God's greatness. 

Thanks to all who helped make this a great banquet and a blessing to us here in Cebu.