Chrissie needs your help to reach out

9:00am Thursday 28th August 2008

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ALTRINCHAM'S very own Mother Teresa is urgently appealing for help from Trafford residents to support her mercy mission in the Philippines.

Chrissie Hailes Perillo has transformed hundreds of young lives since she told her family 25 years ago that she had been called by God to go to the Philippines.

She has been there virtually ever since arriving as an 18-year-old and during that time has set up a children's home to provide a secure and safe environment for the children of prisoners and other underprivileged youngsters.

She was spurred to act after seeing at first hand how the children of prisoners have to live in the jail with their parents, surrounded by murderers and rapists and living on a share of their parent's food ration.

Called the Philippine Outreach Centre (POC), in the city of Olongapo, it has has 80 residents.

Chrissie has also established a school - the Philippine Outreach Academy (POCCA) - which offers free education to the children in the home and others from the area.

The centre has 160 pupils, and without it many of them would not go to school, as there is no free education system and many families cannot afford to send their children to school.

But financial pressures have cast a shadow over Chrissie's work. The running costs for the home and school - which have 55 workers - amount to £12,000 a month, but currently donations only cover half of that.

Now a charity shop has been opened in Altrincham to help ease the cash crisis, with the Stamford Quarter providing the premises rent-free.

Chrissie's mum, Mary Hailes, and her niece, Rachel Bedicer - a missionary who works with Chrissie - are appealing for Messenger readers to donate quality good for the shop, for them to sell on eBay.

Rachel - who is visiting her hometown of Sale - said: "We are desperate for people to donate items or give financial gifts - and 100 per cent of the money raised will go to the Philippines.

"We have called the shop 'the Sparrow's Nest' as Chrissie calls all the children sparrows, as the Bible says that God cares even for the sparrows."

She explained financing their work in the Philippines had been hit by the credit crunch, poor exchange rates and increased costs.

"We can't keep running it on nothing, but we can't turn any children away."

Mary said she was very proud of her daughter, who is now 43 and is married to a Filipino, Dondie. The couple have four children of their own, have adopted one and fostered another.

She said: "She just believes a person can make a difference to other people's lives.

"She has fulfilled everything that she intended to do."

She grew up in Barrington Road, Altrincham and attended Hulme Halll School in Cheadle Hulme and Altrincham Girls' Grammar's sixth form. She began training as a civil engineer at Allot and Lomax in Sale before leaving for the Philippines.

Chrissie's niece, former Sale Grammar pupil Rachel, followed her aunt's example,.and is now married and has a family in the Philippines.

* Donations can be given to the Sparrow's Nest, at 16 George Street, Altrincham, opposite Boots.