Background History
Millie’s Foundation was formed in 2004; we became a company in August 2008 and a registered charity in November 2010. Over the past nine years we have helped and supported over seven thousand individuals and funded a number of projects and programmes. The work we have undertaken has transformed the lives of many individual families and communities.
Since the charity has been up and running we have undertaken seven mission trips to the Philippines. On these journey’s we have given money direct to people in need, given clothes and shoes, enabled their communities to be more self sufficient along with supporting children’s education.
Millie’s Testimony of how she started the Foundation
I first visited the Philippines in 2003; I was invited to attend a Youth and Ladies Conference by Pastor Leroy Pacleb, a local pastor based in the Philippines. My first impression of the Philippine’s was that the local people face great deprivation, there are very few jobs, hence people have low or no income. People struggled to meet their basic care needs, i.e. food, shelter, healthcare, clothing, education etc. Yet I found the people to be one of the warmest and kindest people have ever met. They work so hard even though they have very little, and were so welcoming to visitors by inviting us into their homes which was such a humbling experience.
Some areas in the Philippines are quite dangerous to visit due to radical groups who are Anti-American and Anti-Western. This deters aid agencies from operating in these areas hence there is little support is available to the locals.
Pastor Leroy Pacleb, supports his community by opening his home to children and younger people who have no parents or anyone to care for them. The pastor and his wife will take in these children to be a part of their family, as well as feed, clothe and fund their education. Pastor Leroy Pacleb bears the financial responsibility of the children’s care and he states to never turn a child away. I found this to be a very admirable act. Whilst in the Philippines I also witnessed children searching through rubbish for things to eat or sell, this really unsettled me and I felt that with financial assistance we could address some of these needs.
When I have previously visited country’s I have always sponsored a project or person;
however after my visit to the Philippines I felt that I wanted to offer support and provide hands on assistance. I developed a passion for the people and the place. After my second visit to the Philippine in 2004, I decid ed to write to various churches in the West Midlands asking for their encouragement and whether they could help out in anyway. I realised that I needed other people to get involved, because what was needed was more than I alone could contribute. I did not receive much of a response from this. So I started to ask friends and family members to sponsor individuals, as well as to donate items, such as food, toiletries, clothes and educational equipment etc. This was a success.
I then felt that I needed to formally/ legally register my charity work, hence enquire how to start up the company. Millies Foundation was officially registered in 2008.