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Volunteers band together to help typhoon victims
- By James Tabafunda
On Oct. 25, Christine Umayam, Child United founder, folds a hooded sweatshirt, which is part of 151 boxes’ worth of emergency supplies going to victims of Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma. (Photo by James Tabafunda/NWAW)
Maureen Francisco, CU’s media director, marks down what type of clothing will be packed into the box during CU’s packing party on Oct. 25. (Photo by James Tabafunda/NWAW)
Providing a light of hope in the Philippines — where floods, poverty, and despair combine to cause tremendous human suffering — is no easy task.
On Sept. 26, Tropical Storm Ketsana dumped record amounts of rain throughout Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, causing many deaths. In the Philippines, Ketsana, or Ondoy as it’s called there, caused the worst flooding in 40 years. Mother Nature wasn’t finished as Typhoon Parma followed on Oct. 3.
Child United (CU) founder and Q13 FOX web content producer Christine Umayam heard reports of the storms and decided “really quickly” that they needed to take action. Her Lynnwood-based nonprofit — with the help of 15 volunteers — filled 50 large boxes with emergency supplies at an all-day packing party on Oct. 25.
CU has filled a total of 151 boxes with relief aid.
The Filipino American will also travel to the typhoon-battered country in November before the relief aid — comprising mostly clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, and toiletries — arrives and is distributed to the victims. Bed sheets donated by the Fairmont Olympic Hotel are also ready to be handed out.
For the children, the volunteers in the Philippines will distribute school supplies and toys. The mission of CU is “to promote education to the poorest children in third-world countries.” The Philippines is the organization's first
country of choice. Other countries, she says, will be added in the future.
While visiting the hardest hit areas in the northern Luzon area, Umayam says she will see if schools and libraries need to be rebuilt.
“How am I supposed to help these children if their families are dying?” said Umayam about CU’s additional program of providing relief aid to typhoon victims. “How am I supposed to help our primary focus when they don’t have anything? Education will always be our number one objective.”
“There will be devastation and relief efforts for the next few months,” said Umayam.
She is there for every step of the way — packing boxes, filling out paperwork, and managing overseas transportation and shipment costs of all 151 boxes – and works with a group of volunteer directors. As for what makes CU unique, she said, “At least, [CU’s donors] know that we’re overseeing everything.” CU’s website states, “We pride ourselves in saying that 100 percent of your donations will go directly to people in need.”
She says she established CU because of the “turning point” of seeing malnourished children during a family vacation to the Philippines. “When I went on that trip, I saw myself in these children, and I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, if things didn’t happen the way that they happened, I could be one of those children, hoping for a chance, hoping for an education,’” she admitted.
“A lot of Asian families don’t believe that they can make that significant of a difference in people’s lives,” said Umayam. “No matter what person you are, you can make a difference in anyone’s life, even if it’s half way around the world.”
Maureen Francisco, CU’s media director and chief executive officer of MOProductions, folded clothes at the packing party. “The people are going to be so thankful,” she said. “It’s amazing how just a little bit of inspiration and hope that you can send to somebody across the world, what a difference it can make.”
On Oct. 23, Typhoon Lupit — a Filipino word for cruel — became the third typhoon to zigzag its way north of the island of Luzon before weakening into a tropical storm. The Philippines gets hit with approximately 20 typhoons a year during the rainy season from June to December, usually moving through the northern part of the country and exiting through the South China Sea.
According to the Associated Press, almost 100 Filipinos have died due to leptospirosis — a disease spread by floodwater contaminated with animal urine. On Oct. 26, United Nations World Food Program Executive Director Josette Sheeran said the country could lose up to 1.1 million tons of rice as a result of the typhoons.
For more information, visit www.childunited.org.
Group packs relief supplies to areas hit by typhoons
Oct. 24, 2009
Bellevue resident and media director for Child United, Maureen Francisco, and volunteers spent Sunday, Oct. 25 packing boxes to send to flood victims overseas.
"The Philippines and Asia have been hit hard by typhoons," Francisco said. "You feel so helpless, but then you think, wait a minute, what can I do to help."
The Sunday effort marks the third weekend the non-profit organization has spend its weekend packing donations given by the community. Child United helps underprivileged children further their education and with the recent typhoons, the non-profit has also included relief effort to those impacted by the flooding.
So far, 101 boxes have been packed to send donations overseas with a goal of 200. The non-profit is asking the community to help send these boxes to the victims. It costs $85 to send one box filled with donations to the Philippines.
