A group of senior and young Filipino artists opened an art exhibit at The Podium in Manila on July 22, aiming to raise funds for the elderly residents of the Josefheim Foundation, a Catholic-run shelter for the neglected and abandoned.
“Thirty percent of the proceeds from the show will go to the residents of the Josefheim Foundation,” said Fidel Malig Sarmiento, president of Sunshine Artists, the group organizing the exhibit.
Titled "Coloring Lives VIII," the exhibit runs from July 22 to 27.
“More than twenty senior artists are exhibiting their paintings,” Sarmiento said. “Some young artists have also joined the show, including children. About a hundred artworks are on display. I hope many people will come to support the show and help the elderly residents of Josefheim.”
He added that Sunshine Artists has been organizing charity exhibits for the past eight years, combining artistic expression with social commitment.
According to Fr. Dari Dioquino, one of the volunteers helping run the Josefheim Foundation, the shelter currently houses 18 elderly residents 12 women and 6 men.
“Some of our residents are paralyzed due to stroke; others are diabetic, mentally challenged, or persons with disabilities,” he said.
The foundation, located in Pililla, a town in Rizal province about 50 kilometers south of Manila, was founded in 2015. It initially operated from a rented house in Marikina City.
Tragedy struck in 2020 when Typhoon Ulysses submerged the rented home in floodwaters.
“The flood reached the second floor,” Fr. Dioquino recalled. “One of our male residents climbed to the roof to escape the rising water. His photos and videos, showing him seeking safety on the rooftop, went viral.”
That heartbreaking incident triggered a wave of generosity. The foundation received donations totaling 6 million pesos (around USD 120,000).
“We used the funds to build our own home on donated land in Pililla,” Fr. Dioquino said.
For Sarmiento and his fellow artists, the exhibit is more than just a display of talent.
“We invite people to visit the show, support the elderly in the shelter, and maybe bring home a painting,” he said.
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