On 2nd October 2010, I'd participated in a CSR program that organised by one of the divisions under my company's roof. The program will be going on for a month on every Saturday. Company employees are voluntarily to register with the organizer for which Saturday of the month on participation. Each Saturday has limited volunteers in a group.
A society give back activity.
This was the first time I participate a CSR program that was held by a corporate organisation as I was just step in to the corporate world officially for just a year ago. I felt proud because only sizeable organisation would organize CSR program to give some contribution back to those who need our assistant. It encourage a positive impact through the activities on us in different kind of perspective because through the activities only we could get touch to the world that we would never explore before.
Here we were at Kechara Soup Kitchen. * Before that I thought it was a restaurant cause it does sounds like a restaurant, doesn't it?*
Kechara Soup Kitchen is a Tsem Tulku Buddhist Organisation is a community service society that distributes food to the needy and homeless in the heart of KL. Today, the society intends to expand the distribution area to the place for instance Petaling Jaya, Puchong and Kepong slowly but surely. Glad that they're not only restricted to KL area. The society consists of volunteers from all walks of life, the volunteers range from full time to part time or occasionally like us.
This society was inspired by a high reincarnated LAMA, not only he is the founder but also the a spiritual guider. They were from a small society until who they are today with a centre set up at Jalan Imbi and led by a team consists a group of dedicated committee people who are willing to pursue their profession but at the same time also partake in this non profit community.
Every Saturday, in spite of rain or shine, a group of volunteers would gather in this centre. First, for those who just join as the volunteer or first come to Kechara Soup Kitchen will be given a briefing about the society.
We had our dinner at the 'tai chao' beside the centre. And what surprise you was that the activity started at 10PM, yes 10pm! *When we were being informed that the service gonna be start only at 10pm, all of us were like "Hur? What? 10pm? Visit the homeless at 10pm? Not dangerous meh?" *=.='''*
The briefing started at 10pm and it was 45 MINUTES....Yes, you're not wrong, 45 minutes. All of us were there listening to this Mr. talked about the society for 45 minutes.
Second, after briefing, we started packing food in accordance to what we'd briefed just now. We worked together to put a few items that the needy need into a plastic bag, such as 6 little packs of biscuit, a bottle of mineral water, 1 orange, 1 apple and 1 load of bread. Besides these, packs of ready food be it economic mixed rice with dishes are ready for distribution.
Subsequently, all of the volunteers include our company were split into smaller group where 4 person in a group led by a leader who usually is the full time volunteer in the society. Then, every group was assigned to a destination to distribute the food to the homeless around the KL area such as Pudu, Jalan Imbi, Jalan TAR and etc.
After completion of food packing, we departed to the assigned destination to start our food distribution service. My team consists of Cindy, Cindy's husband, a gent and I was assigned to Jalan TAR and we were following this lady who drove a Mercedes Benz. *Blink*
Before we reached, the homeless have already waited there for our arrival. Pursuant to the lady (i forgot what her name la), this bunch of homeless has been mingled around here for quite some time and they are the regular "customer" here *lols*. Oh ya, 1 thing I forgot, they addressed the homeless as "client" instead of "homeless". *Sound professional hur?*
We shifted those foods packets on the floor and the clients started queuing up. The lady then gave the command to start distributing the rice packet and the dried food in the plastic bag. The clients. are different races and came from different places.
ALL of them have SANE hands and foot. *Sigh*. They could just find whatever works which would at least give them a dollar of cent being independent.
This little cute is an Indonesian, been in Malaysia for about 2 years with her Indonesian mother. They're not homeless, they have home to stay in but in a poor urban place. After few conversation with the mother, we knew that the mother couldn't even find a job for survival. *Sigh*
After finished distributing, those who are experienced in the society would talked to the client to understand their situation or their background. The purpose of the conversation is to think of way to help these client out from the place and gain the life where they could survive independently. You know the saying, cure the root is better to cure the surface. So far, the society has already helped quite a number of the homeless to being employed hence out from the street where they used to stay.
The new comer like us only managed to talk to the Indonesian mother and the little girl for a short while and then we left.
The night was a rainy day. Added a gloomy feel upon seeing the homeless. =/
The service ended at around 1am.
By the way, in addition to the food distribution on the road, Kechara Soup Kitchen also giving out free lunch for the needy and homeless at the centre everyday at around 12.30pm.
It's an eye opener for me though. There are actually throngs of people out there who really need our help. They don't have stable roof to cover them up, only the roof at the street side.
They don't have comfort mattress to lye on, only the dirty, disreputable and foul mattress or the worse they have only the ground as mattress.
Not to mention the food, they're not able to afford even a pack of economic rice with just ONE fried egg.
In a nutshell, they don't have what we have! You, you and you, including myself should appreciate what we possess because these people don't.
