Better Your Best With Marivic

Two weeks ago, under clear blue skies and the gentle warmth of fall, we gathered at Juniper Park in Queens, NY for our annual ANCOP Walk, an event that reminds us what truly matters.

• We walked.
• We laughed.
• We gave.
• And more than anything, we were reminded that the best investment isn’t in money. It’s in lives changed.

What Is ANCOP?

ANCOP stands for Answering the Cry of the Poor. It’s a Christian non-profit organization that provides education, housing, and community development programs for the poor, transforming lives through love and faith.

Every dollar raised through ANCOP goes toward helping underprivileged children and families rise from poverty, not just materially, but spiritually.

As we walked together that morning, we carried in our hearts the mission that defines ANCOP: to be God’s hands and feet in this world.

A Story That Touched Every Heart: Raul and Jo’s Journey

During the event, we listened to the powerful testimony of Bro. Raul and Sis. Jo Bravo Cedeño, a couple whose story continues to inspire everyone who hears it.

They both came from humble beginnings in Davao, Philippines. Raul grew up in a swampy squatter area, his home built from scrap materials beside a mansion’s wall. Jo was raised on a small farm, walking miles barefoot through muddy fields to reach school.

Their families had little, but they shared one dream: to finish their studies.

When their fathers passed away early in their lives, that dream seemed even more distant. But God had other plans.

Through the kindness of strangers, one family from Canada and one local businessman, both Raul and Jo were sponsored through school. Those sponsors never met them, but their act of generosity changed the entire course of two young lives.

Raul recalls cleaning school toilets every day as part of his scholarship program, not as a burden, but as a blessing. “I didn’t have to pay tuition,” he said with gratitude. “That was God’s grace at work.”

They both went on to finish college through work-scholarship programs. Raul became a Certified Public Accountant, later working for Coca-Cola Philippines and now serving as Director of Contract Audit for the New York City Department of Transportation. Jo became a teacher, serving children both in the Philippines and the U.S.

Their success story was built on faith, perseverance, and the kindness of others.

“When you sponsor a student,” Raul shared, “you are not just paying tuition. You are creating hope. You are building a life. You are changing a family’s future.”

Today, Bro. Raul and Sis. Jo have sponsored over 20 students, most of them strangers, passing forward the same kindness that once lifted them up.

Every graduation they witness brings them back to where it all began, two poor children who once wondered if they’d ever finish school.

And now, they are living proof that God answers prayers through people willing to say yes.

Hope in Action

There are still over 200 children on the ANCOP website who have been waiting for more than a year, some for over two years, for a sponsor.

Each of them carries a dream: to finish school, to lift their families out of poverty, to serve God through their lives.

You can be the answer to their prayers.

Even the smallest act, like saving a few dollars a week, can change the trajectory of a child’s life.

As Bro. Raul beautifully said:
“The money you give, it’s not an expense. It’s an investment. An investment that yields a return no Wall Street portfolio can match because the interest you earn is eternal.”

Be Part of the Change

If you’ve ever wondered how you can make a difference, this is it. 

Your generosity can transform generations.

Sponsor a child through ANCOP today. Visit here and learn how you can help send a child to school, give them hope, and open doors to a future they never imagined.

Together, let’s keep walking, not just for exercise or fun, but for faith, for love, and for the chance to change lives, one child at a time.

Because the best investment you can ever make… is in a life transformed. 💛