Kindness in every jar
When I was a child, summers were simpler. At this time of the year, a visit to Baguio—the summer capital—was almost certain. Walks down Session Road, visits to the local market, horseback rides in Wright Park, boating in Burnham Park, and mini golf at Camp John Hay. And always, before heading home, ube and strawberry jam from Good Shepherd.
We enjoyed our jams with little thought. To me, they were simply part of those trips—something we brought home, something we shared, something that made Baguio linger a little longer.
Only much later did I come to understand that there is more to their jams than just sweetness.
For women and children in need
If you have been enjoying Good Shepherd’s ube and strawberry jam, then you have been extending a hand long before you knew. Every product, made by praying hands, carries a purpose far deeper than simply being spread on bread for our enjoyment.
Its meaning goes beyond what we first imagine.
The Religious of the Good Shepherd and the St. Mary Euphrasia Integrated Development Foundation, Inc. communities across the country quietly care for women and children in difficult circumstances. Every jar, every cookie, every cashew brittle, snowball, and choco flakes quietly support women and children in need.
New life, newfound purpose
Their facilities, through the care of the religious, begin to feel like home. They become places of refuge where one can feel safe, sometimes for the first time in a long while.
Many are survivors of abuse—some of trafficking, others of prostitution, and increasingly, victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation. Some are young girls at risk, or children who have had to grow up too soon. Others are women displaced, forced to migrate, or left with very little and no clear way forward. Many arrive carrying stories too difficult to tell.
And this is where their ministry truly begins. Through the care and protection of the sisters and their Partners in Mission who serve alongside them, armed with faith and patience, and with the element of time, healing takes place.
New beginnings gently unfold. Lives are rebuilt through education, newly acquired skills, and livelihood programs. The children in their care go back to school and are given the chance to learn, to grow, and to imagine a bright future.
The women are guided back into society, not only through education but also through new skills and livelihood, and are given the ability to earn and stand on their own. They learn to trust their hands again—to cook, to prepare, to create.
Slowly, transformation begins. A newfound confidence, a renewed sense of self, and dignity gently restored.
Uplifting others
And perhaps, in reflection, this too is what Lent asked of us—beyond fasting and abstinence—to take part, in whatever way we can, in uplifting others.
Jam, once simply part of our memories, spread atop toast and butter, can now become a quiet way of caring for someone we may never meet. Same jar, same sweetness, but only this time, with a little more meaning.
This Easter and beyond, let us, with intention, keep a jar of Good Shepherd as a simple and delicious way of giving.
For orders, send a message to 09454605364 or to Tindahan ng Pastol on Facebook
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