Retired Master Chief Thomas Fardy likes to help people.
It’s something he’s done as long as he can remember, and now he’s hoping other people will share in his desire to improve conditions for children and families in the Philippines.
“It started with helping my wife’s brothers and sisters go to school,” he said. “Ever since then I’ve put as many kids through school as I can.”
Fardy, who retired from the Navy nine years ago, completely retired last year. Now he and his wife of 42 years, Melita, split their time between Oak Harbor and the Philippines, where Melita is from. Fardy is taking his philanthropy full time, saying he grew up poor and knows what it’s like for a child to go without.
He tells of moving to a small town in Iowa as a child. There was a chicken shop located just around the corner. He and his siblings would wait as crates of chickens were unloaded, hoping one would escape. They got to keep any loose chickens they’d catch.
“Inevitably, a crate of chickens would tumble off the back of the truck and the door would somehow always pop open,” he recalled. “It just dawned on me not too long ago they probably did it on purpose. That was awful nice of those people.”
Perhaps it was that unrealized generosity that made an impression on Fardy. Over the years, he has put family members through school and helped rebuild homes.
Fardy plans to rebuild a total of five home in the village of Salvacion, a barangay, or district, of the city of Iriga in the Bicol region. He has finished the first one, and as funds become available, Fardy works on making the hollow cement blocks that will form the walls of the other four. Most of the homes have dirt floors and holes in the roof. “We build the walls literally around the old house,” he said. “Then we rip down the old walls and carry them out through the door.”
After the new walls are up and the old removed, they pour concrete floors. The homes are small, about 14-feet by 14-feet, but still larger than the old. Fardy estimates it costs about $2,400 for the materials to rebuild each home.
While the homes are important, Fardy concentrates his efforts on putting local children through school.
Most of the families in the area are rice farmers who work for food rather than money.
“Education is supposed to be free, but the students have special projects they have to complete, and they have to buy the supplies for the projects,” Fardy said. “If the families are rice farmers, money is very tight. Plus, they have to pay for transportation to and from school.”
Fardy estimates it costs about $23 a week for a child to go to school in the Bicol region, or 1,000 Philippine pesos.
“If they don’t get an education, they’ll become rice farmers,” he said. “I can’t accept that as a fate for them. Without children, our world would be extinct in 90 years.”
Recent medical expenses for family members have put a squeeze on Fardy’s ability to help with school costs. While he is not looking for financial assistance, he is looking for people to donate items that he can ship to the Philippines.
“There’s a big need for good used clothes, shoes, first aid kits, antibiotic creams, hydrogen peroxide, used VHS and DVD children’s movies and even small televisions,” Fardy said. “If someone has a 36- or 42-inch chain saw, that would put a whole family back to work.”
Fardy said he has found it harder to get assistance as a civilian.
“When I was in the Navy I could get things done,” he said. “It’s not like that in the civilian world. I can’t just call Bill Gates.”
He said he hopes someday to connect with a nonprofit group that can help him in his efforts. His motivation, he said, is seeing a child’s smile and knowing they’ve got a chance in life.
“Money’s not important to me, except what I can do with it,” he said. “I do it because it needs to be done. I enjoy it. If more people would do that, this world would be better off.”
Anyone interested in donating items to Fardy can reach him at 679-9002.
Here is a list of needed items: • Children’s clothes and shoes, from infant to early teens • First aid kits and cold medication • School supplies • Coloring and activity books • Tooth brushes and toothpaste • Non-breakable dishes, cups and silverware • Wedding dresses/gowns • Young men’s suits • Young women’s dresses • Eye glasses and sunglasses • Hand tools • Electrical transformer (220w to 110w) • Chain saws, especially 36- or 42-inch • Small televisions • VCRs or DVD players • Children’s DVDs or VHS tapes • Rain coats or ponchos
