American Women’s Club of the Philippines Wins FAWCO Grant to Feed Malnourished Children

MANILA, Philippines – June 3, 2025 – In its continuous efforts towards local community service, the American Women’s Club of the Philippines (AWCP) has applied for and now won the Federation of American Women’s Club Overseas (FAWCO) 2025 Development Grant for their project in partnership with the Bukas Palad Foundation in the Critical Health Concerns category. The Bukas Palad Foundation is a non-profit and non-governmental organization located in Pasay City that aims to help impoverished children and elderly with education, livelihood, and sustainable development.

This grant will be used for Bukas Palad’s nutrition program targeting malnourished children. In addition to regular feedings of nutritious meals, the organization also educates  the children and their families about healthy lifestyle habits to improve behaviors and mindsets that belie the issue of undernutrition. The $5000 of grant money will help fund meals of 20 children and the wages of four staff who will prepare, cook, and transport the meals as well as monitor the childrens’ food intake for 120 school days.

“It’s our first time applying for the FAWCO Health Development Grant and we are overjoyed to have won for the beneficiaries of our partner organization,” says AWCP President Denise Faulhaber.

This initiative is just one of many charitable endeavors that AWCP pursues. In talking about how this project aligns with AWCP’s core values, Co-President Keri Myers adds that, “As AWCP, we have always been dedicated to serve the community in our host country. For us and our members, it’s important to give back as much as possible.”

This was a particularly critical time for the Bukas Palad’s school based feeding program as new sponsors were needed for the upcoming school year.  Thanks to the FAWCO Development Grant, AWCP has been able to step in to help Bukas Palad continue their important work for the new school year starting this June 2025.

“We are so grateful for the grant and the help that AWCP has extended to us,” says Bukas Palad leadership. “With the grant money, we will be able to continue our work with the children and families and help them become healthier and empower them to lead their lives with healthy habits.”

AWCP also notes that this marks the recognition of a local charity initiative by a global organization. Faulhaber notes the significance of FAWCO as a global entity acknowledging the value in their work here in the Philippines, and hopes that this will invite greater international attention to local grassroots charities and their projects.