As the festive season unfolds, our hearts are filled with joy, warmth, and a desire to spread kindness. Christmas, in particular, is a time when communities come together to celebrate love, generosity, and the spirit of giving. One beautiful tradition of Stella Maris Academy of Davao Educative Community that has stood the test of time is the act of giving to the less fortunate members of our community during the “Share-A-Joy” every December. While Christmas has become synonymous with exchanging gifts and indulging in festive feasts, it is essential to reflect on the deeper meaning of this season.
The activity was launched last November 6, 2023. The Junior High School Dancers’ Guild kicked off the program with a joyful dance number. Everyone in the community participated in the activity. One of the most prevailing aspects of sharing with the less fortunate during Christmas is the impact it has on younger generations. It instills in them the values of empathy and generosity. The giving of gifts in kind or cash started last November 7 and till December 9. Students from preschool to senior high school bring rice, canned products, milk, coffee, sugar, noodles, old clothing, laundry soap, and hygiene kits every day. The Community Extension Services (CES) office provided boxes to each classroom where students could place their gifts for collection. The CAT cadets picked up these boxes on Wednesdays and Fridays, respectively.
Furthermore, the Christmas Fund Drive was supported by parents, alumni from various batches, and members of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA). One thousand five hundred packs were distributed last December 18 coming from the different Barangay under the Agdao Area, indigent members of the Sacred Heart Parish, and the indigenous people in Sitio Elian Malrilog District. Sacks of rice, boxes of canned goods, and noodles were also given to the different beneficiary institutions, namely Davao City Jail, Our Lady of Victory for Physically Handicapped, Balay Pasilungan, Home for the Aged – Missionaries of Charity. Affiliated offices like the Davao City Police Precinct 18, Sacred Heart Parish, House of Joy A – Missionaries of Charity, Bishop Valles, REMASE, Pre-College, Bishop Emeritus Capalla, Barangay Marilog, Archdiocese Nourishment Center and the Bureau of Fire and Protection were beneficiaries of the program. As SMAD celebrates its 70th Founding Anniversary, the beauty of sharing with the less fortunate during Christmas echoes the words of our foundress, Saint Candida Maria de Jesus which says, “Where there is no room for the poor, neither is there room for me.”
