With deep sadness, I would like to inform you all that Al Vergara has joined his Creator. After many years of fighting a lingering illness, Al passed away last night, Oct 6, 2020, 11:35pm at his home in Chino Hills, CA.
Al was a founding member of Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN), and a constant moving force behind WIN’s programs and projects. He liked helping selflessly behind the scenes, never seeking attention or recognition. Though, we will miss Al greatly, we rejoice in his return to his Heavenly Father where there is no pain, just bliss.
Our hearts go out to the family he left behind, his wife of 32 years, Yaya (current WIN President) , his son, Ian (WIN Orchestra instrumentalist) and his daughter, Maxinne (current VP for Project Planning and Networking, WIN).
Let’s all pray for his soul’s eternal repose in God’s loving embrace.
August 29 marks the 7th year of existence of an organization that’s close to my heart. I am one of the founding members and the current corporate secretary of Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN), winarts.org. Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN) is an exempt organization under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, classified as a public charity organization and a CA non-profit public benefit corporation dedicated to the preservation of and education on the Philippine heritage through the performing arts. Contributions to Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN) are deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. Furthermore, the organization is qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code. In its young life, WIN has had quite a list of successes to its name – fundraising concerts, collaboration projects with other organizations, a medical mission outreach, a music ministry outreach, successful sustainable livelihood projects such as the breadWINner project in 2018. The notable projects remain those where WIN thought outside of the box. WIN is an aggregate of volunteers who channel their time and talent in helping others. There is a youth orchestra and there is a chorale. When typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in 2013, WIN sent aid and put out a successful fundraising concert which directly benefited a few parishes by way of helping restore churches damaged by the typhoon. The breadWINner project was a promise we made in 2013 to develop sustainable livelihood projects, however, due to over-saturation in this type of projects, WIN decided to defer implementation to 2018. Flash forward to the pandemic, WIN in its “think outside of the box” philosophy, decided to implement a few initiatives to respond to the emergent needs of the pandemic. Thus, the masks and meals initiative was launched. A total of 850 masks were distributed to about 2 dozen hospitals, clinics, healthcare facilities where frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) were wanting of personal protective equipment. WIN also provided meals in appreciation of all the hard work and dedication of the HCWs and the postal workers, donated to two food banks joining the fight against hunger, and sponsored meals for the Senior Ministry of the Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana in Los Angeles. The WIN corporation has been able to help so many because we have been blessed to receive donations from so many benevolent individuals . Without them, our projects would not be possible. We cannot thank them enough for their continued support! The last seven years was not all rosy for WIN. We experienced loss as well. Devastating loses. In 2014, we suffered a devastating loss when our founding chairman, Nonong Agner, passed away to illness. Then in 2018, we had another huge loss when our musical director and VP for Ensemble and Training, Melvin Corpin, lost his short fight against cancer. It is said that one’s person is defined by the legacy you leave behind when you leave this earth. Such is the case with Nonong and Melvin. Nonong left us a culture of dedication and commitment to one’s craft, integrity, and loyalty. He left us with a culture of service and kindness to humanity. That was Nonong’s legacy. Melvin, on the other hand, left us with his beautiful music, pushed us to reach our full potential, even if it meant going out of one’s comfort zone. He mentored, encouraged, inspired. Most of all, he taught us the true meaning of faith and glorifying the Lord Almighty through the 2,000 plus songs of praise that he wrote, arranged and composed. That was Melvin’s legacy. And so we carry on, well-equipped to do good for mankind! I could not think of a better way (during this unprecedented time) to memorialize WIN’s 7th year anniversary other than to bake a cake. We cancelled a destination team building celebration when this pesky pandemic came, so this cake will have to do for the history book of WIN. ABOUT THE CAKE. I decided to make a chocolate cake. Who doesn’t like chocolate, anyway? This is a two-layer chocolate cake, aka the best chocolate cake ever from Hummingbirdhigh.com. The frosting is a white chocolate frosting from Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets and Savories. Macrina Bakery and Cafe is a popular breakfast spot in Seattle, WA which I have been to with my friend, Iday. I dedicate this cake to the men, women, and children of WIN, an organization who at its core has the heart of a champion who cares and shares; an organization who believes that it is in giving that we receive.
On behalf of Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN), I had the humbling experience and fulfilling opportunity to handover the $500 check donation to Mary’s Kitchen, an all volunteer organization who has been serving the less fortunate of Orange County since 1984, serving an average of 180 needy and homeless people daily Mon- Sat, year round, rain or shine. They come from all around, and gratefully receive a light breakfast, a hot meal at noon and a sack dinner to take along as they leave. Nowadays due to the pandemic, the meals are no longer served as sit-down meals.
All the meals are sacked and distributed with lunch and dinner packs given during the lunch hour. Through Mary’s foresight and God’s grace and the generous support of many donors and unpaid volunteers, no one is turned away and no one leaves hungry. Mary’s Kitchen also provides clothing and free daily showers to the homeless and the needy. They also share their food donations with parish churches and with Triangle Terrace in Orange, CA, housing 2000+ seniors (who are room-confined due to the pandemic) and individuals with physical and mental disabilities. The donation is not much, however, WIN hopes it will make a difference to the community in fighting hunger and enhancing the quality of life and keeping dignity alive for everyone who comes to Mary’s Kitchen for help, especially during this time of the coronavirus.
