POOR HOUSEHOLD OF GOD
Opening the door of hope to the poor in the Philippines
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
At this point we are meeting the primary goal of raising enough funds to be able to support whatever programs the Sisters want to start and maintain in reaching those in need. One of our difficulties in to carry out the programs in a timely manner. This is mainly due to the nature of life in the rural areas of the Philippines where we serve. Another concern is since we are a small organization staffed by volunteers, there will be a need for sustainability of our non-profit organization as the members continue to age.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Educational Assistance Program
We believe education is the best hope for young people to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. The Education Program began in 2010 and continues to grow. We now have college graduates who are employed and helping their families live a life not crippled by poverty. Every year we support many college, high school and elementary students as they continue their schooling. All of these young people firmly believe that education is their hope for a better future…and so do we!
Piglet Distribution Program and Pig Fattening Program
The Piglet Recycling Program is a livelihood assistance project on backyard swine raising which was launched in April 2013. It began with 54 families receiving a female piglet, a pigpen, feed and an education on pig raising.
A Pig Fattening Program was added in 2017. This program is quite popular for families that desire and need a quicker return. They are given bigger piglets. For 3 to 4 months, they feed and care for the piglets until they can be sold at the market. This program continues to thrive with new families each year becoming 'pig farmers', which provides a means to provide food on their tables and financial support for their families.
In 2020 a disease affecting the pigs in Asia that is easily spread has halted the Piglet Recycling Program but the Pig Fattening Program continues to benefit many families.
Health And Nutrition
"For the poor, health is a wealth they cannot afford to lose."
This program is composed of the Multiplication of Loaves Ministry, the Dental Clinic, the Charity Pharmacy, Medical Assistance for those in need and Medical/Dental missions.
The Charity Pharmacy, a free pharmacy in Borongan and the neighboring area is busy every day. It also provided the medicines and supplies for the dental and medical missions to the distant villages.
The Multiplication of Loaves Ministry feeds the hungry in the barrios.
Due to Covid, the medical needs of the poor are even greater. The Dental Clinic is on hold for now in 2021 due to safety regulations but all aspects of the other health care programs are continuing and quite busy.
FAITH (Food Always In The Home) Program
FAITH (Food Always In The Home) - A Backyard Gardening Project
FAITH is a program that ensures food will always be in the home. At the present time, 200+ families are participating. Seeds for plants that will provide food are given to the families along with gardening tools and basic instructions in caring for their plants. It is their responsibility to nurture the seeds into plants and establish a garden of produce. Some of the produce goes to the Multiplication of the Loaves feeding program and also to the market as a source of revenue for these families in need. This wonderful project is flourishing as it helps families learn to provide for themselves in a self-sustaining manner.
In 2020 a community garden was developed in Oikos Village benefitting all of the villagers as they work together to grow healthy produce for their families and also sell in the market to help break the cycle of poverty.
Character and Community Development
The Poor Household of God also supports the many spiritual programs run by the Oikos Sisters. These programs include weekly catechism classes for children, bible sharing for parents, monthly youth faith formation, summer camps, annual retreats, family enrichment activities and community service involvement. A highlight for the youth is the Summer Weekend Camp Retreat with tents, games and spiritual renewal activities.
Solidarity Mission
Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines Nov. 8, 2013 causing widespread destruction. The Oikos Sisters, knowing many were in need started an immersion program, Solidarity Mission. They spend 3 days in destroyed villages, sleeping in tents, cooking food for the people, sharing their struggles while assessing their needs. They then return to the village with resources to help them begin to rebuild and heal. One village at a time, the Sisters journey with them, accompanying them in their struggles…bringing hope, encouragement and God's love! As natural disasters, typhoons continue to visit this area, the Sisters continue to reach out to villages in need. They also visit far-flung, remote villages though maybe spared from natural disasters are living in extreme poverty.
Oikos Village
This village has become a reality! The plan was to build a small village providing homes for families desperately poor who own no land or home of their own. Land was donated to the Sisters and has since been cleared. A road into the village has been developed and all 20 homes are built. A community garden is producing vegetables, two wells have also been built. A beautiful church, St. Francis of Assisi has been built in the center of the village for the community to gather and pray together. Currently our organization is helping this village with ongoing maintenance to keep these homes and this community well managed and a beautiful "home sweet home" to many.