- By Joshua Adam Hicks
Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer
Aug. 24, 2009
The first time Maureen Francisco told her parents that she joined a football team, they asked if she was the mascot. Try center. The former high-school cheerleader, standing all of 5-foot 1 and 92 pounds, plays for the Boise Wildfire of The World Bikini Football League (TWBFL).Francisco, who lives in Bellevue, insists size doesn't matter at her position."All I have to do is punt the ball back," she said.So Francisco mixes football jargon and she's a bit small in stature. That doesn't stop her from having success on the field. "I'm one of those secret weapons," she said, noting that she scored a touchdown in her last game, a co-ed event with soldiers at Fort Lewis.
TWBFL is a flag football organization, but there's no lack of rough stuff during competitions. The players describe their sport as a mix of beauty and fierce competition. Francisco suffered a concussion in a
recent game after getting run over by an opposing ball carrier. "Someone basically tackled me as opposed to going around me," she said. "People get competitive and they'll do whatever it takes to win. The emotions really come out."
Bikini football players may get rough with each other in games, but they cooperate when it comes to promoting their league. "On the field and off the field, there are two different things going on," said Portland Tsunami wide receiver Theresa Guerra. "Off the field, everyone supports one thing – getting this league to fly."
TWBFL works by attracting subscribers to its web site. Members get access to photos, blogs, interviews, game videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and the opportunity to mix it up with players at special events.
The league's first regular-season games for the 2009 season took place Aug. 23 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.
TWBFL players come from a variety of backgrounds, with most using the league for publicity. Kent-born Melissa Goad and Federal Way native Christine Hazard, a quarterback-receiver tandem from the Vancouver Yellowjackets, are aspiring actors.Both now live in Southern California, where they're starting a new division for TWBFL. They've already held tryouts for one team in San Diego, and have plans for building another in Los Angeles.Francisco has dabbled in a variety of professions, most of which put her in front of the camera. She worked for years as a broadcast news reporter, appeared on the FOX-TV reality show "Solitary 3.0," became the first contestant on the CBS game show "Power of 10," and acted alongside Goad in the independent film "Eyes in the Dark."Now she's working on a memoir titled "Full Circle," due to come out in September."I'm all about new experiences," she said. "Life is all about layers and doing new things."TWBFL players are generally between 18 and 45 years old, according to Francisco, but there is no age limit.
Seattle Emeralds quarterback Yulian Hancheroff is a 32-year-old gymnastics coach who runs Metropolitan Gymnastics in Kent. She says bikini football gave her an opportunity to be active again in sports after years of instructing. "I've always been athletic, but as you get older, the only thing to do is coach," she said. "This has made me feel young again."
Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bellevuereporter.com
or 425-453-4290
Listen to the interview regarding the TWBFL on KOMO 1000 (Aug. 22, 2009)
Also Interviewed On:
Local women heat up World Bikini Football League
Aug. 15, 2009
The World Bikini Football League (TWBFL) is hosting its first live game 11 a.m. Aug. 23 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. And Federal Way will be well represented. Federal Way resident Elizabeth Dunn plays for the Seattle Emeralds. Former resident and Decatur grad Maureen Francisco plays and is co-captain of the Boise Wildfire. The day consists of six flag football games. Fans also have an opportunity to take pictures and get autographs of the players who reside throughout the Puget Sound area and out of state. General admission is $15, and $8 for children 13 and under and senior citizens. Tickets can be purchased online at www.twbfl.com.
In addition to playing football, these women have day jobs as personal trainers, actors and CEOs of their own businesses.
More fun than they'll have in Afghanistan
- Posted by Scott Fontaine @ 7:04:42 am
Usually any press release that begins, "In honor of the troops from Fort Lewis currently preparing for deployment overseas, The World Bikini Football League…" will catch a reporter’s attention.
But, alas, The News Tribune could not make it to Friday’s event at the Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway, where more than 30 scantily-clad women scrimmaged some Fort Lewis troops from 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. The players also helped put together care packages for troops being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, and J&D's Foods passed out their trademark bacon salt (and supplied a guy in a rockin' bacon outfit).
The folks from the league were kind enough to send along some photos from the event. Click here to check out a few of them.
I'm in the front row. Can you spot me?
Bellevue resident uses vacation to give back
- By Lindsay Larin
Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer
July 06, 2009
For the past week, Bellevue-resident Maureen Francisco has been a long way from the spotlight.
The up-and-coming starlet has worked as a reporter and news anchor, appeared on the reality game show Solitary 3.0 and CBS's primetime game show Power of 10, and is the co-captain of the Boise Wildfire, a professional bikini football team.
When she's not busy chasing her dreams, she's helping others reach theirs by volunteering for Child United, a non-profit organization helping to bring education to children around the world. As a volunteer for Child United, Francisco flew half-way around the world to the Philippines to drop off clothes and supplies to children at the Hospicio de San Jose orphanage, the oldest charitable institution in the Philippines.
