Every year, the group called H.E.L.P sends volunteers to Chosen Children. HELP stands for Humanitarian Education and Long-Term Projects, which is based in Aberdeen University in Scotland, United Kingdom. This year, seven (7) girls with ages ranging from eighteen (18) to twenty-five (25) years arrived at Chosen Children on the 30th of June for a three-week volunteer work. Six (6) of the ladies are Scottish: (Ashley T., Emma B., Emma M., Fran P., Jennifer A. and Shona M., while the seventh is Irish (Stephanie M.).

The seven (7) ladies started their volunteer work on the 1st day of July 2010. On their first day in the village, Ms. Noreen Avetria, CCV Program Director, provided them with a thorough orientation about CCV: its clientele group; history; programs and services; and what it hopes to achieve for each special child. Ms Noreen likewise gave emphasis on the house rules to be followed by the seven (7) ladies for their easy transition to the village life. A schedule of daily responsibilities and tasks was provided to each one of them as their daily guide. Each of the ladies was given specific tasks and responsibilities in the various departments of the Chosen Children Village.

Every day, the ladies find themselves performing errands and tasks which are not their usual daily tasks back home: assisting the caregivers in performing some of the chores in the cottages like mopping floors or washing dishes; bringing the wheelchair-bound children from the cottages to the dining area and back again during mealtimes. Likewise, they assist the toddlers during feeding times. The girls also take turns in the laundry which is one of the busiest areas in the village because of a large daily turn out of an assortment of soiled aprons, bed sheets, clothes, head caps, scrub suits, socks, uniforms and underwear.

During weekends, the seven (7) ladies take the time off from the village life and are allowed to go out.

The girls’ next project is to leave their mark in the village: by making mural paintings in cottage 11 dining area, which they have started on July 09. The previous HELP volunteers have made their very colorful mural paintings in The School for Chosen Children and in some of the cottages.