Memories from Karinderia ni Mang Urot in Quezon City.

But..first things first, someone must know how to go to Karinderia ni Mang Urot so anyone can visit and volunteer there. Here are the directions.

How to go from Manila to Karinderia ni Mang Urot, Quezon City?

1. Ride UV Express or modern jeeps bound to SM Fairview, Quezon City waiting in the front of DLTB Terminal in Taft Avenue, Pasay City.
2. Ask the driver to drop you off in Examiner St., Quezon City, near Puregold Quezon Avenue on the opposite side of the road.
3. When you drop off at Examiner St., Quezon City, cross the road to reach Puregold Quezon Avenue. That would be your landmark so you won’t get lost.
4. When you reach the place near Puregold Quezon Avenue, go to the small street labeled Examiner St. and find the West Triangle subdivision. It’s pretty near to Puregold Quezon Avenue and Examiner St.
5. When you found the West Triangle subdivision, you can go inside and find the compound of Karinderia ni Mang Urot. Just ask the guards where to see it because it’s near to the guard house.
6. The exact address of Karinderia ni Mang Urot is 1 Dalisay Street, West Triangle, Quezon City.

Story Time! Memories from Karinderia ni Mang Urot.

Holding comically – jagged edges of a knife that could still wound somebody on people untrained for chopping very small potatoes slightly larger than a marble, I strike a conversation with other fellow volunteers on their experiences of volunteering to help the poor in any way they can. We are fortunate that there are such institutions and groups that are very passionate in helping the poor and the less – fortunate that we were willing to expend our time and energy on noble ways. There will always be some hungry people among us, ours included, but the existence of these groups proves that all hope is not lost. Even a couple of 25 – kilograms sacks of rice that that are often bought for Karinderia ni Mang Urot even in the rains is already a big help for those who cook for the poor, those who chopped carrots, pepper and vegetables for the poor, those who washes dishes for the poor, those who offer drinks for the poor, and for weary and hungry people themselves who came to ask for food, which the group graciously offers. Looking back at the mission the group has established for decades and thinking what might be the lessons from volunteering, maybe…maybe the answers that we are seeking will come out in due time. Or maybe the answer we are seeking is not what we expected. But that’s fine, because the answers themselves may be better that what we thought months ago. There was no need to chase answers or whether this activity might change us or for us to think too much; just help for the sake of helping.

It was a fast, rainy day in Quezon City when I visited at almost 4:00 PM. Peeking at the gates of the Karinderia ni Mang Urot to take a look, there were few people inside. One of the members of the carinderia who just came out from the bodega noticed me peeking outside, didn’t hesitate to open and welcomed me inside. I became slightly shy when I came in, other members of the group looked at me in glee and they asked my what’s my name. After a small talk, I was ready to help and on standby. One of its members gave me a chopping board, an already horizontally – chopped saluyot that needed to be chopped further to strips and a knife and taught me how to slice the saluyot in correct slices, which I liberally copied. While I was busy chopping saluyot strips horizontally, a new volunteer came in. A slightly – tall young woman wearing a sundress. She looked shyly at us but her face looked happy. The members happily welcomed her and talked to her and where she lives. Turns out she lives from Makati City and came here via commute. After some few minutes entertaining the new guest, she goes straight to chopping board and helped us in chopping different vegetables, along with other young volunteers who were already finished chopping saluyot and now ready to chop other things…all for the spirit of bayanihan. After chopping vegetables, I go to other tasks and helped one of the members to open a lot of can of corned beefs that would be mixed in the viand later on along with other chopped vegetables.

After some few hours helping in the kitchen, we took some breaks. I talked to one of the volunteers and I asked how did they found out the Karinderia ni Mang Urot and she told me she looked at the I Volunteer website and got interested in volunteering for Karinderia ni Mang Urot. She tried to invite other people to volunteer but only one guy showed up, so only two of them are present. There were other volunteers who came later; two young men that did the chopping of chicken meat, a middle – aged guy that at first we thought he was a member of the Karinderia ni Mang Urot but turns out he is a volunteer. He is one very helpful lad. Other members of the group came later somewhere around 5:00 PM and was ready to lend a hand because the people who would like to ask for a meal will come somewhere around 6:00 PM. As minutes goes by, we jumped into action again and helped in any way we can. One of the things we did is preparing for the packed lunches that will be distributed later in Manila. Some of the volunteers were assigned to put cooked rice in styrofoam lunch boxes, some of the members was assigned to put nutritious viands where the cooked rice was placed in disposable lunch boxes, someone volunteered to put plastic spoons in styrofoam lunchboxes and after all the needed food contents was properly palced in lunchboxes, it was now put away and stored on a large, thick styrofoam boxes that can hold up to 70 packed lunches. I was assigned to arrange the packed lunches in the styrofoam boxes and counted how many packed lunches are now stored.

While everyone was busy preparing food for the less – fortunate, some people are peeking at the gate. This is it. This is the activity that the members and volunteers prepared. The one we’re really aiming for. The real purpose why we volunteer. They are here and now coming in one by one through the gates. Those people that really needed help. Those people that needed our sympathy. The old and the frail. The people who had been working all day to make ends meet. The children who became excited when they get inside the Karinderia ni Mang Urot. They needed help. And were are now ready to serve.

Excitedly ready to serve the poor, we positioned the incoming people on the rows of table attached to the walls of the Karinderia ni Mang Urot and put some extra chairs if there are more people incoming. Plastic plates were prepared so it will be later be distributed for the people. Few minutes later, nutritious food is now being served for the weary and hungry; their faces lightened up. Slowly, one – by – one, the people received their dinner for the day and thanks the Karinderia ni Mang Urot for the meal. Carefully eating after a day’s worth of toil, focusing on how delicious the meal is, made by the passionate people who made it possible, from Mr. Benjie Abad who is the man behind the Karinderia ni Mang Urot, all the members of the carinderia who unceasingly served the poor people for years and witnessed their conditions, all the volunteers who participated in serving the people, the sponsors who give sacks of rice for weary hearts, box of corned beefs for more nutrition, vegetables for more nuanced nutrition, and everyone who helped in any way they can. And the last but not the least, God, who guides us and made this all possible.

After many minutes of people having dinner at the Karinderia ni Mang Urot, one – by – one they excused themselves and thanked the group for the nutritious meal they had. It was an important moment because before they came to the compound, the people who came to ask for the meal looked worried for something. When you have less to spare for ourselves or we barely something to eat, everything becomes more difficult and worrisome. We often worry of something on how to live if we struggle on fill our stomachs with good food because people are easily weaken by the lack of food. Worse, we won’t have the mental space to do better if we just keep on thinking that everyday would just pass, that hunger would be solved by drinking water every now and then. No. Not only that our body would weaken, but our hearts and emotions will also be negatively – affected, thinking that the world they live in is so cruel, very few pity them, that society has abandoned them, and worse, they may think God can’t do something, which is very untrue. It’s very difficult to act when you are on surviving edge of life, living day – by – day, waiting for a miracle. And the feeling of being hungry all the time is an unpleasant experience too. It’s always a pleasure volunteering in the Karinderia ni Mang Urot because you could see people at their lows and serve them and there is no shame in asking for a free meal, especially if someone have toiled for days at work and feeds their own family and for other people who no longer have idea on what to eat for the night.

After many hours of helping around the kitchen and serving the poor of food cooked by the passionate people of Karinderia ni Mang Urot, the members has offered us dinner, which we happily accepted, together with other volunteers who were very happy helping others. I was happy too.