DMA: Work
of Mercy.
SKUP A Day in
the life of SKUP
Society for Kuching Urban Poor: Volunteers needed!
KUCHING — During the
launching of the Society for Kuching Urban Poor (SKUP) at the Christian
Ecumenical Worship Centre, by Datuk Lily Yong, she reminded that the well-to-do
and other fortunate members of the society should have the spirit of caring and
sharing to help the needy who struggled hard just to survive. “The fast pace of
development and urbanization had made the poor lag behind in many areas”, she
added.
SKUP Chairman, Kapitan Peter Wong Hung Huang during the launching
assured that the society would assist the poor based on the urgency and needs.
“We are embarking on a mobile soup kitchen for a start”, he stated.
A few types of food are being catered to be distributed by Chief
Co-Ordinator, Mary Chok and other volunteers at six Distribution Points in
Kuching city: Taman Desa Wira Market, Poh Kwong Park Roundabout Shed, Unaco,
Rubber Road West, Padungan, Song Kheng Hai Ground Food & Recreation Centre,
Padungan, Petanak Wet Market and Pasar Sg Apong from Monday to Saturday. On
Saturdays, additional dry foods are also distributed to the needy for their
Sunday rations.
On the first day of the launching on 20
September, Mary Chok together with some volunteers distributed 100
packets of food during lunch hours. On the second day, 100 packet of food and
some Vitamins were distributed.
At present, SKUP had 12 volunteers coming forward to help. They hope to
get 100 volunteers and supporters to assist on a rotation basis, please contact
Mary Chok at 016-890 4856 or Cindy at 013-806 6633 if you want to offer your
service for the needy.
Contributed
THE STAR Tuesday September
21, 2010
NGO launches mobile
kitchen to feed the poor
Story and photo by SHARON
LING
sharonling@thestar.com.my
Some good Samaritans will
be providing free meals daily for the poor in Kuching.
The newly formed
non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Society for Kuching Urban Poor (SKUP),
launched its mobile kitchen yesterday to feed the poor.
SKUP will distribute meals
at six centres once a day in areas where there is a concentration of hardcore
poor families.
The centres are in Batu
Kawah, Padungan and two each in Pending and Rubber Road.
For the poor: Wong (left) showing
adviser Yong the meals to be distributed to poor families in the city.
SKUP chairman Kapitan Peter
Wong said the society, which was set up last month, had identified about 300
poor families in Kuching who found it difficult to get two square meals a day.
“To help them, we will
start by distributing meals once a day at the six centres where poor families
can collect them. We will provide a different menu every day, such as fried
rice, noodles and nasi lemak.
“On Saturdays we will
distribute bread and eggs, while on Sundays we will give dried foodstuffs such
as instant noodles which they can cook themselves,” he said at the launching
ceremony held at the Ecumenical Worship Centre in Kuching.
Wong said the meals would
be distributed between 11am and 2pm daily.
“We prepared 100 packed
meals for the first day and if the response is good we will provide more.
Eventually we aim to distribute meals for 300 to 400 people,” he said.
Besides meal distribution,
the society also aims to provide other assistance.
“Our staff and volunteers
will interview the families who come to pick up the meals and assess their
situation. From there, we will see how we can help them find temporary jobs or
apply for welfare assistance,” Wong said.
Its long-term plans include
providing skills training, helping the jobless secure permanent jobs and
encourage basic entrepreneurship with micro-financing assistance.
“Our ultimate aim is to
help them break away from poverty. For example, we can teach them to plant
crops, rear fish and other livestock or do business so that they can be
independent,” he said.
SKUP adviser Datuk Lily
Yong, who launched the mobile kitchen, said poor families are not found only in
rural areas but in cities as well.
She hoped the government
would conduct a study on the urban poor and come up with long-term plans to
assist them.
Contact the following if you want to serve as volunteer
SKUP HOTLINE 017-851 5225
Kapitan Peter Wong (Chairman)
Fabian Wong (Secretary) fabianannawong@gmail.com
Mary Chok (Chief Co-Ordinator)
choksv2004@yahoo.co.uk
Cindy Teo teosh36@gmail.com
Sources
http://www.todayscatholic.com.my/?p=91
http://hclai81.blogspot.com/2010/09/society-for-kuching-urban-poor-skup-is.html
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/9/21/sarawak/7068710&sec=sarawak