Born in the Philippines to humble beginnings, Francisco learned the value of education early on.
"We lived in a small house with 15 people and only one bathroom," she recalled. "It was very Slumdog Millionare. Luckily I had a wonderful family and a mother who always encouraged us to pursue education. I moved to the states when I was six and I vowed if I ever had the opportunity to give back to others, I would."
Francisco now works as the media director for Child United. She has volunteered with the organization since its launch two years ago by founder Christine Umayam.
"Christine went on vacation to the Philippines several years ago and when she returned, she had this new found passion," Francisco explained. "She had this idea that every time we go on vacation we should try to give back to those who are less fortunate in any way we can. Christine took her idea and turned it into Child United. She is truly inspiring."
Francisco's recent trip to the Philippines brought smiles to the children she met at the nearly two-hundred-year-old orphanage, a sanctuary for both orphaned children and abandoned elderly.
"Walking in there breaks your heart, but at the same time, to see the smiles on the kids faces when you hand out the toys and clothing is life changing," she said.
Due to the hefty cost of shipping overseas, Francisco was only able to bring two boxes of donations. She plans to travel back again next year.
"I had so many wonderful friends and people in the community who donated clothing and supplies for me to take, I wish I could have brought more but it cost too much," she explained. "Our next goal is to raise enough money to be able to fill a shipping crate with donations and ship it to the Philippines."
To learn more about Child United and ways to donate or volunteer, visit www.childunited.org.
Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-4602.
Difficulty viewing video, Click Here.
Difficulty viewing video, Click Here.
Jan. 19 - Feb. 9, 2009
Jan. 24, 2009
Jan. 24, 2009Filipino American Competes On Reality Show Solitary 3.0
- By Christine Umayam
Imagine being in complete isolation from the outside world. It’s a mission of survival that tests you both mentally and physically.
“We had no contact with humans, no way to tell time, no I-phone, and internet.” said Maureen Francisco, a Washington resident.
The only form of communication you had was the mysterious voice coming from a green computer screen in the room. The voice gave orders on what to do next.
Francisco is one of nine contestants on Solitary 3.0, a reality television program that will air on the FOX Reality Channel. Francisco was put into a small room and told what to do and those grueling tasks tested her will. She said, “This experience pushed me emotionally, mentally, and physically. I learned that the bar I set for myself, can be raised even higher in survival situations.”
The premise of the show is simple--the last person to leave his/her isolated “pod” wins bragging rights and $50,000. It wasn’t just the money that attracted Francisco to the show. For years she dreamt of being in a reality program. “I’ve been fascinated with reality shows for about a decade now--the mental and physical challenges, the politics, and, of course, the cash prize. I would sit at home in front of the television and say out loud ‘I can do that.’ And, I did.”
Francisco, along with the other contestants, were put through grueling challenges on Solitary 3.0. Some of the tasks they faced include eating their way through cheese to find clues. They were also told to build their own coffins.
The most challenging part for Francisco was not sleeping for a whole week. Something she’s not accustomed to. “I function well on eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. So while I was in Solitary, the voice wouldn’t let me sleep. That wasn’t fun.” recalled Francisco.
The reality show premiered Saturday, January 17 at 6pm on the FOX Reality Channel. For the next several weeks, Francisco will show us whether she survives the challenges or whether she’s been defeated. None of the contestants know who won the show. It’s a wait and see situation for Francisco who will only say that she’s proud of what she’s done on the show. For more information on the show, visit FoxReality.com.
Francisco was born in the Philippines, raised near the Seattle area. She is a business development advisor for real estate professionals and also runs the media department for Child United (www.childunited.org). The organization promotes education to children in third world countries. She is currently planning its benefit gala on February 28th.
Making Strides at a Feverish Pace
- By Chris Albert
Feb 20, 2009
To say Maureen Francisco, ’99, is a go getter would be selling her short.
A list of her accomplishments runs long and seems to have no end. She calls it just a start to her “things she wants to do before she dies list.”
She’s always wanted to run in a marathon. Well, she’s run in four. She wanted to be a television reporter and has done work in multiple markets. She wanted to work for a non-profit. She’s the media director for Child United.
It’s just the way she is, said Associate Professor of Communication Joanne Lisosky, who Francisco credits as being a guiding force for her when she was a student at PLU. The two still stay in touch.
“It does not surprise me that she went out and became a very powerful woman in the world,” Lisosky said. “She’s just absolutely charming – just delightful to be around in every way.”
But a recent adventure allowed her to indulge in something she’s wanted to be a part of for awhile – reality TV.
“I’ve always been fascinated with reality shows,” she said. “But when you’re a reporter there’s a conflict of interest.”
