OG NEWS 1

Inside: 2 COGS support OG; 3 You can Make a Difference 4 A Letter for You

Theme: Christmas for One and All Sunday, December 23, 2012 2pm

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COGS Support OG 2012 Through the initiative of the Katilingbang Bisaya sa New Zealand (KBNZ), OG: Open Gathering has obtained the support of the Auckland Internal Affairs through its Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS).

According to Leba Davis, advisor, in their meeting on October 30, 2012, COGS made a decision as follows: “The Committee has made a ‘global contribution’.

This means that the grant can be used toward one or more of the items applied for up to the maximum requested for each item. The Committee approves the grant because the service/project meets the COGS criteria and contributes to addressing the local priorities. Amount Allocated: $3,000.00; GST Amount: $0.00; Total Payment: $3,000.00.” She said that the total amount requested from the Committee for the final quarter meeting was $3,483,818.00 (from different applicants) and the Committee had $1,008,750.00 to distribute.

The KBNZ grant application was drafted by Debbie Libre, formerly research coordinator of Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust, and described the project as follows: “The new migrants and the refugees will greatly benefit through the gift giving, food sharing and entertainment numbers that will allow them to experience the welcoming attitude of the people of New Zealand. The activity will give them opportunity to establish contacts with the different organisations for employment, advice and other needs.”

It was further explained that “If KBNZ receives a COGS grant, this will be spent on organising and conducting OPEN GATHERING an activity aimed at bringing the joy of Christmas to new migrants and refugees through providing a meal for each participant, giving them each a gift and having entertainment numbers such as singing, dancing and games. It will therefore require a venue, audio and visual equipment as well as consumables for stage and venue decoration. Also, part of the grant will be used for the promotion of the activity in the internet and other media outlets. A coordinator will be hired one month prior to the event to ensure that every aspect of the activity will be followed up and accomplished. It is the plan of KBNZ to invite professional entertainers so as to give the new migrants and refugees a glimpse of the richness in culture and talent of New Zealanders.”

While in the past OGs, the beneficiaries were mainly new migrants from the Philippines, the organisers aim to invite migrants from other ethnicities as well as refugees. This year’s theme is “Christmas for One and All”

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YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES To celebrate the Christmas season, you can make a difference in people’s lives, if you really want to.

OG: Open Gathering allows you to open the door of your heart to new migrants, brethren who come to a new place with a few acquaintances, without family, and maybe without a job for the moment.

Here are a few guidelines: Identify a new migrant. The person setting next to you may have arrived of late in New Zealand. Get to know a bit of the individual, and tell him about what he/she will be doing during Christmas.

Invite the migrant. If you can’t invite him/her to your home, there is a venue where you can make him/her at home as well in OG: Open Gathering. This year, it is on Sunday, December 23, 2012 starting at 2pm. Of course, you need to get his/her contact number.

Fetch the invitee. The migrant may want to go, but he/she doesn’t have a vehicle nor is he/she familiar with the roads. Tell him/her that you will fetch him/her on that day.

Wrap a gift. The essence of Christmas is giving. Look for an item that is useful to new migrants, like canned goods, utensils, shirts, etc, and wrap it. Your gift will be distributed among invitees to OG. If you can, wrap as well a toy for the kids.

Cook a dish. Wouldn’t it be great if you cooked your favourite dish or dessert and share these with your brethren during OG? In addition to filling the hearts of invitees, you will fill their stomachs as well.

Tell your friends about OG. You can tell your friends about the Open Gathering; and ask them to do the tasks listed above as well. They’ll be thankful that you did.

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A LETTER FROM JESUS Peace be with you.

I am thankful that you continue to recall and celebrate my birth more than 2000 years ago in the little town of Bethlehem.

I came as a gift from the Divine Father to humanity, conceived in the womb of Mary and cared for by Joseph. It was difficult for them, as they would have wanted me to be born in a decent place, but as no one welcomed them in their homes, I was born in a manger, in the company of sheep, cattle and donkey.

If you thought that the world failed me, when I was born, erase such thought, for truly I was full of joy. The embrace of Mary, the support of Joseph, the adoration of the shepherds, the songs of the angels, the gifts of the Magi, all these made me welcome into this world among the children of the Father.

Every moment of my life, from birth until the ascension, I cherish, and I shall return to reward all who have kept the faith, as I will punish the wicked and unrepentant.

This Christmas, I ask you to have a welcoming attitude, a charitable spirit and a caring heart to all especially the least of your brethren. As you share with your family, your friends, your associates, do share as well to the dying and the destitute, to the migrants and their children, to the beggars, the prostitutes and even the sinners.

Think not about receiving gifts, but rather of giving yourself, your possessions and your time for others. It would mean so much to those who receive, it would mean so much to me.

I love you! Merry Christmas.

Yours in faith, hope and charity, Jesus Christ

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YOU CAN BE AS TALL AS SANTA Invite a new migrant, bring food stuff and gifts – as we sing Christmas carols and play games

OG

Open Gathering

Christmas for One and All Sunday, December 23, 2012 2pm

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