In response to the growing social and health care needs of the people within its community, we, the body of believers of Sampaloc Bible Christian Community (SBCC) envisioned the development of Sagip Community Life Center Inc. (Sagip CLC) – a non-profit organization that will provide specialty medical and dental services to the poor.
In November 2016, this vision was put into motion when Sagip CLC was officially registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines.
OUR VISION
The mission of SBCC is to build lives and transform communities.
Situated right in the heart of the University Belt in Sampaloc, Manila – the church is strategically positioned to reach and minister to thousands of students and to the growing urban poor communities that gravitate in the area in search of opportunities to earn a living.
Through its many missions and social ministries over the years, SBCC has established a very strong connection with its neighbors. In fact, majority of our worship attenders are students, women, and children from the surrounding communities. We are indeed very privileged to call ourselves “A Church of the Poor.”
Increasing urban poverty results in increasing healthcare problems.
In a comprehensive health survey we conducted in May 2016, we discovered that overwhelming health care needs are not being met by both the public and private sectors. Increasing urban poverty results in increasing problems in urban health care.
Many think that people who dwell in urban areas have easier access to health services and are better off than their rural counterparts. But it is not always so. Research shows that long-term illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease are much more common among the urban poor.
In our survey, 46% and 16% of households have at least one family member with hypertension and diabetes, respectively – most of whom do not see a doctor regularly or take maintenance medications because they simply cannot afford it. The urban poor, in fact grapple with complex issues such as inability to pay for goods and services; lack of social support systems; unhealthy and unsafe living conditions; homelessness; unhealthy food options; exposure to crimes and violence; and powerlessness. In our community, many may have never seen a medical specialist in their lifetime.
The vision of Sagip Community Life Center is to see families and communities affected by poverty become healthier, empowered, and transformed by the love of Christ.
OUR PLAN
Our goal is to build a well-equipped health facility that provides high-quality specialized medical and dental services that are otherwise inaccessible to the urban poor.
Most public health clinics only give primary or basic health care services but many families have members who need specialists like pediatricians, eye doctors, internists, bone doctors, and many others. We want these types of care to be available to them.
In our study, we also found out that many Christian health providers (and specialists) are very much willing to volunteer and serve people for free; they just need a good avenue to do so.
Sagip CLC is not just an ordinary clinic. Sagip CLC is a home.
OUR NEEDS
As a result of the generous support of some of the SBCC members – the LORD has blessed us with a seed funding of $14,000 to properly implement our development and resource building plan. We were also given access to a highly-affordable 300 square-meter building space that is very accessible to our target communities. We also have a highly-engaged board of governors and a big group of professional volunteers in our development teams.
Join us as we bring to God following needs:
Pharmaceuticals. Access to free and affordable medicines is a significant challenge in many poor communities. In our survey, 40.33% of families cannot fully afford prescribed medications.
Staff and Volunteers. The center is run by a few regular staff and mostly volunteer providers. While we have already connected with some organizations, Mary Johnston Hospital, and individuals who are excited to serve in the clinic, a steady inflow of volunteers is highly appreciated.
Financial Needs. In order to be fully operational – the center needs to raise $50,000 yearly funding for operations broken down as follows: personnel (35%), utilities (12%), pharmaceuticals (12%), supplies (10%), laboratory assistance (6%), program activities (10%), and resource building (15%).
OUR CAMPAIGN
To address our needs and plans, we are initiating an intensive fundraising effort campaign. Our aim with this important effort is to raise faithful stewards of God’s resources. We want to help people become part of the Kingdom work by becoming generous givers as God wants us to be. By sharing this opportunity to be part of the Sagip CLC ministry or any other ministry, we will help connect people and become rich towards God. We believe that God is the provider of all things and He will meet the needs of any ministry according to His will. As Hudson Taylor puts it, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”
As good stewards of God’s resources – Sagip CLC will ensure that every support and donation you will give will find its intended purpose.
Levels of Support Needed to Succeed. In order to reach our financial target of $50,000 a year to develop and operate the center, we need both a substantial numbers of givers and a few fairly substantial gifts as shown in the table.
Key Partners Ministry. Sagip CLC is seeking twenty (20) people, groups, or organizations who wish to have deeper involvement in our ministry. If you wish to contribute at least $2,000, commit to regularly pray for Sagip, and receive updates from our staff in a more personal way – we encourage you to become a Key Partner. But we also want you to know, that every donation whether big or small is equally valued. In God’s eyes, what matters is that we give with a cheerful heart!
Healing is as essential part of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. In many cases, Jesus’ acts of healing are physical representation of forgiveness of sins such as when He restored the paralytic man (Mark 2:1-12). He also made the eyes of the blind see – not just physically but spiritually.
Healing and redemption go hand in hand and this is what we believe is the call of Sagip CLC: “to heal the sick and save the lost.” We want every patient that experiences Sagip to say as in Jeremiah 17:14, “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”
As believers – we are all called to do this. Let us sow for His Kingdom!
Sagip Community Life Center, Inc is duly registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission Philippines with number CN2016261189.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
