Los Angeles, CA – This Spring, GK 1 World Foundation (dba Gawad Kalinga USA), in cooperation with Seafood City, will host the Hope Summit 2016, a three-day event on March 4-6 at Radisson Hotel Los Angeles at USC. A team from the GK global network that includes GK founding father Tony Meloto and GK Executive Director Jose Luis Oquinena, along with social entrepreneurs, will lead discussions on inspiring social innovations toward sustainable transformation. Leaders and advocates of GK in the United States will share collaborative solutions to attaining their mission. Gawad Kalinga, headquartered in Manila, aims to end poverty for five million families by 2024. In the United States, GK is officially represented by GK USA, a 501 ©(3) not-for-profit organization registered in California.
The event aims to bring together 200 of GK’s existing strategic supporters and welcome new partners. Rod and Tess Castro, Summit leads, say the event will be a celebration of the strides made employing GK’s model of Social Transformation in ending poverty in the Philippines. Partners and GK friends will re-connect as they revisit GK’s history and propel plans in delivering results-oriented programs and projects.
While the Philippine economy is rising steadily and is one of the fastest growing in the world today, GK has been recognized as one of the most credible organizations that is dedicated to ensuring that the poor are not left behind. GK has now evolved as a global movement, with a large philanthropy platform spanning over 2,500 villages in the Philippines and southeast Asia and taking the lead in post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction and community building. It has also expanded to sustainability, creating hybrid, innovative systems to discover and pursue radical solutions to end poverty.
Registration fee for this 3-day event is $200 per person. Students can avail of a discounted rate of $100. The registration fee includes all workshops and meals and a dinner dance featuring esteemed talents and GK supporters including Tateng Katindig, Ner de Leon, Mon David, Val Villar, and other surprise guests. To register, visit www.gk-usa.org.
Earlier this year, GK USA announced its new leadership and location in La Mirada, California. Dr. Jose Raffinan Jr. of Tampa, Florida is Board Chairman. Maricel Villanueva of LA, California has been appointed Executive Director. Raffinan, popularly known as Tito Jun among GK volunteers, has been a long-time GK worker and advocate and has served as member of the Board since 2009. On the other hand, Villanueva is one of the first volunteers of GK in the United States. Former Chairman Tony Olaes remains in the Board of Directors. The other Board members are Dr. Eustaquio Abay; Dr. Mark Asperilla; Dr. Primo Andres; Dr. Carlos Capati; Dr. Wilfrido Feleciano; Mr. Rick Munda; Mr. Sonny Ramirez; and Ms. Carol Tulud.
The new Board is committed to continue the work of GK in the United States. “In pursuing our mission, we may find our actions springing from different fountainheads; to give back, to search for our identity, to leave a legacy to our children, to be patriotic, to be our brother’s keeper,” said Dr. Raffinan.
The leadership of GK USA extends its invitation to all to join the GK network as future collaborators while building bridges between the Philippines and the United States in sustaining HOPE for a kinder, fairer, safer, happier world; building a HOME for all; and expanding the HUB for social enterprises as sustainable models for ending poverty.
Gawad Kalinga, translated in English meaning to “give care”, is a Philippine-based movement that aims to end poverty by first restoring the dignity of the poor. It employs an integrated and holistic approach to empowerment with value-formation and leadership development at its core. Established in 2003, the Foundation currently works with over 2,500 communities and has been recognized as a 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and 2012 Skoll Awardee for Social Entrepreneurship.