How It Started...

Bundles of Joy is a newly formed non-profit in the United States, but has a history that spans over two decades.  It started in the 1980's with Titing and Chary Suazo, an extremely generous couple in the Philippines whose lives were dedicated to helping the poor. 

In their small town of Ormoc City, Leyte, many families lived in poverty.  Titing and Chary reached out to these families every Christmas by asking their friends to distribute tickets to any needy families that they knew.  These tickets entitled the holder to a visit to the Suazo household where they would receive a "bundle of joy." This bundle consisted of a kilo of rice, a bag of sugar and some canned goods. The Suazos distributed more and more bundles each Christmas as word spread about these give-aways and more families came around.  Titing and Chary's children started helping out with donations of food, medicine, clothing and personal hygiene products. Other donors came forward and provided more contributions. Pretty soon the Suazos were able to distribute bundles of joy to about 100 families at Christmas time.
 
In February 2008 Chary passed away. Titing is now 90 years old and no longer able to help the needy families of Ormoc.  But through their children, the legacy of Bundles of Joy lives on. Their children continue to distribute food, clothing and other necessities to needy families in various areas in the Philippines.

In January of 2008, we began operations of Bundles of Joy as a non-profit organization in the United States.  We started out with grassroots efforts -- we began by asking friends and family to donate their used clothing, shoes and toys.  These donations were shipped to the Philippines via freight forwarders and were distributed to needy families in Carcar and Manila, Philippines.  This first donation drive garnered more than $12,000 in donations of used clothing, shoes, toys, books and brand-new school supplies and medicines.  We learned that our friends and family are very generous people.

In July 2008 we received our Federal 501(c)(3) Tax Exemption Determination Letter, which enabled us to expand our operations and further our reach in the Philippines.  With the IRS' backing of our nonprofit status, we can now tap into the generosity of the greater public in our efforts to eliminate poverty in the Philippines through aid and improved education.  We are still collecting donations of used items, but can now also collect monetary donations that will go toward the purchase of more items for distribution.  Our long term goals include an educational scholarship program and a program to support provincial schools in the Philippines.  Please support us in these efforts and help us put an end to poverty in the Philippines!