Acumen Tribe members spend time away from work, engaging in a shared experience of bringing a little joy and kindness to Bahay Kanlungan’s elderly.
In just several months of joining Acumen as part of the People Team, I can say I have met the brightest people in the consulting industry. Their intellectual horsepower is palpable, but they are also a fun-loving Tribe.
When we, in HR, proposed to have a fun, no-brainer day away from work, we were thinking of bowling or other typical group leisure activities. But we were pleasantly surprised when majority voted to do an outreach for the elderly.
In partnership with Compassionate Community Kitchen (CCK), the Acumen Tribe visited Bahay Kanlungan in Muntinlupa City. It is a facility that provides care for abandoned elderly people.
The lolos and lolas there played games with us, decorated cookies with us and even indulged us in a light Zumba workout led by one of our very own Tribe members.
As lunch time approached, some Acumen volunteers helped in distributing the nutritious food prepared by the CCK team. Some volunteered to feed the elderly who are bedridden and had to stay in their rooms. Most of us stayed in the activity room and assisted the lolos and lolas while they ate. It was a precious moment listening and exchanging stories with them — a privilege knowing about their journey through life.
It was refreshing to see the Acumen tribe in a non-work setting, but what made the day even more special was knowing that these very busy people chose to spend their time with the elderly and show them compassion.
As we were informed by the Bahay Kanlungan staff, the lolos and lolas have no families to care for them and were turned over to the facility either by the barangays or Muntinlupa Hospital. It makes them really happy when they get visitors who interact with them. At the end of our visit, we felt that we
were the ones blessed for having that opportunity to serve the lolos and lolas.
We were also grateful for the chance to meet the other Tribe members and engage in a meaningful experience together. Personally, I felt proud at that moment to be part of the Acumen Tribe — a Tribe with a heart big enough to enable organizations transform AND do small acts of kindness to give back to the community.
Written By: Ayen Meñez, People Management Consultant - Acumen Strategy Consultants
Ayen is an HR Professional with a demonstrated history of doing end-to-end HR for fast-growing local companies.
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