By Bill Parry
Woodside’s Bayanihan Filipino Community Center continues to be at the heart of the neighborhood Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts.
The center, at 40-21 69th St., administers to many of the 13,000 Filipinos in the neighborhood, including a stretch of Roosevelt Avenue known as Little Manila.
The National Alliance of Filipino Concerns runs the center and has raised more than $200,000 for relief efforts, according to Anne Beryl Naguit, the national coordinator. From sales of T-shirts to fund-raising concerts, NAFCON is making sure every dollar gets into the crisis zone through their networks on the ground.
“The Philippine government never touches that money,” said Naguit.
NAFCON has also sent a team of health care workers to the Philippines for two weeks helping with medical relief.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) is working closely with the group, having attended a community forum in the typhoon’s aftermath.
“Recovery from Typhoon Haiyan is a long-term commitment,” he said. “Along with community groups and the Red Cross, I have taken steps to mobilize the community and help find ways they can help, including offering my office as a drop-off site for donations.”
NAFCON has two upcoming events in Manhattan worth noting. On Saturday night at Amity Hall, at 80 W. 3rd St., it’s fight night with $20 admission to watch a boxing match with Filipino star Manny Pacquiao against Brandon Rios. On Tuesday night, NAFCON is throwing a Song and Solidarity Fund-raiser, a music festival, at the NYU Global Center’s Grand Hall, at 238 Thompson St. The music begins at 7 p.m. with all money raised going to relief.
Also in Woodside, St. Sebastian’s Church raised $8,000 during masses last weekend, according to its pastor, Monsignor Michael J. Hardiman.
In addition, the St. Sebastian’s School had a clever fund-raiser this week. They called it a Dress Down Day. Each student paid a dollar to dress casually for the day.
“We have 460 students and we raised $2,500, so you know the kids were chipping in extra money,” the monsignor adding. “The school matched it for a total of $5,000.”
He explained that many in his parish are still unable to get in touch with loved ones because communications with the Philippines, an archipelago of 7,000 islands, continues to be a problem.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
