WHERE KINDNESS LIVES: The stray feeding mission that shows the true gift of giving

Through rain, long hours, and rising costs, Cherrie Lyn Arcio - known online as Stray Feeder by Heart - proves that generosity isn't about grandeur. It's about showing up for lives that depend on it, and reminding us that kindness is a gift anyone can give.

- ANTHEA GRAPE

Over 12 million stray animals call the streets their home.

You'll find them curled up in dark alleyways — some surviving on scraps, others simply hoping to make it through another day. Each one waits for someone to show them a little compassion and warmth.

In Novaliches, that someone is Cherrie Lyn Arcio.

"Sa gabi pa lang, pinupunuan ko na 'yung e-bike ng sampung kahon ng pagkain. Kasama na doon 'yung plato, inumin, pang-detect, pang-kuto, vitamins, at gatas," she shares.

“Monday to Friday, start ng feeding is 8 AM dahil may hinahatid akong anak. Pag walang pasok, nagsisimula ako ng 3 AM, uwi 2 PM. Sa gabi, umiikot ako 6 PM to 11 PM. Kahit umuulan, tuloy pa rin.”

Her daily devotion offers 200 stray cats and dogs not just nourishment, but a glimpse of the love and attention they deserve.

THE MOMENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING Arcio's journey started the day she discovered a dying dog outside her home. Instinctively, she tried to help in the only way she knew.

"Nagsimula akong mag-feeding bago siya mamatay," she recalls. "Pero hirap talaga ako noon. Dry food lang ang kaya ko, at araw-araw pinagpe-pray ko na sana may pambili pa. P150 na ang kilo." Hoping to find the dog's owner, she posted online and went around the village.