Vol 42 Issue 5
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ALPHA PHI OMEGA GREATER LOS ANGELES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
May 2022
F E E D I N G A M E R I C A S E R V I C E On Saturday, April 16, 2022, APOGLA returned to render service to the community at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. This marks our second service to the community for the year 2022 and was led by Sis Petchi Petreaca. APOGLA volunteers at the recent Feeding America Service project
APOGLA Camping: A Wholesome F amil y Experience! Famil amily By Bro. Toti Ayo
Our Annual Family Camping, now on its 37th year (two years lost to pandemic) IS BACK! It was during the ‘renaissance period’ in our Association’s history - the latter part of 1984, when a group of some twenty brothers and sisters thought that it was time to do some more meaningful activities with then the APOAA of Southern California, established 1980. It has to be noted that most of us were relatively new migrants in this land called America. . . These brothers and sisters decided to re-activate and re-commit themselves to do something that will hopefully provide them with some self-satisfaction in an effort to build an organization that can stand the test of time. We were certain with one thing this time around. Family values shall be the core - front and center. We had to be a family-oriented organization if we were to succeed. While most of us were then unmarried, new immigrants in a foreign land, naïve in many ways so to speak, gradually, we were starting to build families of our own. Noteworthy to mention, after one of our monthly meetings in early 1985 at Pizza Hut on Beverly Blvd and Normandie in Los Angeles, a few of us proceeded to our late Brother Bonjie Ingco’s nearby apartment in Mariposa. It was in that gathering that Brother Christian brought out the idea of a family camping. We got excited! Being with the US Navy at that time, he offered to provide camping tents for most of us who didn’t have one - ten dollars rental per tent. However, he didn’t provide nor mentioned to us the need for an air mattress J . . .For first time campers like Racquel and myself, we didn’t know what to expect. We were only sure of one thing though: that it will be exciting and that we were going to have fun in the company of some thirty individuals - including family members. My eldest son Patrick, was then three months old in his mom’s pregnancy. It was a struggle to sleep on a rough and rugged ground with one’s back on the tent’s canvass floor, that’s for sure. No one told us to bring an air mattress! We could only laugh when we look back. Continued on page 3
APOGLA volunteers began the day with a hearty and delicious breakfast of tapa, longganisa, scrambled eggs and rice provided by our Bro VP Roland and Gie Paras. At 9AM, volunteers were ushered into the warehouse for orientation and volunteer assignments. For 4 hours, 38 APOGLA members and family members sorted and packaged shelf-stable goods such as canned goods, beans, peanut butter, pasta for distribution to families and individuals facing food insecurity. We helped the LA Regional Food Bank prepare 7,296 kits this day! APOGLA has been volunteering almost every year at the Los Angeles Food Bank. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has worked to Continued on page 4