The Jeepney magazine’s mission
is to shed light on the issue of poverty and homelessness in the
Philippines, while providing a job and hope for some of those living
in these conditions. The best way to support this magazine is to
purchase it from the vendors. The vendors of the magazine are people
living in poverty in the Philippines, and they get half of the money
from the magazines they sell.
Obviously,
purchasing from a vendor is not possible if you don’t live in the
Philippines. However, it is still possible to support this cause and
receive the magazine. The Jeepney is hoping to increase
subscriptions, specifically in the United States. If you would be
interested in purchasing a subscription and/or making a donation for
this worthy cause, please visit their Web site at www.thejeepney.com. In addition, tell your friends, neighbors and churches. Let’s get the word out about a practical way to help homeless people in the Philippines, many of whom I’ve met personally.
I also mentioned the Homeless World Cup
in my last blog. This is an annual international soccer tournament.
It began in 2003 with hopes of relaying the struggles of the more
than one billion homeless people worldwide. Teams that compete are
made entirely of homeless people or those who earn their income
selling street papers such as the Jeepney magazine.
As stated earlier, Urban Opportunities
for Change organized the first Homeless World Cup Team for the
Philippines. They competed in Australia in 2008 and Italy in 2009.
Currently, players are being recruited for the 2010 team traveling to
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September. I have also had
the opportunity to meet some of the former players. Check out
www.streetsoccerphilippines.com
to learn more about the Homeless World Cup and how you can support
team Philippines.
People often hear about
social issues and problems in the world, but they don’t know what to
do about it. These situations can’t be solved over night, but that
doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. Even though we can’t help
everyone, we can do our part to at least help one. God knows each
person by name and cares about them. Let’s do something for the
“least of these” because Jesus would.
