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In life, we all have so much to be grateful for. It could be for our families, good health, and the ability to meet our basic needs or even just for the gift of life. When all things are going right, it is easy to forget all these as we live in the moment.
For Ms. Glice Acosta, getting to the age of 50 years was no easy achievement. To celebrate her birthday, she decided to extend her generosity by sharing the blessings with a small Muslim community that resides near her residence in Carmen, North Cotabato in the Philippines. On the 15th day of May, 2022, together with her family, Ms. Acosta reached out to her community members by delivering gifts to the doorsteps of her Muslim neighbors.
“I have reached the golden year in my life, my 50 years of age...We did not have any grand celebration for my birthday, but seeing the smiles on their faces was as grand as having a festival already,” ~Grandma Acosta
“I have reached the golden year in my life, my 50 years of age,” she said as reflected on the blessings of a new year from God.
Helping the vulnerable members of the community allows you to grow and you gain a greater understanding of those around you. It gives you an opportunity to connect and to empathize with others as well as broaden your worldview. The act of giving back in our communities helps us to bridge the gaps that exist among us in terms of socio-economic status, religion and even in the politically.
“We did not have any grand celebration for my birthday, but seeing the smiles on their faces was as grand as having a festival already,” Ms. Acosta said.
It is through philanthropic moments such as this that Ms. Acosta and her family had that we learn that generosity doesn’t have to be extravagant. Simple tasks like helping our neighbors who are in need are a great way of allowing yourself to live for the greater good. It is through such times when we see the good in others that we allow them to see the good in us.
The wonderful thing about planting the seed of generosity is that once it sprouts, it never stops growing.
“I am still hoping that I could be able to help our Muslim brothers and sisters even more in the near future,” added Ms. Acosta. She thanks the co-founders of Global Peace Women, Dr. Hyun Jin Moon and Mrs. Junsook Moon for the inspiration to share her blessings with others.
At GPW, we value service minded women like Ms. Acosta whose efforts to contribute to building a world of peace sometimes may go unnoticed. We believe that peace building begins in our families, extending it to our communities and then to the world at large. We celebrate you for being a Sunshine Family Volunteer and thank you for promoting our vision of One Family under God.
If you have a Sunshine Family Volunteer story to share or your family wants to start a project, email younshim.park@globalpeacewomen.org.