The Uniqueness of Our Story Begins with the Uniqueness of Ourselves
Hi, my name is Elise Arlan, and I am the founder of Colors of Life Outreach Ministry, Inc.
This nonprofit was born from my own life story. I grew up experiencing poverty, loss, and hardship — but also faith, resilience, and the kindness of people who chose to help when they could. Those experiences shaped who I am today and planted a deep desire in my heart to give back to families who are living the same realities I once faced.
Colors of Life Outreach Ministry began as a personal mission — a way to serve families not only with food or financial help, but with dignity, compassion, and hope. What started as small acts of kindness has grown into a community effort that reaches families who are often unseen, unheard, and underserved.
This ministry is my way of turning pain into purpose and gratitude into action. Every family we help reminds me why this work matters — and why no one should ever feel forgotten.
Others may copy our work — but they can never copy our story.
How It All Started
As the founder of Colors of Life Outreach Ministry, Inc., I can say that everything began with my personal experiences. My story is the reason this ministry exists.
I grew up without a mother — she passed away when I was 11. My parents were known in our community as people who always helped others. My father was intelligent, hardworking, humorous, kind, but also a strict disciplinarian. My mother worked at a women’s health center and helped care for mentally ill patients.
Yet behind closed doors, she suffered. My father drank heavily, gambled, and often verbally and physically abused her. She lived her whole married life as a victim of domestic violence while raising 11 children. After she passed, I was left alone with my father, as all my older siblings left for school or work.
A Difficult Childhood
I was the youngest, witnessing every hardship. We had rice, crops, and poultry, but no milk, vitamins, or meat. I grew up weak and undernourished. We lived in a wooden house on a farm, miles away from neighbors. My childhood felt like a constant nightmare. I felt isolated, traumatized, and struggled socially, although I never told anyone. I simply remembered what my mother and grandmother taught me — trust God, pray, and believe that someday life would become beautiful.
What mattered most was that we had each other — and faith that God would guide our lives.
School Years: Walking Barefoot Toward a Dream
Every day I walked 45 minutes to school, barefoot or wearing simple beach slippers. In high school, I still had no proper shoes. Once a month I knocked on my cousin’s door at 5 AM, begging for money so my principal would let me take exams. In exchange, my father would pay him with copra three times a year.
I didn’t see real paper money until my first year of high school. As a child, the only coins I saw were hidden inside bars of soap — so I looked forward to doing laundry, hoping to find ten cents to buy paper and pencils.
We had no electricity; I did homework using an oil lamp. For entertainment, we had only a battery-powered radio.
During school ceremonies, I would borrow shoes far too big for me. Once, I stuffed them with paper so I wouldn’t fall while walking on stage to receive my honors.
Working for Every Step Forward
Outside school, my siblings and I harvested crops — bananas, lemons, vegetables — and sold them in nearby towns to buy clothes and school supplies. On Christmas, instead of celebrating, we planted rice in the muddy fields to finish 12 acres before school resumed. We rode carabaos around the rice field for hours to prepare it for planting.
During summer, we harvested rice but never received money from our father. We also acted as scarecrows — lying in a tiny bamboo hut in the middle of the cornfield, kicking our feet to scare birds away.
I tried to erase the painful parts of my childhood and never told my siblings, so they wouldn’t worry.
College: A Battle to Overcome
I entered college with a scholarship that paid tuition, while my siblings helped with my other expenses. I finally had real shoes — one pair that lasted all five years of my degree.
To survive, I washed and wore a single uniform for 4.5 years. Because of that, I was bullied, laughed at, and even physically mistreated by classmates who were privileged.
For lunch, I asked a nearby cafeteria for one cup of rice with chicken soup — only soup, no chicken — for ten cents. My snacks with friends were simply rice topped with soy sauce and shrimp-flavored seasoning.
Determined to succeed, I took 27 units per semester, even though the normal load for seniors was 12.
I graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, became a pharmacist, and worked three jobs at once — in manufacturing, in a hospital, and as a college professor. That’s when I was offered the opportunity to go to the United States, which changed my life forever.
A New Life — But an Empty Heart
I worked for years in hospital pharmacy. My career allowed me to support my family and build a better future for all of us.
But spiritually, I felt empty.
One day my son asked:
“Why do you do Colors of Life Outreach Ministry, Inc.? Aren’t you already helping people with your career?”
I realized my heart wanted something more meaningful.
I wanted to help families like the one I grew up in.
I wanted them to know they are special, unique, and deserving of a better life.
Our Mission
Our family stands on faith, unity, and purpose.
And we want others to build the same foundation through Colors of Life Outreach Ministry, Inc.
How You Can Help
By donating — you share your blessings.
By volunteering — you share your talents, compassion, and honest service.
Together, we can build a community rooted in faith, family, and a better future.