Bringing Hope. Changing Lives. Be a Blessing.
“Anaya” is a name that means caring, compassion, and protection in many languages—and that’s exactly what we stand for. When we founded Anaya’s Care, it was born from a deep desire to create a safe space where help, healing, and hope can be shared freely.
Anaya is not just a name—it’s a promise.
A promise that every child and every individual in need will be met with dignity, empathy, and love.
Our work is grounded in the spirit of Galatians 6:2 —
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
This verse continues to guide us as we walk alongside families through both hardship and healing.
The heart behind Anaya’s Care was formed long before it had a name.
How It All Started
From 2017 to 2019, I volunteered with Dumagueteneo Cares and Anaya’s Way. At that time, I was still single—I hadn’t yet met my wife—but the desire to serve and give back was already deeply rooted in me.
We roamed around Dumaguete City handing out food to people experiencing homelessness. It was simple, spontaneous, and real. And though the setup was humble, the impact was immeasurable. It reminded us that compassion doesn’t need a big platform—just a willing heart.
I got involved in:
Gift-giving missions in schools
Community drives
Feeding programs
Shoe Box Projects — where we handed out Christmas gifts to children in underserved areas
These moments shaped my heart and gave me a firsthand look at what it means to show up for others.
But when the pandemic hit in 2020, everything had to pause. Like many others, our community work came to a stop.
Yet even in that quiet season, the passion to serve never went away. It simply waited—until it could rise again in new, meaningful ways.
In 2022, after the pandemic, my then-girlfriend (now my wife) and I—with the help of a few friends—started a community pantry. There was no Anaya’s Care yet. No official name. No banner. No logo. It was just us, moved by the same desire that had been with me since 2017: to serve.
We walked around Dumaguete City handing out food to people experiencing homelessness. It was simple, spontaneous, and real. And though the setup was humble, the impact was immeasurable. It reminded us that compassion doesn’t need a big platform—just a willing heart.
After Christmas in 2023, Joezer and his family had extra rice and canned goods from their tradition of giving essentials to carollers. Rather than keep them, Joezer reached out to his friend Mark with an idea: to donate the remaining food to people who truly needed it.
Mark, moved by the gesture, brought the idea to me, as I was already involved in two outreach groups—Anaya’s Wayand Dumagueteneo Cares. The three of us quickly joined forces and began distributing food to street families and individuals in Dumaguete.
What started as a simple act of kindness soon sparked something greater—something that gave birth to a bigger dream.
This time, it wasn’t just a one-time effort. The conversations grew. The circle widened. The mission deepened. We had a few outreach programs during that year: a Community Drive, where we gave school supplies, rice, used clothes, and other essentials.
Soon enough, Anaya’s Care was born.
Last year, we took a significant step forward by formalising our group and giving it a name: Anaya’s Care. While we had already been involved in community service in previous years, our first outreach under an official name was a big one—a feeding program for the students of San Jose Elementary School in Manjuyod.
A Simple Act, A Big Impact
The morning began with joyful anticipation as we prepared warm meals for the children. By midday, the sun was high and the heat intense, but we pressed on—chopping, cooking over open flames, and organizing the setup with purpose in our hearts.
Read our Blog about the Feeding A Heartwarming Beginning: Anaya's Care Feeding Program
With this milestone came the desire to make our mission official. The name Anaya’s Care was born—“Anaya” taken from Anaya’s Way, and “Care” from Dumagueteneo Cares. Two past outreach groups, now united in one cause.
This wasn’t just the birth of a name. It was the beginning of a movement rooted in kindness, fueled by community, and driven by a dream to serve with heart.
As our efforts grew, so did our conviction—it was time to give our work a name, a face, and a future. That’s when Anaya’s Care was born. Not as a formal organisation, but as a heartfelt movement of compassion.
We began (and still continue) by funding our outreach from our own pockets—using our savings from regular 8–5 jobs. From the beginning, a few dear friends supported us when they could. We’re especially grateful to Matt Grill, the founder of BSharp Tech in Australia, whose generous support helped bring our website to life—a true act of kindness across borders.
What started as a simple call to “Be a Blessing” grew into something more:
Bringing Hope. Changing Lives. Be a Blessing.
This became not just our tagline, but our mission.
At its core, Anaya’s Care is compassion in action.
We don’t always have much—but we give what we can.
We don’t always know what tomorrow brings—but we show up anyway.
Because to us, being a blessing means being present—for each other, for our community, and for those the world too often overlooks.
