Hi everyone, my name is James D. Vaca, but you all that know me well, I’m JD. Four years ago, I took my first trip to the Philippines. I volunteered at an all-girl orphanage in the City of Bogo. It was an amazing experience, and come to find out, it changed my life forever. Not only did I fall in love with this beautiful and amazing country, but I met the love of my life and soon-to-be wife, Shane.

On September 30th, about 9:59 pm local time in the southern part of the city of Bogo on the island of Cebu, they had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. Shane is from Bogo. It was a scary moment because I was on the phone with her when it happened. All I saw and heard was her screaming, and then the video cut off. Five minutes later, which seemed to be an eternity, she called me back to tell me she is okay, but her mom and dad had some bumps and bruises, and her dad was bleeding from the head. They all got lucky that night. I’m so glad that all of her family walked away from this horrible incident, but it’s sad that some people didn’t. 69 people, as of the time I’m writing this, lost their lives, and some of Shane’s close friends passed away too. I pray for everyone that lost loved ones, and seeing the news and how people are sleeping on the ground outside because of the aftershocks they’re still having is sad.

If anyone knows me, I hate seeing this. So, Shane and I want to help the people that really need help. The ones who lost loved ones and the children that may need food because their parents can’t work because they lost their job. We want to make 200/250 family meal packs for people in need, and we just need a little help from you. Meal packs include noodles, water/juice, biscuits/crackers, sardines, and rice.

I know it’s hard for some people to donate; trust me, I understand. But in the Philippines, it’s about 56 pesos per $1 here. So all I’m asking is 50 or so people to just donate 5/10/20 dollars. And if you find it in your heart to give more, then that’s up to you. And thank you for that. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you don’t feel comfortable donating on this site, then I will give my address, or I can meet you anywhere to pick up cash or check. My address is 13256 Rose Rd, Plymouth, Indiana 46563. And my phone number is [phone redacted]. I even have Cash App if you prefer that method.

May God bless all of you, and I hope you all have a happy and healthy rest of the year.

Sincerely, Shane & James