Odette on SM Supermalls' and SM Foundation's minds

Volunteerism comes in many shapes and sizes; with the capacity to help, the logistics one has on hand, among the determining factors to the effort mustered to be of assistance. So I love how SM Supermalls and SM Foundation, Inc. acted quickly to accept donations at all their malls, and to provide immediate relief and shelter to the Typhoon Odette-hit areas.

SM Operation Tulong

Through it’s Operation Tulong Express program, SM Foundation Inc. is providing tens of thousands of Kalinga care and relief packs—consisting of rice, bottled water and other essentials—to over 5,000 families in Butuan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Iloilo.

SM Operation Tulong

The SM Malls in Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, and Puerto Princesa stayed operational, and provided temporary shelter to customers and nearby residents by offering free WiFi, charging stations, drinking water, light snacks, free overnight parking, and help desks. To those affected by the typhoon in these areas, this was truly welcome—and seeing the photos of the damage caused by the typhoon, we can easily imagine how these malls became veritable safe havens.

As SM Supermalls President Steven Tan shared, “Our malls always serve as temporary shelter during critical times to serve our communities’ needs. We are always ready to help those most vulnerable in the affected disaster areas and deploy our Operation Tulong Express outreach program immediately.” Its’ this strong sense of community wherever their malls are located, that shows us SM Supermalls isn’t just a place of commerce and business, but also has a beating heart.

SM Operation Tulong Express

Donations for the communities affected by Typhoon Odette are being accepted in the 86 SM malls nationwide, including 8 SMDC malls. There are three ways to give and help through

• cash donation boxes located at the SM Cares Bears of Joy booths and mall entrances.

• direct deposits to the Philippine Red Cross (Account name: Philippine Red Cross, Banco de Oro, Account Number 012928001854, Swift code BNORPHMM).

• scanning the PRC QR codes (see poster).

All proceeds go directly through the PRC, a partner of SM Cares, and of the SM Foundation, Inc.

It’s in the aftermath of such natural disasters that the real work for assistance and recovery become crucial. Too often, as the typhoon leaves our area of responsibility, our attention and efforts waver—and that’s the period when sustained help is required. Keeping our attention is important here, and it’s encouraging to see how SM understands this.

Source: https://mb.com.ph/2021/12/22/odette-on-sm-supermalls-and-sm-foundations-minds/