The Generosity of Our Elders

Early Lessons

I learned my first lessons in giving from my grandmother Susana, a strong-willed and intelligent woman of faith and purpose. In the summer months (from March-May in the Philippines) during school breaks, among the most memorable times I’ve spent with my grandmother were our church visits. During the week, my grandmother and I would hear mass often, sometimes twice or even thrice. We might visit the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran on Wednesdays, on Fridays at the Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, and the parish church in Sta. Mesa on Sundays. In each of these places, as the collection plates weaved their way among the parishioners for church appeals, my grandmother would retrieve bills and coins from her purse that she would eventually place in my tiny hand to deposit in the plates. So much of my notions of charity, giving, and generosity are rooted in these early childhood experiences.

Mutual Aid

Closer to home, my grandmother and grandfather Leonardo opened their city dwellings to family members and relatives—often from their hometown province—who had aspirations to attend college in Manila. We looked up to these older aunts and uncles, all role models, who stayed with us as we grew up. As they pursued college degrees, they also tutored us in math and English, augmenting what we had learned from our elementary books or from watching Sesame Street or The Electric Company. As a kind of mutual aid, while my aunts and uncles lived with us, their families from the province would send us crates of fruits, dried fish, or sacks of rice.

We’re not in the 1%!

While we are not a family of extraordinary means, providing support for those experiencing a fire, a flood, or a typhoon disaster (a pandemic!) through the church’s social amelioration and anti-poverty programs was a compelling case, no further explanation needed. Before I ever learned about Goodwill, my grandparents also had practiced donating our slightly used or once-loved clothing, shoes, and accessories. Perhaps from their own experience with food insecurity having lived through the privation of wars, my grandparents helped those who faced hunger, offered jobs to those who sought work in their businesses, and spared a bed for a youngster who had a dream to earn a degree.

Classical Training

My grandparents exemplified for me the Filipino spirit of bayanihan, of communal unity, work and cooperation. Long before I learned Western values of philanthropy as someone whom a colleague had described once as “classically” trained in advancement or fundraising, my early experiences were my guideposts. Indeed, because of those early days as my younger self, I’ve been classically trained with my ancestors as my teachers.

Activating our Values

This month, as we celebrate Asian Pacific Desi American Heritage Month, Filipinos or Asian Americans have opportunities to express our unique philanthropic values, practices and goals. Through initiatives like Big Day of Giving or Giving In May, we can support causes here or in our motherland while in diaspora. As a community member, advocate, leader, or provocative thinker, we can serve as trusted messengers for our community to support a scholarship fund, give to a food pantry, advocate for equity and justice, or build a community center. We can be that person for someone as my grandparents were once to me.

Vince remembers and honors his grandmother Susana who passed away on May 2, 1999.

So, What Now?

I’ve known that EIC would start a regular blog for sometime and I have had dozens of drafts written to share. Though, for this first one, given this moment we/I find ourselves/myself in, I wanted to offer something different. This first blog offers my friends, colleagues, and other movement-builders a set of tools that I use during times of immense stress and pain. This piece seems appropriate given what is behind us and in front of us. 

So, what now?

So, what now? I ask myself this question often. Lately, life, work, volunteerism, etc. has felt unsteady, overwhelming, and unbearable, even. And for some time, this question: So, what now? helps me to pause, take a breath, look around, and, then, carefully, take a step forward…

Continue reading the full blog HERE.

Meet Justin

Good afternoon friends,

The season is changing all around us, and as we move from the warmth of summer to the coolness of fall, we at Everyday Impact are reflecting on the beauty and importance of transformation. We have done some amazing work together in 2019! Vince Sales has led strong Fund and Resource Development Support to our clients. Maikhou Thao has expanded her portfolio to support multi-sector collaboration and non-profit capacity building with our clients. Julian Ramos has also helped to offer Administrative Support to our multiple projects and initiatives. As our team continues to transform and evolve, I am very excited to announce that we have recently hired Justin Rausa as our new Policy Consultant, who will be leading our Policy Consulting portfolio. I’m thrilled to have Justin join us as part of the EIC family. Please join me in welcoming him and learn more from Justin below!

In Gratitude,
Elaine Abelaye-Mateo

From Justin:

I’m excited to join the Everyday Impact family and further the values of our firm and the work of its clients who are moving California and our nation forward, day in and day out. I think there is significant opportunity to achieve progressive policy wins at the state level right now due to the community activism that has created a context for the current governor and legislature to stand up affirmatively for equity, inclusion and justice. In 2019 alone, once untouchable bills have already been signed into law such as updating standards for law enforcement’s use of lethal force, with more to come as Governor Newsom has until mid-October to consider hundreds of other bills that have successfully reached his desk. As the new Policy Consultant, I’m looking forward to leveraging my past experiences as both a nonprofit advocate and legislative staffer to build power for your community, in solidarity and with effective strategies to move public policy. I want to thank Elaine for this opportunity to bring complementary skills to an excellent team, and as a new father, I’m thrilled to work with the larger EIC network to change laws and regulations for a 21st century California more worthy of our future generations. I will be splitting time between Oakland and Sacramento, so please feel free to hit me up at justin@everydayimpactconsulting.com.

Hello, I am Maikhou

Hello, my name is Maikhou Thao.

I am thrilled to join the Everyday Impact Consulting team! Our founder, Elaine Abelaye-Mateo, has a compelling vision, grit, and community connection that has help create positive change in communities throughout California. I cannot wait to be part of a firm pushing to create innovative and thoughtful strategies. As the Administrative Assistant, I will be helping senior staff with a wide-variety of tasks on many of their projects.

My story begins when my parents came to the United States as Hmong refugees in the 1980s hoping to give their children a better future than they could ever give themselves. Growing up with a large family of thirteen in the small town of Oroville, California as a low-income and first-generation college student, these barriers and challenges motivated me to aspire towards changing the world and create a lasting impact for future generations. 

Surrounding myself with the best mentors and support that I could ever ask for, while interning at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2016 I became one step closer to achieving that dream and reality of creating tangible change in underrepresented and marginalized communities. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in May of 2018 from California State University, Chico I was connected with the opportunity of working for Everyday Impact Consulting and took another chance to help build and strengthen communities. I am so happy to join the team in my role as the Administrative Assistant helping to coordinate opportunities alongside other empowering and inspiring individuals.

With so much to learn and room to grow, I feel blessed to continue the daily collaboration and expansion of the work that our Everyday Impact Consulting team engages in so that we can create lasting change and strengthen our voices in building a more diverse and accessible future for all.

-       Maikhou Thao, Administrative Assistant 

Thank you and farewell

I started working for Everyday Impact only a couple days after my undergrad commencement, and I hit the ground running. I knew that I had a lot to learn - what better way to learn than diving headfirst into the work? I am grateful to have worked alongside such amazing people in creating positive social change. Working with Team EIC has given me the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with the community in which I grew up. I have grown a lot during my time with the team, and I know that this is not the last time that our paths will cross.  

Moving forward, I'll be spending time connecting and collaborating with folks in community, especially the youth. Through my work with Sacramento BHC's Youth Engagement Action Team, I met some of the most brilliant and talented youth in Sacramento. Working alongside these young leaders reminded me of everything I enjoyed about working with youth, and I am pursuing further opportunities to continue doing so. 

I have gained a wide range of experience in different aspects of community work through my time with Team EIC, and I will be using this experience to continue building upon the impact I have on my community. I wish for nothing but the best and continued success for Everyday Impact.

            - Sherrie