With a mission to bring joy to the communities, The SM Store surprised students and teachers of Inigan Elementary School with new toys, books, and school supplies.
Inigan Elementary School is one of the last mile schools in Rodriguez, Rizal. Just two to three hours of travel time from Manila, one can view the Sierra Madre Mountain range and the watershed of the Wawa Dam from this community.While the town is close to Manila, it is challenging to bring aid and supplies, as one must trek for hours or ride a banca to get to Sitio Inigan.
A day before Christmas, SM, together with the teachers and parents, set up shop in the school to bring Holiday cheer to the kids of Inigan Elementary School. Children and their parents enthusiastically waited for their turns to “shop for free” or pick among the action figures, board games, and educational toys from Hasbro's Share A Gift campaign.
Last year, Hasbro launched Share A Gift in partnership with The SM Store and the Toy Kingdom. From July 30 to September 30, a portion of sales from selected Hasbro merchandise purchased from The SM Store and the Toy Kingdom went to the Share A Gift program to buy toys and activity materials for children ages 3 to 15 years old. Share A Gift gathered toys and activity materials for 200 children from the partner communities of The SM Store and Hasbro.
Before entering the classroom filled with toys and school supplies, children and their parents were guided to check their temperature and sanitize their hands using thermometers and automatic alcohol dispensers donated by The SM Store to observe safety protocols. The children received backpacks and school supply kits which contained writing pads, rulers, notebooks, and writing materials from the Stationery Department of The SM Store. Books from The SM Store’s Donate A Book program were also given to rebuild the school’s library destroyed by typhoon Ulysses in 2020.
Kairee, a grade 5 student who hopes to be a flight attendant someday, shares, “Masaya po nanakatanggap kami ng school supplies para makatulongsapag-aaralnamin at sapagsagotsamodules.”
"Salamat po sa SM, makakapaglaro kami ng kapatid ko," exclaimed ZayrhusSolina, one of the top Grade 1 students.
“Malaki ang tulong na maibibigay ng initiative na ito ngThe SM Store lalo na sa mga mag-aaral. Mabu-boost ang morale nila, hindi sila mawawalan ng pag-asa, at hindi sila male-left behind, kasi kung anuman ang nagagamit ng mga bata sa bayan ay magagamit rin ng mga bata dito sa kabundukan,” said Sheilini Buenaflor, Teacher-In-Charge at Inigan Elementary School.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community. Seeing the smiles of the children and their parents made all the effort worth it,” shared Carmina Torres, The SM Store volunteer.
Inigan Elementary School is just one of the beneficiaries of The SM Store community programs. In addition to Share A Gift with Hasbro, The SM Store recently distributed books from its Donate A Book Program to over 100 schools and communities nationwide and will soon visit more communities to distribute donations from its Share A Toy campaign. These annual programs are made possible through the generosity of customers and partners who have been taking part in The SM Store’s outreach activities by donating clothes, shoes, books, learning materials, and toys.
For more information, visit The SM Store’s website.