A devastating fire has swept through a vulnerable community in the Philippines, destroying makeshift homes and leaving 14 children served by Destiny Lifebuilders without a place to call home.
These children were already facing extraordinary hardship. Many are children of incarcerated parents, growing up in poverty and relying on the kindness of a remarkable ministry for food, clean water, and care.
Now, after losing what little they had, they need us more than ever. And the beautiful people who have spent years caring for them need our help too.
James and I have had the privilege of personally knowing and supporting the precious couple behind Destiny Lifebuilders, a Christian outreach in the Philippines. Every few weeks, we receive updates and photographs of their extraordinary work. And every update tells the same beautiful story: they keep showing up.
Three times a week, this husband-and-wife team and their dedicated volunteers feed approximately 250–290 children, while also providing purified drinking water for their families. They've distributed school supplies, prepared emergency food bags, and continued serving through typhoons, flooding, and difficult conditions.
Even when heavy rains made their usual feeding grounds unusable, they found another way to get meals into the children's hands. They don't have an abundance of resources. What they have is an abundance of love, compassion, and unwavering faithfulness. They've made it their mission to ensure these children are not forgotten.
Then came the fire...
On October 27, we received heartbreaking news. A fire had swept through part of the community where Destiny Lifebuilders conducts its children's outreach. Several makeshift homes were destroyed, and 14 of the children they regularly care for lost their homes. Imagine being a child already living with so little, only to lose the shelter, belongings, and small measure of security your family had managed to hold together. It's heartbreaking. 💔
And while these families face the daunting task of recovering, the ministry's regular feeding and outreach efforts must continue. That's why we're inviting you to help us turn this moment of devastation into an extraordinary outpouring of love.
Here's what your generosity can make possible:
We're raising an initial $15,000 to help Destiny Lifebuilders respond to the fire and continue caring for the hundreds of children who depend upon them.
Your gift can help provide:
- Emergency relief: Food, clean water, clothing, bedding, hygiene supplies, and other necessities for affected families.
- Shelter recovery: Materials and assistance toward repairing or rebuilding safe, basic shelter where feasible and permitted.
- Continued meals: Helping keep the ministry's three-times-weekly feeding program running for hundreds of children.
- Ministry recovery: Essential supplies, equipment, and repairs needed to sustain their outreach.
In the Philippines, even a few hundred dollars can make a meaningful difference toward basic shelter materials and emergency needs. We'll work with the ministry to prioritize the most urgent needs and share updates as the recovery unfolds.
They've spent years lifting others up. Now it's our turn to lift them. What moves us most is the extraordinary generosity of this couple and their team. Week after week, they've given their time, energy, faith, and resources to children who might otherwise go hungry or unseen.
No fanfare. No spotlight. Just love in action.
And now, we have a beautiful opportunity to surround them with the same kindness they've so faithfully extended to others.
Will you help us put food on the table, shelter over precious heads, and hope back into the hearts of these children and families?
Whether it's $10, $25, $50, $100, or more, every gift is an expression of love that can make a tangible difference.
If you can't give right now, would you help us share this campaign with your friends, family, church, or community? And please join us in praying for the children, their families, and this faithful ministry team.
A fire may have taken their homes, but together we can remind them that they have not been forgotten.
Thank you for helping us turn compassion into action and loss into a new beginning.
With so much love and gratitude,
Anna & James ❤️🙏
All donations are intended to support emergency relief, recovery, and the ongoing outreach of Destiny Lifebuilders in the Philippines. Specific rebuilding work will depend on local needs, costs, and permissions.
