ANTIPOLO City, August 11, 2012—As relief operations dispensing canned goods, blankets and medicine get underway all over Luzon, Couples for Christ (CFC) and its Family Ministries Antipolo chapter prepared to give ‘habagat’ victims a different kind of relief – emotional first aid.
CFC Chapter Head Tom Pan of East-B1 mobilized members of his chapter to attend an orientation on how to do traumatic stress debriefing, which was given by Dr. Leo Deux fils Delacruz, a clinical psychologist, Thursday.
Most of the attendees were members of Singles for Christ and Youth for Christ, Family ministries of CFC.
According to Dr. Delacruz, also a CFC member, volunteers who will be giving emotional first aid will have to undergo a crash course training that could last half a day.
In a phone interview, CFC East-B sector head Eric Santiago said the East-B sector initially distributed 100 bags of relief goods in the San Mateo, Montalban, and Panganiban, Marikina areas on Thursday and planned to get 60 more yesterday.
The East-B sector, which comprises Montalban, Marikina, San Mateo and Antipolo, responded to a request for relief goods from Myrna Vega, a member of Handmaids of the Lord living in San Mateo.
She reported that several houses in her neighborhood were washed out by the intense ‘habagat’ rain and floods.
The Couples for Christ Global Mission Foundation Home Office in 156 20th Ave., Cubao is now a command center for what the community calls “Let the Son Shine” relief operations.
Donations can be dropped off at the CFC Home Office or online donations can be made through cfchomeoffice.com/calamityfund [Nirva’ana Ella Delacruz]
