Alden’s quietly helpful heart

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Matthew 6:3

Alden Richards has anchored his Christian duties on the Bible verse above for indeed, very few people know that the popular actor does regular charity work away from prying cameras and sans the usual celebrity fanfare.

Showbuzz is one of the few friends whom Alden has allowed to join him every so often when he quietly makes donations to children’s charities, mounts feedings in indigent communities, or visits the elderly in homes.

He becomes all the more generous whenever a new blessing comes to his career.

Hesitant to talk about this side of his life, Showbuzz insisted the actor give a little peek into charity work in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.

“I’ve been given a lot these past few years and I have more than enough for myself, so I’ve always thought, why not give to the needy and make them happy?”

What he discovered, however, is that doing good brings him more happiness that he ever imagined.

“It’s not just the feeling of happiness actually… it’s a feeling of joy,” he corrected himself. “You feel it when you know you have done something good for another person. You see, there was a time when I just kept buying things for myself. I thought I should reward myself with all that because I had been working so hard. But it didn’t make me happy—the joy you get is short lived. There’s no fulfillment.

“It’s so unlike helping other people and doing it in secret. Yung hindi mo pinapa-alam sa iba, that’s where the joy is because you know you’re doing it to help and not for others to admire you.”

Most recently, Alden visited the wounded soldiers from Marawi. He brought them gifts, which he chooses not to reveal.

“I consider spending time with the Marawi soldiers very memorable. It was my honor to be them, who risked their lives for country and defending people they don’t even know. What’s unfortunate is that many of us don’t know about their hardships,” shared Alden.

Without seeking anything in return when he goes about sharing his blessings, Alden is humbled by the fact that something always comes his way all the same. In fact, shortly after visiting with soldiers, Showbuzz did this interview at Alden’s endorsement shoot for Cookie’s Peanut Butter.

“This endorsement has a very special place in my heart because the owners are my friends. They used to give me jars of peanut butter as gifts and they’ve now that they’re expanding, I’m just so happy to be their endorser.”