GK gives care to the poor with the help of partnerships from Canada’s top influencers

Toronto, ON – March 27, 2007 – Gawad Kalinga (GK) is well on its way to reaching the ultimate goal of GK777: the vision of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in 7 years. With the help of various Canadian civic, business, government and individual partners, GK’s Canadian presence in the Philippines continues to improve the livelihoods of the poor with their 47 Canadian GK Villages (approximately 2,000 individual homes) and 850 sponsored children. Gawad Kalinga (GK), which is a Filipino term meaning ‘to give care’, transforms the lives of the poor in the Philippines and beyond by offering land to the landless, home to the homeless and food for the hungry.

Most recently the Ontario provincial government thru Minister Mike Colle, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, partnered with ANCOP-GK providing a $200,000 grant to Leyte rehabilitation. In addition, the provincial government of Alberta contributed to GK Leyte in the amount of $36,000. And after watching the GK exhibit during the Mabuhay Festival at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Minister James Flaherty, the federal government’s Minister of Finance gave GK an audience in Toronto and expressed his support for GK.

Canadian businesses also enthusiastically support GK’s efforts. Salad Master Canada, through its Country Manager Pidoy Pacis, donated the funds to build 10 homes in 2006. As a result of seeing first-hand the positive effects on the beneficiaries’ lives, the Salad Master International President committed to name GK as their beneficiary group for all countries in which they operate in 2007. All contributions of Salad Master will go to GK for 2007. Moreover, IBM Canada also plays a big part in contributing to GK’s endeavors. Every IBM employee who wants to donate to ANCOP-GK will have a matching contribution from IBM. In addition, the Filipino Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, composed of more than 100 Filipino Canadian businessmen, sponsored a Multinational GK village in Paranaque.

Canadians across the board are getting involved in raising the dignity and respect of the poor as partners in development. Generous Canadians believe in GK and are reaching out to share with the less fortunate to help them reach the promise of a better life.

For more information, please visit www.gawadkalinga.org or call the offices in Canada at 905-564-8539.

About GK: ANCOP International Canada is a registered non-profit charity organization with head offices located in Mississauga, Ontario involved with a project called Gawad Kalinga. Gawad Kalinga, or GK, translated into English means ‘to give care’. It is a charitable initiative created to improve the lives of the poor in the Philippines and abroad by transforming their qualities of life and communities. GK builds the impoverished homes and equips them with education and livelihood to sustain their communities as well as offers them spiritual support and hope for a more positive future. GK’s development program includes four key components: Shelter—transforming shanties into decent 200 sq ft homes; Education – giving street children a chance to go to school; Health – access to cure and sickness prevention; and Livelihood – setting people up to be productive members of society. Each GK Village is composed of a cluster of 50 to 100 homes, with access to clean water, electricity and a landscaped environment. A GK home is a modest and equates to the size of a typical Canadian garage, but to many poor people it is a step change in living comfort, and a gift of hope.

For more information: ANCOP International Canada Offices and GK @ 905-564-8539
ancopcanada@rogers.com
www.ancopcanada.org

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