About Mary’s Kitchen
Mary’s Kitchen is a volunteer organization whose aim is to provide compassionate care for the less fortunate of Orange County, California. All services are conducted in a manner, which preserves dignity. This is why those who we assist are considered our guest. We are non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization. 100% of monetary donations received go directly to maintain the services provided for our guests.
Mary Mcanena, Founder of Mary’s Kitchen started feeding the hungry and homeless at the age of 81 by making chicken soup and hauling it to Hart Park in Orange. As her feeding grew, she moved to a city lot at 517 W. Struck St. She worked from a kitchen in a modular “trailer,” with picnic tables, freezers, storage buildings, showers and laundry facilities.
Mary passed away in 2003. Her successors carry on her well-earned legacy – now a 501c3 charity.
Her bestfriend Gloria Seuss is the current CEO/President of Mary’s Kitchen.
Last June, 23rd in collaboration with the Senior Ministry of the Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana (CCSV) and its Pastor, Rev. Truc Nguyen, WARAYNON INITIATIVE NETWORK (WIN) delivers lunch packs to 45 seniors of the parish community to create some semblance of continuity during the stay-at-home directives .
These are senior parishioners who have little or no family support who are usually picked up and brought to the parish hall and driven back home by CCSV volunteers once a month for a Senior Luncheon sponsored by the CCSV Senior Ministry.
Lunch was made by Met Him at a Bar,a restobar in Los Angeles located near the church- Gemelli all’amatriciana (made with in-house Gemelli pasta, pancetta, and pink amatriciana sauce) with a famous Amos chocolate cookie and bottled water.
Thank you to the owners, Vincent and Mindy Kinne, for working with WIN to make this happen! In keeping with the times, a pandemic care kit containing wet wipes and hand sanitizer was provided.
Thank you Gina G. Ibarrola, Realtor at Blessed Living for the generous donation of the care kits.
Gina Girlie
Big thanks to the following volunteers/Delivery team:
CCSV: Dory Ann Lagman Nancy and Mike Sheehan (Nancy Galicia Sheehan, Mike Sheehan) Victor and Ryan Benedicto Rev Fr Truc Nguyen
WIN: Gina and Jiggs Ibarrola Gines Uy
This WINDERFUL act was made possible by the amazing leadership of Board Member, JIGGS IBARROLA, and GINES UY, VP for Ensemble and Training Development, and WIN member, Gina Ibarrola.
#WINstrong
#attitudeofgratitude
More photos from the Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN) – sponsored Luncheon Outreachfor the senior parishioners of Cathedral Chapel of St Vibiana in Los Angeles.
A few weeks ago, AJ Rafael(YouTube sensation with almost a million subscribers, a Filipino-American singer-songwriter from Riverside, CA ) asked Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN)’s Board Member & VP for Project Planning and Networking, Maxinne Vergara to help out on a project he was doing, which as it turns out was to spearhead a number of performances in East West Players’ first virtual gala (EWP is the longest-running Asian-American theatre company in Los Angeles).
So, a few WIN Orchestra members were tapped to perform in a video to a Disney song (Show Yourself from Frozen II) featuring Deedee Magno Hall and Joan Almedilla. Kudos to the following WIN musicians for this undertaking!
Mak Corpin Carl Marchel Corpin Jajan Corpin Germaine Kempis Kaela Cecille Omega JD Damarillo Alex Alexander Juhan EJ Tugonon Khris-Raymond Kempis Maxinne B. Vergara Yu-Ting Wu
The music ensemble had to stay small for the purposes of video editing, but the arrangement and orchestration were brilliantly done by both Khris and Alex! It’s exhilarating to see familiar faces playing music again!
They would have been busy in the thick of preparations for a concert which WIN had to cancel due to the pandemic.
The Mask Initiative launched by Waraynon Initiative Network (WIN) as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded. KN95 masks, reusable breathing armors and surgical masks with a combined total of about 850 pieces were donated and distributed to almost 2 dozen hospitals, nursing care facilities and healthcare clinics in California, Nevada and Texas.
About 50 breathing armors were donated by WIN Board Member Jason Colasito and distributed primarily to WIN members who are frontliners and their families to safeguard each other from the virus. The Care meals project for the healthcare and USPS frontliners has also come to a close. 500 lunch packs was provided to the healthcare heroes at the EVRMC hospital in Tacloban City, Philippines last May 12-13, 2020.
To support the drive against hunger during this global crisis, a $500 donation was made to the food bank managed by Isaiah’s Rock in Chino, CA.What’s next? -The Lunch Packs for the seniors of the Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana in Los Angeles was provided last May 12, 2020. Another lunch sponsorship will be done on June 23, 2020. WIN is in the last stage of its due diligence efforts, and as soon as it is completed, a donation to the food bank of Mary’s Kitchen in Orange, CA will be made. ——
We are very thankful to our donors and supporters for giving us help and enabling us to thrive and help so many in our infancy years. Imagine a world with a cure & treatment for COVID-19.
Another mask donation from WARAYNON INITIATIVE NETWORK (WIN) was received by the staff of the Medical- Surgical Telemetry Unit of Texas Health Resources in Plano, TX.
THANK YOU Health Heroes for helping us WIN this fight!
Masks found its way to the San Jacinto Valley – Another mask donation from WARAYNON INITIATIVE NETWORK (WIN) was received by the nurses and surgeons of the OR at Hemet Valley Medical Center in Hemet, CA.THANK YOU Health Heroes for helping us WIN this fight!
Handover of KN95 masks donated by WIN (Waraynon Initiative Network) was done by WIN Member Agnes Pido Yaranon to the staff of the Ortho Dept at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA.
