The 2016 PASS Annual Calendar Moms, Dads & Grandmas Awards

Robert Chavez, owner and stylist of Not Just Haircuts Salon had a queue of lovely women waiting to get their hair and makeup done at the empty meeting space next to the ballroom, as Anita Rosa, PASS Secretary, waited her turn like the rest. Lourdes Livas, Board of Director and officer, was beautiful and classy in her original Ramon Lazarro bright, fuschia couture gown as she dashed back and forth between both rooms to check on the candidates and to coordinate the program with me, while Angie Francisco in a sexy, see through outfit made sure that the seating, payment and table arrangements were taken cared of. Sequined, bedazzled and beaded gowns hung from a rolling clothes rack, as nervous participants fitted and fussed over their attire for that night’s biggest event for the Pilipino American Senior Services (PASS) and Human Resources Center ‘s (HRC) awarding of their “ 2016 Calendar Moms, Dads, and Grandmas” at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois last December 5th, 2015.

Yes, that night was a big deal for PASS officers and awardees alike. This was a great opportunity for civic minded, community focused ladies and gents to do something to help the PASS Center on Irving Park Road to raise additional funds to supplement government aid to our senior “kababayans” that avail of the center’s food pantry and other social services. These much needed activities for the elderly population include emergency food assistance, legal aid assistance, health awareness programs, nutrition and counseling, job networking, recreation and cultural arts, assistance with public aid and housing applications and referral assistance to other agencies that can help with their needs.

PASS has three main functions. First and foremost, it is an official host agency of the Illinois Department of Human Services. It has been sanctioned to provide emergency food assistance programs and is tasked with distributing food from their pantry to qualified families from Monday to Friday, at the PASS headquarters at 1511 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago, Illinois 60613. They are open from 10am to 3:00pm. Their phone number is (773) 296-4532.

Secondly, it is a designated activity center for senior citizens every Wednesday and Friday. On these days, the elderly can avail of a free lunch, prepared lovingly by volunteers at the center. On these days, they are encouraged to engage in physical exercise, participate in fun games with other seniors and a health clinic is open for free evaluation by medical personnel.

Third and more importantly, it is a service agency for the Greater Chicago Food Depository and as such, PASS gives away 4000 to 6000 pounds to food every month to deserving seniors and their qualified families, currently numbering 150 to 250 families and about 600 to 800 individuals including children. This is a huge blessing to the needy, elderly Filipinos, and a center worth preserving for years to come.

The PASS-HRC is a non-profit 501-C3 tax exempt organization that was founded two decades ago under the leadership of its current President and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Virgilio Jonson who had the vision of working with other community leaders to provide help and assistance to Pilipino Americans along with other ethnic neighbors. It has grown and flourished under the tireless work of its Board of Directors of twenty five members and its current officers including Vice President Art Dilay, Secretary Anita Rosa, Treasurer Ralph Sirianni, Auditor Susan Silvano and Public Relations Officer Faye Mendiola. But as of the last few years, the tireless force behind the scenes has been the Dragon Lady fighting to keep the food pantry organized and stocked, boldly asking for donations and sponsorships from various businesses, plus re-vamping the “Calendar Moms, Dads and Grandmas” to attract younger and more energetic candidates to participate. This is the dynamic lady, Ms. Angie Francisco, the Executive Director and Manager for PASS-HRC, whose effort and tenacity have earned her both praise and criticism alike. Still, no one can deny the success of her methods, and in the end, the bottom line tells the story, and with PASS-HRC’s healthy spreadsheet, her dedication and hard has certainly been a huge benefit to PASS-HRC.

I was honored to be asked to emcee the event for the second year in a row, and I was happy to introduce the 2016 awardees. They were January Calendar Mom Ms. Rose Granson Lee, a nurse and an educator, February is homemaker Mrs. Razel Buckner, March is another wife and mother, Mrs.Lourdes Gamez, April is Mrs. Gemma Esmalla-Kosanam, a nurse with Presence Saint Mary and Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, May is appropriate for Ms. May Diamante, a visiting nurse at Allied Home Health and a Nursing Director with Caring Angels, June is Ms. Lorraine Lucas, owner of The Good Shepherd Home Care, as well as a former attorney with the Philippine Department of Justice, July is Ms. Jocelyn Pon Darcera, a Management Graduate originally from Zamboanga City, August is Ms. Esmena Cuenco, an avid dancer that works for Lutheran Hospital, Septemebr is Ms. Bibiana Urich a nurse from Samar that owns a towing company with her husband Joe (2016 Calendar Dad) in Bourbonnais, Illinois, October is Ms. Maricor Lacaya, another nurse and successful home health agency entrepreneur, November is Ms. Adasil Suchwani, a former employee of General Electric, and December is Ms. Zenella “Nell” Frias, no stranger to the community, former teacher at the Ateneo University in Manila and owner of Creative Imprints Plus with her husband Lain.

The Calendar Dads were Gulf War Veteran Officer Benhur Imperial, married to Arlene, Jun Pepino, an engineer from Surigao Norte married to Luz, Joe Urich of Bourbannais, Illinois, businessman married to September Calendar Mom Bibiana, and Domingo Tablate, hotel union representative officer and currently the Food & Beverage Manager for the Wyndham Glenview Suites Hotel.

Calendar “Lolas” or Grandmas were Mrs. Teodora Aricheta , a retired teacher and graduate of the Far Eastern University in Manila, Mrs. Tolentina Berrios, a La Consolacion College alumna in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Pharmacy Assistant, and Mrs. Pilar Reyes, a dynamic lady with no plans of stopping any time soon.

They all wore their evening gowns regally, carried themselves with pomp and grace and the best thing was, with the help of family, friends and sponsors that cheered them on, they helped raise funds for PASS that night. On hand to help honor these Calendar awardees were Vice Consul Romulo Victor Israel Jr. who represented the Philippine Consulate Office of Chicago and Consul General Generoso Calonghe who was committed elsewhere, and the dashing Mark Dietzen, Outreach Coordinator for Illinois Senator Mark Kirk’s office.

It was a great and wonderful night for all, and PASS-HRC would like to thank the newly awarded participants of the “2016 Calendar Moms, Dads and Grandmas”, the attendees, sponsors, donors, volunteers, their President Dr. Virgilio Jonson for his leadership, the board of Directors and Officers for their support and help, and Ms. Angie Francisco, for her dedication and consistent hard work. Without all of them, the event would not have been the success that it was.

This Christmas season, as I had said at the beginning of the event, PASS-HRC is still urging everyone in our Pilipino-American community of Chicago to come and visit the PASS-HRC center to donate, volunteer or help with the seniors. If anything else, this will teach the younger members of your families the joy of volunteer work, of reaching out to help the less fortunate and to imbue in them a true sense of what giving really means. They accept donations of none-perishable food items, gently used wither clothing and new toys for the poor families that cannot afford to go Christmas shopping for their kids. Please call the number for information and the address is also provided for you in this article.

PASS-HRC continues to live up to its humanitarian mission, and it is our job as fellow “kababayans” to make sure that we support its role in our community to help the unfortunate and take care of our elderly, especially this Christmas. Thank you for your future donations… “Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!” (Merry Christmas to All).