By: GK1MB Bulletin

Everyone in the GK community has heard of Jonathan. He is the guy who graduated from Loyola University and joined the 1st batch of GK Builder's Corps in the Philippines. Three years have passed and he continues to work passionately for GK full time. He is also pursuing his Masters in International Public Service at DePaul. Jonathan's heart of service is an inspiration to me and a great example of being a blessing to the poor.

Ish: You introduced GKCU to over a hundred students this weekend, what is it?

Jonathan: GKCU stands for Gawad Kalinga Colleges & Universities. GK is the heart and GKCU is the science that will help young people get involved. It is the student led movement of GK in the U.S. to end poverty through research, volunteering, and creating awareness. The aim is to develop leaders that are aware of global issues and strive to address these issues in creative ways on their campuses and around the world.

Ish: What are the most exciting projects occurring in GKCU right now?

Jonathan: There are so many stories to tell but to name a few, MIT launched an engineering challenge where students innovate to build a GK house that can sustain 250km/hour in the most eco-friendly and economic way. UCLA is developing strong partnerships where the School of Public Health will be sending students on medical missions and build trips regularly. Another is GK Hope Institute in Singapore where thousands of students are being sent to the Philippines to research and volunteer.

Ish: What's the future of GKCU?

Jonathan: The capacity is infinite. GKCU shows hope for a better world. The growing interest and initiative of the youth is significant. It gives them a heart of service. Less for self, more for others, and enough for all.

Welcome to the home of heroes of Gawad Kalinga Butuan, I believe this site has been long overdue, knowing that for almost a decade now, we have done so much for Butuan & Agusan del Norte in terms of reaching out to our least brethren who are truly in need of hope & help in allowing them to dream once more thereby allowing us to be part in building that dream, a dream of a future full of hope. Allow me as well to mention that most of us GK volunteers of Butuan had been instrumental, & I believe will always be, in the opening up of different villages in the region outside of Butuan/Agusan del Norte & more importantly was able to inspire other volunteers in those areas as the same time bringing out the heroism in them.

As a maiden post to this refuge, allow me to honor all of the UNSUNG living heroes of GK Butuan, who like the very source of our inspiration, would put to stake his life for the sake of the vision of Gawad Kalinga, I honor you all, for despite so much struggle that you have to go through personally, you never for once thought of giving up on the people you’ve come to love and help rise out of that hopeless situation & instead use the very work of loving the least to draw strength in overcoming that struggle. I honor you all for the boldness & courage to stand your ground when persecutions & rejections are hurdled upon you, all because of your deep love for the least. Allow me to quote one of the beatitudes, “Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you & say that you are evil, all because of the Son of Man & His teachings. Be glad when that happens and dance for joy, because a great reward is kept for you in heaven. For their ancestors did the very same things to the prophets”. I honor as well our GK elders who nurtured us like sons & daughters, molding us to love our God and Country with so much passion and conviction, for allowing us to draw so much inspiration & wisdom in doing this great work of Nation & Kingdom building. Most of all, I would like to honor our God for allowing us to see His son Jesus Christ in the poor that we give care, our very reason for doing this work, for allowing us to put to action our faith in Him, for praising Him in a concrete way, for allowing us to be invited & enlisted in this great work which Christ Himself started more than two thousand years ago and along the way allowing us to endure despite so much reason to give up.

Let this refuge be another source of inspiration for us as we walk the path to Heroism.