So she put that dream on hold for awhile to focus on other projects. Then she moved on from reporting and found herself a slot as a contestant on the Fox Reality Channel’s Solitary 3.0.
“I now have time and there’s no conflict of interest,” Francisco said.
The show is a grueling combination of physical and emotional challenges. Contestants are isolated in a room and given different challenges to complete. The only way a contestant is eliminated is by choosing to quit. And none of the contestants know who, if any, of the others have quit.
“It is a different kind of television show,” Francisco said. “This is the only reality show where you are playing against yourself because the only way you lose is if you quit.”
It’s a true test of will, Francisco said.
“I had a certain bar that I had when it came to pain threshold,” she said. “(But) when you want something bad enough you’ll push yourself even farther.”
Recently Francisco met her breaking point in a challenge that had contestants drinking a large quantity of milk – which if you’ve ever been part of a residence hall “galloon challenge” you know there’s only so much milk the body can absorb before it comes back up.
Although she didn’t win, Francisco said, the experience was very positive. She was able to go beyond some of her personal thresholds.
Her personal bar of emotional and physical strength has been set higher because of the show, she said.
“Anytime I get to one of my big milestones I realize anything is possible,” Francisco said.
Setting the bar higher is something Francisco has always aimed to do since she met her, Lisosky said.
“She’s a great role model for young women I think in many ways because it wasn’t always easy for Maureen,” Lisosky said. “She always worked at it.”
Although eager viewers can still catch Solitary 3.0 on the Fox Reality Channel and Solitary 3.0, Francisco is jumping into other projects.
She’s still the media director for the non-profit Child United and she’s continuing to pursue other media ventures. Oh yeah, and she’s finishing her memoir.
Before too long, media mogul may be the best way to describe her, like her idol Tyra Banks. She wants to have a future career where the sky is the limit.
Lisosky agreed, adding that maxim is the only way to gauge her former student’s potential.
“The sky’s the limit,” with her, Lisosky said. And then adds “are you kidding me,” as if the question is ridiculous, or just too obvious.
There is a good chance she’s right.
Solitary 3.0 no match for Federal Way resident
- By Kyra Low
Federal Way Mirror Reporter
Jan. 13, 2009
Maureen Francisco purposely put herself in solitary confinement.
For a week she sat, paced and talked to herself in a small room, getting only snatches of sleep, few bathroom breaks and little food. And all of it is on film.
Francisco, who lives in Federal Way, is a contestant for the upcoming season of Solitary 3.0, which premieres at 9 p.m. on the Fox Reality Channel Jan. 17.
The show puts contestants alone in a small pod, or room, which they stay in until they choose to leave. However, along the way, they are subjected to “challenges,” which mirror some forms of torture.
Some of the challenges contestants face in this season include building their own coffin, eating their way through cheese to find clues and sitting on progressively smaller seats, suspended up in the air. Contestants can leave at any time and the first person who leaves a challenge is sent home. The fellow contestants don’t know when someone is leaving.
“You never see the other contestants,” Francisco said. “You don’t know if someone else has quit. You end up pushing yourself to exhaustion. You have no one to blame but yourself.”
In addition to the challenges, there is also the pressure that the solitary confinement in a small enclosure brings.
“I am really the type of person who functions best on eight hours of sleep,” Francisco said. “If not, I get grouchy.”
In addition to the lack of sleep, Francisco said that she stopped eating toward the end of the competition, since she preferred competing with an empty stomach and monitored her water intake so she wouldn’t have to think about using the bathroom during a challenge.
Francisco, who grew up in Federal Way and graduated from Decatur High School in 1995, has always loved doing rather than watching. So her family wasn’t too surprised when she auditioned for the show.
After auditioning, Francisco took several trips to California for interviews and for health tests. When she finally found out that she was a contestant, she had just two days before the show started.
“I was told on Tuesday and flew out Thursday night,” Francisco said. “I had to rearrange my life very quickly.”
This season also started with a twist.
In prior seasons of Solitary, the contestants began the season in their pod alone. This season, contestants started off with another player in their pod for the first challenge, having to earn their way into a pod.
“I went from liking him to wanting to kick him,” Francisco said.
The season will begin airing on Saturday.
For more information, visit www.FoxReality.com.
Federal Way Mirror Reporter Kyra Low can be reached at klow@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.
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- Here are ALL my on-camera interviews for Stiletto Woman.
- Solitary 4.0 is back! Go to RealityWanted.com to read about my weekly recap and predictions.
- Eyes in the Dark has been accepted to its third film festival.
- Solitary 4.0 is back! Go to RealityWanted.com to read about my weekly recap and predictions.
- Eyes in the Dark has been accepted to its third film festival.
- Stay tuned for the release of my first book . . .
