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| A servant’s heart: Remembering Mr. Asuncion |
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NATIONAL CITY, Calif. – He walked into his office slowly. Shuffling through his keys, he unlocked the metallic gate that protected the main entrance of his office. His tiny, wrinkled hands gingerly looked for the other key that opened the office door. And even before he was able to enter and sit down at his tiny office, a group of elderly seniors swarmed him. They were those who needed help with their income tax, English translation, drafting letters for or seeking resources on World War II veterans’ benefits, Social Security enrollment, health care, immigration and other social welfare services—a task he considered a pure delight. “I will never retire! I love my job,” he was always remembered saying. That was Mr. Avelino Asuncion, Project Manager of the United Fil-Am Senior Citizens of San Diego (UFASCSD), a position that he had kept since 1983. He passed away last January 20th at the age of 90 from pancreatic cancer, a diagnosis that his family learned a few months before his death. “No one knew that he had cancer,” Perla Mesina, the newly elected president of UFACSD said. “They discovered this only when he was recently hospitalized as a result of a fall.” His death was a huge loss to the grassroots Filipino seniors. He was their friend and confidante, someone who they could rely on when they were in need of help. And someone who could not take “no” for an answer, especially when his poor Filipino senior client was a victim of a system. Take Mesina’s case. She was a victim of an incompetent staff at the U.S. Immigrations Office who lost her husband’s petition paper. “I suddenly received a court order that I was being deported,” Mesina confided. Not knowing what to do, she immediately sought Asuncion’s assistance who willingly and faithfully stood by her until the whole immigration application process was completed. “He introduced me to a lawyer who helped me reopen my case,” she began. “It’s a good thing I kept all copies of the documents with me as well as the receipts and forms that my husband had filed.” Reopening the case was not an easy. But Asuncion was always there for her and with her. He personally escorted her to the right people and told her not to give up especially during those trying moments when no one seemed to listen to them. “Mr. Asuncion was like a family to me,” Mesina said. “Even more than a family. He was always there with open arms willing to listen to me, to help me. When times were difficult, he would always be there with open ears and heart. I could always count on him. He was like a father to me.” Today, that small room, where Asuncion used to hold his office, is now closed and locked. It looked cold and empty at a distance. “I remember Mr. Asuncion as a very generous person,” Prima Guanco, a member of the UFACSD said. “When my husband passed away, he handed me some donations that he had personally collected from the senior members. He did the same thing when one of my son had died in the Philippines. He gave me some money which I did not really expect.” He was not only giving with time and money, he was also passionate with what he did. “Even before he died, all he could think of was our association,” Mesina said. “While he was in the hospital he demanded that he be sent home and hold a meeting at their home.” Auring Cudal, a community leader and columnist of The Filipino Press, also had a similar story to share. “According to his son, Cesar, Mr. Asuncion asked to be brought to his office at Samahan. He said, ‘I still have so many things to do!’ But he was already weak so they didn't accede to his wish to see Samahan for the last time. “ It was devastating for Mesina when she learned that her “manong” Asuncion had passed away. “It was just like yesterday, “ Mesina said. “when I was talking with him. When I was there at the office today, I thought I could still see Mr. Asuncion at his desk sleeping or writing. I realized it’s just my imagination. And that I will miss.” “Mr. Asuncion is like a brother to Winlove and we surely will miss him. He was a very good man,” Cudal said. Without a doubt, Asuncion left in San Diego a living example of a servant’s heart. And now that he’s gone, UFASCD, through the able leadership of its new president Perla Mesina, hopes to build on what he had started and even more. “We will continue the work that Mr. Asuncion started,” Mesina said. “We will get training to assist seniors with their income tax returns through the VITA program and with Samahan clinic’s computer literacy project we will get training how to use the computers. We also started our home visitation project for us to let our members know that we care for them.” With these, Asuncion’s life is immortalized by the group he left behind. It is hoped that in the years to come, he will continue to be remembered as the man who did not allow his age to deter him from serving the people he cared about—the Filipino seniors—a trademark of a person gifted with a servant’s heart. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) |