Service Programs
To cultivate the spirit of one family under God, UPF offers disaster relief and organizes service projects such as caring for public spaces, supporting access to education, promoting good health, and providing medical supplies.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Manila, Philippines - “It completes me as a person and it helps the people to be aware of the great possibilities to realize peace in our country by doing these simple activities,” said Patrixia Santos, a pageant delegate from Bicol University. Delegates from the Mister and Miss University beauty pageant from 24 universities of the Philippines astonished residents of San Andres Barangay 704 as they offered a day of community service.
- Written by: Paul Byrne, IRFF Supporting Success Scholarship Fund Director
New York, USA - The Supporting Success Scholarship Fund raised $11,000 through www.globalgiving.com in 2008 to help gifted students from poverty-stricken families in the community of Mackenzie, Zambia.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Philippines - There’s a saying, “beauty is skin deep.” Well, the Mister and Miss University (MMU) beauty pageant is a contest that’s more than skin deep. On December 6, in fact, the pageant began to look inside the human heart to uncover the character, moral values and the depth of public-mindedness in each of the 46 candidates representing 24 colleges and universities throughout the Philippines.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Marikina City, Philippines - Nearly 2,000 students cleaned, painted, fed children and the elderly, played games, and offered medical assistance on Dec. 6, 2008, in Marikina City.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Manila, Philippines - Students in Manila worked together to clean a historic wall at Balluarte de San Andres in Intramuros, Manila.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Manila, Philippines - Over 21,000 students of the National Service Training Program from 21 colleges and universities in the Philippines joined five national and international NGOs and cadets from ROTC to begin a tidal wave of change, for themselves and their nation.
- Written by: Robert Kittel, Director of Peace Education, UPF-Asia
Manila, Philippines - You’ve heard of micro-financing. But, how about micro-development? A powerful force for social change joins community development, building inter-religious harmony and volunteerism all at the micro level. International Volunteers Day, December 5, was originally established by the UN General Assembly in 1985. And certainly, organizations such as the Red Cross and Caritas are doing extraordinary jobs.
- Written by: Rev. Mark Farr, Points of Light Institute
Washington, DC, USA - The Global Peace Festival in Washington, DC, on August 9, 2008 was a kick-off to a sustained US campaign in many other cities. A key theme and challenge to those mobilized by the Festival campaign was a call to “A Million Acts of Service and Kindness.”
- Written by: GPF-Brazil
Itapecerica de Serra, São Paulo - A social impact project was held in the city of Itapecerica da Serra, São Paulo, on November 23. Approximately 50 people participated, including representatives from different associations and churches in the region: Assembly of God, Itapecerica Family Federation, the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principle-Brazil, and the city hall.
- Written by: Hannali Karlsson and Sergej Schellen, GPF-UK
London, United Kingdom - In the spirit of preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games, clean-up projects took place in East London in October and November 2008.
- Written by: Gerard Roberts, UPF-Australia
Sydney, Australia - The 4th Living for Others Awards Presentations was held on October 25th, in Sydney's Western Suburbs.
- Written by: Thomas Schellen, Secretary-General, UPF-Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon - Students in Beirut organize seven projects building connections among people of Lebanon's diverse communal groups during a weekend of service Nov. 14-16, 2008.