Gawad Kalinga to hold fundraiser in New Jersey Nov. 19

Gawad Kalinga (GK) USA will hold a fundraiser — Pasayaw 2011 — on November 19 to raise funds for GK Palawan Villages for the poor in the Philippines. The Pasayaw will be held at the Step By Step Dance Sport 24 New Bridge Road, Bergenfield, New Jersey 07621. According to a news report of The Filipino Reporter, there will be raffles, prizes and silent auction. Tickets are $40 per person (includes dinner). Attire is semi-formal. For particulars, interested parties may call Beth at 201.993.4842 or Jing at 201.546.4103. "Gawad Kalinga" literally means "to give care." The group is a Philippine-based poverty alleviation and nation-building movement. The Gawad Kalinga website said the group was founded by Antonio Meloto. The foundation for building Gawad Kalinga was formed when the Catholic group "Couples for Christ" worked with the poor in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, the biggest slum in Metro Manila. The website said the first youth camp for juvenile delinquents changed the lives of 127 gang members, "the first seeds of the work that would eventually be called Gawad Kalinga." In 2003, Gawad Kalinga established "GK777," its vision of building 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years. Gawad Kalinga is now moving into the next seven years, from 2011 to 2018. The final phase in the last seven years from 2018 to 2024. - VVP, GMA News