Emergency/Financial Assistance
Often those in need will come to the Oikos Sisters homes in dire distress asking for help. The situations can be for medical assistance such as an ambulance ride to a higher level of health care or a child has been bit by a rabid dog and no money for the rabies injections. A family with little children may find themselves homeless or without food to eat. Whatever the need, the Sisters never turn anyone away. They listen, guide, explore possibilities and personally help whenever they can. This is their charism, their ministry. We are proud to be a partner to the Oikos Sisters and help them in their ministries of serving those in need.
Emergency Typhoon Relief
In Dec. 2021 a major typhoon hit Southern Leyte affecting a large area of farflung villages. The Oikos Sisters felt drawn to help the many families whose homes were severely damaged or lost. Funds were raised and villages were visited providing food, necessities of life, water filtration kits, and construction supplies. A construction team was sent to help restore damaged homes and build destroyed homes. In the past the Oikos Sisters have helped typhoon victims but this was the furthest reach of this ministry, over eight hours in vehicles traveling over partially washed out roads with many potholes.
Eastern Samar is frequently visited by typhoons every year. This program will continue as long as the need persists. We all know how unpredictable Mother Nature can be!
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The Poor Household of God's aims to raise enough funds for the Sisters to be able to move forward with whatever programs they choose to develop in serving the poor. These programs are focused on breaking the cycle of poverty for those they serve.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our primary strategy is in developing a group of donors related to the Sisters and committed to support their work through their collective donations. We are accomplishing this through our website, an e-newsletter, bringing missioners to their rescue homes, parish appeals and bringing one of the Sisters annually to fundraise in the United States.
In 2018, a parish has formed their own mission team and visited the Sisters. This also increased awareness and in turn donated funds. We are always striving to spread the word and raise awareness of the need.
A young woman from the USA has joined the Oikos Sisters and is currently a novice in the Community, she will profess her vows in January of 2020. This has also added a new group of people with increased interest, commitment and support for the Sisters.
We are currently in 2020 applying for a grant to support a Greenhouse/Gardening Project to grow produce to sell at the market. This project will be set up in the Oikos Village, a small village built for the homeless and landless and worked by families in need who will directly benefit from the proceeds of the Program.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
One of our biggest assets to help us meet our goals is a dedicated group of volunteer associates that fund the operational expenses of the foundation so we can humbly declare that 100% of donations are directed to the aid of the poor. Our webpage, constant contact newsletter, a communication discipline with the donors (thank you letters), letter writing campaigns and events during our summer fundraising season and throughout the year are all performed by volunteers.
These volunteers have faithfully dedicated their time, talents and treasures to helping The Poor Household of God raise funds for the Oikos Sisters work of serving the poor.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have accomplished at this point:
~ Raised funds and purchased 4 vehicles for the Sisters to use when serving the poor
~ Educated a total of 69 college graduates. In the 2018, 52 college, 101 high school and 609 elementary students have benefitted from receiving school supply assistance this year alone.
~ Funding an ongoing Piggy Program that educates and produces self sufficient pig farmers.
~ Funding an ongoing FAITH (Food Always In The Home) Program that educates and guides families to be self sufficient vegetable farmers.
~ Funding an ongoing and very busy Charity Pharmacy, a free pharmacy for the poor.
~ Supporting now 4 rescue homes where the Sisters live with the children they are caring for.
~ Funding an ongoing dental clinic, a free service to the poor.
~ Character and Community Development continues to grow which includes quarterly gatherings, leadership conferences, bible sharing, catechesis and summer camps for the youth.
~ Oikos Village was built, a small village for the homeless and landless. 20 homes are built with families residing in these new homes. A community garden is producing produce and two wells were dug supplying fresh water to this village. St. Francis of Assisi Church is being erected providing a place for the villagers to gather and worship together.
~ Solidarity Mission is an active ministry where the Oikos Sisters have outreach barrio visits including weekend immersions with the gifting of relief goods, food along with medical and dental clinics being held.
What we have not accomplished and wish to:
~ A Succession Plan
~ An Endowment Plan
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
POOR HOUSEHOLD OF GOD
Board of directorsas of 09/18/2023
Mrs. Mary Jane Trinkus
Dr. Victor Trinkus
Diane Fabrizius
Josephine Mulvihill
Rita Nathanson
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/01/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.