James giving speech during the fundraising event in Johor Baru.
A charity organisation in Johor Baru is hoping the public can assist its fundraising efforts towards carrying out community projects.
Shechinah Association Johor Baru chairman James Issachar said the group needed RM30,000 to purchase a much-needed van to support its works.
“Our current van is in poor condition as we use it to ferry people to clinics, transport food aid and deliver supplies to underprivileged communities.
“If we can get a new van, it will be solely used to ferry people and we hope to refurbish the old one for transporting vegetables and essential items,” he said after a fundraising luncheon in Johor Baru.
Stating that fundraising efforts would continue for a week, Issachar said, “While the van is our immediate focus, continuous fundraising efforts are crucial to sustain the association’s five core projects.
“These include operating a halfway house in Taman Rinting, which provides temporary shelter for homeless individuals, former inmates, drug addicts and families in crisis.
“We also have a Meals of Hope and Love programme, which started during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide cooked meals and food aid to the needy.”
The association also runs development initiatives for Orang Asli communities, education programmes for children from poor families as well as prayer and counselling services for those facing domestic violence, addiction or other family issues.
Issachar, who has been leading the association for 10 years, said the work had grown organically as volunteers encountered more people in need.
“I never planned for all this, but as I saw the struggles of different groups, from homeless families to rural children without access to books, I felt compelled to act,” he said.
Although the association had received some support from churches, he said it mostly relied on private donors and volunteers.
“At one point after the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought this association might have to close down because I could not sustain the costs.
“But help came in unexpectedly and I believe our work is not meant to stop,” he added.
