“The Maginhawa Community Pantry is not just a small bamboo cart containing fresh produce and other food, but a powerful idea that has come out during this time of sweeping pandemic when many Filipinos don’t have the means to feed themselves and their families.” The idea is simple enough. People drop off whatever food they could donate — fresh vegetables, sweet potatoes, canned goods, etc. — at a central location in the community and those who can’t afford to buy their own only have to line up to get what they need for free. --- inquirer.net

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” --- Mathew 4:19 The message of the bible verse is very clear and came up with the project entitled “Messengers of Peace Community PanTREE”. Inspired by the “Maginhawa Community Pantry” mutual aid support with the community, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Messengers of Peace - Pampanga Council launched its own version of Community PanTree held last May 5, 2021 at exactly 7:00 in the morning at the Boundary of Guemasan and Riverside Poblacion, Arayat, Pampanga. The said project adopted the same program but with a twist of sustainability by giving also seedlings.

Over 250 families and estimated 1,250 individuals benefitted with this mutual aid support. This MoP Community PanTree aims to immerse the Scouts and Scouters in the BSP ideals and dedication to the scouting service. The value of giving as much as we can was shown by the people who supported this project. Following the Scouts Sustainable Development Goals in taking actions to create a better world by No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well- Being, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life on Land, and Partnership for the Goals. The seedlings that every individual got from the PanTree, if well taken care and properly nourish will give them bountiful harvest on the coming days that they can share also to their relatives or even with their neighbors. If those seedlings are well-maintain, they might be benefiting also from them by simply selling them in the market. It’s like hitting two birds in one stone, meaning they have food to harvest and food to sell. The warm support from other people was shown whether in kind or in cash. Donations from those who are willing to help rush in and it was really overwhelming. It is nice to see those family who came in the project and was given food and seedlings. Each of them were very thankful and went ahead with smile on their eyes. In this world where pandemic seem to bring stress to everyone this kind of activity might lessen the burden that each of us feel sometimes. All of us can be a Messengers of Peace, whether in action or in words. Sharing means caring and by doing so our fellow men can feel from us one of the scouting duty --- DUTY TO OTHERS.

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