This July, people are going to get the chance to give their own health and well-being some much needed TLC while also giving some much needed aid to the families and communities supported by Gawad Kalinga in the Philippines.
On July 25, 2020 at 8AM PST / 11AM EST a special (45-minute) online Yoga class fundraiser will be held in support of Gawad Kalinga USA. Teaching the class will be certified yoga instructor AJ Gutierrez from Houston, Texas. He has graciously donated his time and his passion for yoga to raise funds for GK USA. (Editor's Note: this event has concluded)
With yoga studios and gyms closed, AJ transitioned to teaching yoga online. He says, “My class is a balance of mindfulness and intensity that will connect your breath and inner fire. My goal is to help you be fully present in every minute of class, to inspire movement and invigorate your body, so that you may take this consciousness and strength with you beyond the mat and grow and expand in everything that you do.”
Coming from a family of GK supporters, AJ went back to the Philippines a few years ago to visit family and also volunteer at several GK villages. He explains, “We must have done like 4 or 5 villages in a day. That’s the side of the Philippines I rarely get to see… it was nice to go and see something that my sister, Arielle, had put so much work into… I got to see what she and my dad had been talking about all this time.”
He recalls: “We went into one of the schools, and the kids and the entire village…. they welcomed us in. We handed out food. It was really nice. They told me there was literally nothing there before. Now, there was an entire school with really young kids. That was going to be the hub of the whole village. I got to be there with them and hang out.”
The Gutierrez family has been involved with GK Houston for over 10 years. You could say that it is a family tradition. Arielle was a GK Heroes of Poverty Eradication (HOPE) Ambassador and one of the organization’s voices in Texas. AJ’s dad, Alex Gutierrez, is the GK Area Director for Houston co-chairs the annual Tx4GK Hope Ball, which welcomes over 200 people each year.
Together with many like-minded families in Houston, the Gutierrezes have helped fund and build GK homes not just by sharing GK with friends. Alex, a physical therapist has brought the GK cause to his workplace, US Healthworks, which awarded a $10,000 grant to GK. From the looks of it, they are far from done. AJ says, “GK gives me another anchor to the country… it let me kind of grow my perspective of what is happening in the Philippines.”
Truly amazing changes can come about if there are more people like the Gutierrezes who are one in mind and heart to help Filipinos still struggling with poverty to realize their dreams. We hope that their efforts continue for years to come and inspire other families.
Join the Yoga Fundraiser with AJ on July 25, 2020 at 8AM PST / 11AM EST via Zoom. Register today and pay by donation. This is your chance to take care of your health while helping others too. (Editor's Note: this event has concluded)