All efforts, no matter how small, can lead to better lives for Filipinos—as long as it is done together. This is the belief of Udenna Corporation Chairman and CEO Dennis Uy. This is also the core call to action that has driven U Care, U Share, the program of Udenna Foundation that aims to help communities during times of need—particularly as the country continues to feel the adverse effects of natural calamities and the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is also what led the Udenna Foundation to carry out efforts to provide immediate aid to victims of Typhoon Odette. The Foundation also committed to planting trees equivalent to the number of donation boxes filled for victims of Typhoon Odette. Considered the strongest storm surge to hit the country last year, Typhoon Odette made landfall in the Philippines in December 2021. Reports said that over nine million people were seriously affected by the typhoon, with over 1.5 million houses damaged or destroyed.

The Udenna Foundation was one of the first responders to provide assistance to those affected by Typhoon Odette, utilizing the companies under its umbrella to give multi-faceted support to people and communities in need of aid.

With the help of the Philippine Air Force Civil-Military Operations Group, Udenna Foundation, via its U Care, U Share initiative, donated 150 donation boxes to different communities. The donation boxes contained essentials such as rice, drinking water, folding mats, towels, clothes, and toiletries to help people recover from the damage of typhoon Odette.

DITO Telecommunity also provided Typhoon Odette first responders with 1,000 preloaded SIM cards to help coordinate relief and recovery missions by the government. In addition, DITO donated 500 pre-loaded SIM cards to different communities in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental to help affected individuals stay connected with their families and loved ones.

Meanwhile, Phoenix Petroleum moved lorry trucks and drivers from its depots in Mindanao and Cebu to deploy gensets in retail sites to support operations in the province. Phoenix also provided Cebu Water with fuel to help them cater to the water needs of affected individuals. The fuel company also donated LPG products to aid in the feeding programs for typhoon victims in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte.

Chelsea Logistics, UDENNA's shipping and logistics arm, prioritized cargo intended for relief operations and helped transport necessities such as potable water and basic goods to communities hit by the typhoon.

Months after Typhoon Odette hit, Udenna Foundation continued to extend help to those still in need of basic supplies via Operation Smile's Oplan Smile Calamity Relief operation on April 4, 2022. Worklink Services, Inc., the logistics arm of the group, helped transport 445 boxes of relief goods which contained drinking water, medicines, hygiene kits, clothes, face masks, and food items.

On May 17, 2022, Udenna Foundation participated in the Good Deeds 2022 event, a global event that encourages people from all over the world to do good deeds for one day—a demonstration of how simple acts of kindness can be carried out by ordinary people. For this project, Udenna Foundation partnered with non-profit organization Hands on Manila to distribute 200 backpacks with educational kits to students from Espoir School of Life in Siargao Island in Del Carmen, Surigao Del Norte.

The Udenna Foundation focuses on delivering where help matters, said Udenna Foundation President Cherylyn C. Uy. This is why, apart from providing immediate help during calamities, Udenna also makes an effort to help preserve the environment, an issue that also requires urgent action.

With this, the Udenna Foundation partnered with the Global Gateway Development Corporation, among others, to plant 160 seedlings at the Clark Wastewater Facility.

“It’s heartening to see our team so passionate about helping create a positive impact on the environment, even in their own simple way. As we always say, all efforts, no matter how small, done together can lead to better lives for the Filipino,” said Dennis Uy, Chairman and CEO of the Udenna Group.

With Calaca Industrial Seaport Corporation, Chelsea Logistics, Malampaya Foundation, UC38 LLC, and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of the City of Calaca, Udenna Foundation’s U Care, U Share also recently planted 600 seedlings at the Calaca Seaport in Calaca, Batangas—quadruple its initial commitment of planting 150 seedings.

Ever since its establishment in 2002, UDENNA has embodied the Filipino passion to grow and achieve as a vital partner in nation-building. Udenna Foundation is the CSR arm of Udenna Corporation that aims to find synergies among the Group’s different companies to engage in projects and activities that help Filipinos in need, especially in the areas of education, environment conservation, and helping marginalized groups.

This is a corporate version of Bayanihan at work, said Uy. And the Udenna Foundation hopes that these acts of kindness ignite a spark in those who have the heart to help where they can. Kindness is contagious, after all. One small act of compassion or generosity can make a huge impact on the world more than you realize. It's the ripple effect of kindness that will make waves and transform lives for the better. 

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This story originally appeared on Esquire.