Happy Tears at Marites's House Blessing

In September 2021, staff from our Samar sponsor site held a special gathering with 10 families. Each family has received a new home, thanks to generous Chalice sponsors. That day, they gathered to bless the houses.

Haidee and her sister Marinel were among those gathered and took everyone by surprise when they burst into tears during the ceremony. Knowing their story, it is not difficult to understand why.

The two girls live with their mother, Marites, a hardworking mother of three. Their house had been devastated by a typhoon that tore through their community in a rural area of the Philippines, and the family had been living with Marites's sister. The cramped conditions made it difficult for the girls to study well, and they were all cracking under the stress. Haidee and Marinel have been blessed with Chalice sponsors, and so their basic needs were always met. But Marites's Chalice family circle knew that their housing situation was unsustainable, and so they nominated her to receive a new home through Chalice's Samar Housing Construction project.

The family was determined to contribute however they could to their new home's construction. Marites worked as a neighbourhood health worker while also finding  the time to help her sister care for her aging mother. Her neighbours could see Marites's determination, which inspired them to help, too. Her community came together around her, contributing whatever they could offer.

So, when their new house was blessed and their certificate was handed to them, Haidee and Marinel saw the generosity and accomplishments of their whole family and their whole community. They also saw the kindness of Chalice supporters.

"No wonder why the family became emotional during the day of distribution of certificates," writes the Samar site staff, looking back on that day.

 The staff extend the gratitude of all the families who received new homes.

"A million thanks to this project, the family is now enjoying their new home," they write. "They would finally say, 'At last, we back to our own ground', with a beautiful smile on their faces. You may never realize how helpful you have been."