Going back to Our Roots

It's been 10 years since Maya's Hope became a non-profit. It's been such an incredible journey which has actually made me quite nostalgic and often emotional. And this year, I want to share more about how it got started, who were those influential people, and why we do what we do every day.

It took me one year into a global pandemic to write (more) about how we got started because we wouldn't be here today without our roots.

Lately, I've been thinking about Fr. Vic Robles. He's the incredible priest whom I consider to be a superhero who introduced me to this work of helping orphans and children in need back in 2008.

Two days ago, I wrote his assistant that I wanted to wish him Easter greetings, but I also just wanted to talk. It's been two years since I last saw him when I was in the Philippines.

So on Easter, I finally got to catch up with Fr. Vic. He reminded me of when he saw me in 2008 that summer in Bryant Park in New York City. We were having lunch, and he had been passing through NYC and wanted to send his deepest condolences in person. My mom had died the year before, but he kept my mom in his heart and wanted to speak to me in person.

It was during that lunch that he invited me to come to the Philippines and I agreed to come 6 months later.

But it was last night, that he reminded me of how I was then. I was really suffering a great loss. He knew how much I loved my mom and going back to my "roots" so to speak, was how I could better understand my mom and the people my mom had even impacted even from the states. (My mom had helped Fr. Vic fundraise in the states to build a church in the Philippines. My mom never got a chance to visit the church in person, but it is now the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.)

When Fr. Vic brought me to an orphanage, I had the opportunity to spend 2 weeks there. I heard the children's stories, I gave them hugs, and most importantly, I told them how each one was so amazing. While I was there to "help", it was in fact these kids who were "helping" me and inspired me.

Fr. Vic reminded me, "You came with $800 and you wanted to give it to me. I told you, you take the $800 and buy stuff that you feel the kids need."

I had forgotten, but then he said, "Remember you were going to stores buying bamboo cribs and taking each one by tricycle back to the orphanage."

I laughed and I said, "Yes! I remember."

And that's just one of those "aha" moments from the beginning of Maya's Hope. I saw that the babies at that orphanage were sharing cribs and to just make it a tad more comfortable, with the money I brought, we got them additional bamboo cribs and other necessities."

Today, I personally place orders for babies and bed-ridden children who need cribs and we ship them directly to those families in need. So while it seems like a long time ago that I was on a tricycle with a Bamboo crib strapped on the roof, today, I place an order online, and magically, a crib (not bamboo!) arrives directly at that child's home.

Thanks for reading as I share some of our beginning stories.

Hugs,

Maya Crauderueff

www.mayashope.org

#mayashope #10years