We sometimes underestimate what the gift of presence and a simple act of kindness can mean to a child. But for the little ones who have no choice but to skip meals and miss school because they have nothing to eat, a nutritious lunch prepared with love can mean everything. There are so many Filipino kids who will never grow as tall or as bright as they can be, and who will never get to graduate from college or even high school. For these kids, the effects of hunger and poverty are irreversible, especially if we’re not there for them NOW, when they need us the most. The good news is that by supporting GK's Kusina ng Kalinga program, we can start putting an end to their hunger. Because we're choosing to love them today, they can start imagining their tomorrow. Be their lunch date this Valentine’s: Give PHP 6,600 to fill the hearts and stomachs of 2 kids for 1 year Give any amount to support the kids benefiting from Kusina ng Kalinga For the gift that you have shared, we will send your loved ones a Valentine e-postcard on your behalf. Please fill in their emails in the donation page and indicate if you want us to keep your greeting anonymous. Go out on a date with your loved ones at our partner restaurants, and share the warmth of a meal to kids served by our kitchens: FEB 14 & 15  Purple Nest Bistro, 139 Banlat Rd, Tandang Sora, Quezon City *"Children’s Paradise" Make children’s hearts happy by spending the morning with them on these dates. We’ve lined up Valentine card-making, parlor games in pairs, and of course, lunch to end the date! Volunteers are requested to bring a Php100 contribution for your lunch date with the kids. To register, please text your full name, email address, schedule, school/company to the assigned contact person. Download the directions and location map here. LUZON Feb 14 Mandaluyong: GK Century Properties Village Feb 21 Nueva Vizcaya: GK Aritao Cavite: Bayanihan Village, Trece Martires VISAYAS Feb 28 Capiz: Handumanan GK Village, Cabugao Oeste Mar 7 Antique: GK San Remigio Mar 14 Iloilo: GK Concepcion MINDANAO Feb 14 Davao: GK Pueblo Antonio, Catigan, Toril Feb 21 Iligan: Bayanihan sa Iligan Village, Sta. Elena Bukidnon: GK Kitaotao Feb 28 Surigao: GK Looc *"Care Kitchen" Prepare hearty meals for the children at a Kusina ng Kalinga kitchen near you: Feb 4 onwards: Alang-Alang Central School, Leyte CONTACT: Christian Servande – 0905344546 / 09195392508 Feb 16 onwards: San Isidro Central School, Leyte CONTACT: Angelica Sabarillo – 09293468763 / 09772102730 Feb 16 onwards: GK Espirito Santo, Sitio Pajo, Quezon City CONTACT: Rush Papa – 09168291485 Guidelines for Volunteers: Please text your full name, email address, schedule, school/company to the assigned contact person Kitchens will accept volunteers from 5AM – 11AM Please come in proper attire: white t-shirt, jeans, hairnet, apron, face towel, extra change of clothes Observe proper personal hygiene for cooking: trimmed nails, shaved beard, tied hair

Capture your kilig moments with the kids and post in social media using the hashtag #lovemeanswalangiwanan. Inspire more people to participate in the campaign and make more kids feel special this Valentine’s. The best posts will make it to official FB account, website, and the Thank You video that we will be releasing mid-March.

Hunger is a condition that goes beyond empty stomachs. Among our young, it threatens their dreams, futures, and takes away their confidence to have a fair chance at a better life. Recent statistics show that 15 Million Filipino children are consistently hungry, and that our country ranks 9th in the world with the most number of stunted children. Though the problem is massive, we at Gawad Kalinga believe that ending hunger is possible.

Kusina ng Kalinga is GK’s campaign to end child hunger by caring together. Our kitchens - powered by the bayanihan work of parents, volunteers, teachers, school and community administrators, LGUs, private individuals, organizations, and corporate partners, are hubs for preparing a whole year round of daily nutritious lunch meals to (K to 6) public schoolchildren. This program is a comprehensive and scalable approach to empowering our young and improving their quality of life as it indirectly impacts their performance in school, their home and community environment.

Our kitchens are currently operating in Alang-Alang, Leyte (3,800 kids), San Isidro, Leyte (5,125 kids), Quezon City, Metro Manila (2,000 kids), and Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat (2,000 kids). Whatever we raise from this campaign will be used to sustain these kitchens, open new ones, and reach 50,000 kids by June 2015.