MOW FOOD BANK - helps distribute rice bags courtesy of Subang Jaya Buddhist Association

The more you give, the more you receive! Having only began its first project last month, the Meals on Wheels' (MoW) Food Bank programme is already churning public support. Out of the blue, MoW's Catherine Lai received a good news from the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (SJBA) that it has 80 bags of rice to be distributed to to the less fortunate. 

Within six days, the MoW team put together a distribution plan, hired a driver for half day, and made its way to the needy. On Thursday, 16 August 2012, the team comprising Catherine, Kim and Jackson (the driver) collected and distributed the rice.

Our heartfelt thank you to Subang Jaya Buddhist Association for donating 80 packets of 5kg rice to Ti-Ratana Meals on Wheels' distribution

Stop #1: Pusat Warga Tua Devi at Kapar, Klang 
The first stop was Pusat Warga Tua Devi in Kapar, which houses 10 aged folks - most of whom are elderly or sickly/disabled. The home was established by a husband and wife team in early 2011. An orphan himself, the husband, Puganeswaran, knows exactly how it feels to be abandoned; he started this home to help the less fortunate. However, he has not been very successful in raising funds and has difficulty in providing basic necessities for the residents.

Stop #2: Pertubuhan Kebajikan Sittara (Shanti Home) at Kapar, Klang 
Next stop was Pusat Pertubuhan Kebajikan Sittara or Shanti Home, named after the kind lady who runs the home with her husband. 

Shanti cares for about 13 old folks and two handicapped children. Kartik is paraplegic and couldn't sit up when he was sent to Shanti’s Home around three years ago. He was abandoned by his parents, “stateless” (no birth certificate or identification papers), and taken care by his aunt who was “pimping” him (i.e. using him to get sympathy and donations but not taking care of him). Under Shanti’s care, he is happier and has shown improvements in some movements in his limbs. He can even walk when supported by someone. Shanti works to supplement the little donations she receives to run the home.

Shanti's Home

Kartik in 2009 (left) and now (right)

Stop #3: Christian Church at Kapar, Klang
Another 30 bags of rice were handed over to Pastor Mageson who is helping poor families in Kapar. Pastor has distributed the rice on 19 Aug 2012 at his church.

Stop #4: Pusat Kebajikan Sri Agathiar, Sepang 
From Kapar, it was almost an hour’s drive to our next stop, Pusat Kebajikan Sri Agathiar in Sepang. This centre provides monthly groceries to 78 poor families in various parts of Selangor and Klang Valley, as well as cooked food to 450 students in SJKT Salak Tinggi every Friday. The school receives breakfast aid from the government through the RMT program, but only for six months in a year. Sri Agathiar centre would like to provide food to the school children more than once a week but they have limited fundings. This centre also helps 30 orang asli families in their neighbourhood.

Additionally, the Association also provides monthly food rations to about 200 poor families. It also gives financial and educational aids wherever necessary. Help is given to anyone in need regardless of race or religion. To support the initiatives, the volunteers approach the general public for monetary and material help. Materials are in the form of food items that are distributed to these unfortunate families.

After five hours since we started our journey from Ti-Ratana Community Centre in Penchala, we finally returned at 2pm… all three of us hungry and tired. But it was a morning well spent, the rice bags we gave to the less fortunate means that they will at least have rice to eat for the next few weeks.

Our heartfelt and utmost appreciation to Subang Jaya Buddhist Association for their generous contributions.