Farrah (second from left) handing over the goodies to Flat Tasek Block B representative Sahar Yahyatt. Watching on is Ho (left) and IMSHA and Social Hero Foundation founder Edey Suresh. — NUR AISYAH MAZALAN/The Star
JOHOR BARU: Since the start of the movement control order (MCO) on March 18, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the state have distributed almost RM1mil in food aid and donations to the needy.
Ihsan Johor and Yayasan Suria, who are both recipients of the Iskandar Malaysia Social Heroes Award (IMSHA), distributed the money which they received from crowdfunding and donations.
Ihsan Johor chief executive officer Farrah Faridah Baptist said that between March 18 and May 12, they spent RM302,949 for aid and medical equipment.
“A total of 3,547 families and 30,109 poor and needy in the state received aid amounting to RM98,591.
“We also contributed RM204,358 in medical equipment and food aid to frontliners in the state, ” she said.
Yayasan Suria founder James Ho said his foundation had distributed about RM580,000 in aid in the same period.
“We distributed RM270,000 in monetary aid, along with RM200,000 in infant formula, as well as RM113,000 in food packets.
“This figure has yet to include the vegetables, rice, cooking oil, flour, canned goods and other essential items which were donated to us, ” he said.
Both of these NGOs jointly hosted a final mass aid giveaway at the community hall on Jalan Tasek 64 in Seri Alam recently.
During the event, some 2,000 children as well as 300 single mothers from Flat Tasek 64 in Seri Alam received goodies such as packed meals, biscuits, burgers and drink packets from the NGOs.
Face masks and infant formula were also given out.
A total of 22 volunteers were present to assist with the packing of the goodies, which began at 10am.
Distribution of the aid was conducted at noon where representatives from each of the 23 blocks of Flat Tasek 64 came to the hall and collected the boxes to be distributed to residents.
The two NGOs had previously hosted similar events twice a month, including distributing 4,000kg of vegetables to some 1,200 families in Masai, Larkin and Kempas.
Moving forward Ihsan Johor and Yayasan Suria said they would continue their efforts to assist the needy by providing them with equipment and cash to kickstart businesses so that they would be self-sustaining in the future.
