Making this the season to share the love

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and first lady Diann Torres pose with their daughter. (Be a Cabrera)

Pundits believe that we find the true meaning of Christmas when we change our perspective to giving rather than just receiving. Giving our time and effort for the welfare and benefit of others and focusing on the needs of those around us sharpens the spirit of compassion.

That is the mantra of the Lady Diann Torres Foundation this holiday season, as they focus on three projects that seek to uplift the spirit of a community that is still recovering and rebuilding from Super Typhoon Yutu, which devastated Saipan and Tinian last Oct. 24 and 25.

For the whole month of December, the foundation plans to collaborate with the Department of Public Safety and Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, where Santa Claus will go to different schools aboard a fire truck and give out lots of toys.

“This is made possible by a donation from Ayuda Foundation Guam of about a thousand toys and a lot of backpacks,” said first lady Diann Torres.

She also wants the participation of children in the distribution of these gifts from the the Ayuda Foundation. “We are hoping to bring certain grade level students to come out to distribute those gifts…For those who cannot make it out to our distribution places, we would still do the house-to house distributions of all the relief goods,” she added.

The foundation is also partnering with the Indigenous Affairs Office and the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library to have “movie nights” for people who were rendered homeless by Yutu.

“The first show was last Sunday and we will do more. …We bring the movies out to the shelters and we will show Christmas movies to uplift their spirits a little as we would like them to appreciate what they have and know that people all over the world are thinking of them,” she said.

Her wish for the community? Torres hopes that, by stirring good cheer at home, that would then spread to the community.

Saipan Young Professionals
The Toys for Tots program, which usually benefits small children, will be extending the program to teenagers.

Saipan Young Professionals, which works with the U.S. Marine Corps in Guam to implement the Toys for Tots program in the CNMI, has included teenagers among its recipients and not just children under the age of 12.

SYP co-chair Shane Villanueva told Saipan Tribune there is a misconception that the program is only for children and toddlers. “These goes from 1-day-old all the way to 18. So, we’re also looking for shirts, clothing items, headphones, and other stuff that are for young adults.”

“SYP works with agencies like the Division of Youth Services and Karidat Social Services to distribute the toys. “[DYS and Karidat] tell us how many [toys and other items] they need, for what gender—male or female—and by age range.”

The Toys for Tots program is led by the Saipan Chamber of Commerce’s Saipan Young Professionals group and is taking up the Toys for Tots program of the U.S. Marine Corps to spread hope and goodwill to children in the CNMI.

The program aims to collect new, unwrapped toys in October, November, and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to children.