Home gets timely aid

Reaching out: Lee (in chequered grey shirt) receiving a RM30,000 mock cheque from Loh.

IPOH: After two of its residents slipped and fell, the Simee Home for the Aged saw the urgent need to redo its cement flooring.

Its management board chairman Vincent Lee said the floor at the home had been a hazard for the residents there.

“One of the residents who fell broke his leg.

“The floor has been this way since the building was built in 1998, ” he said after receiving a RM30,000 mock cheque from Star Foundation representative Ivan Loh here last week.

Lee voiced his appreciation for the financial aid.

“Thanks to the contribution from Star Foundation, we can look forward to redoing the flooring, ” he said.

“There are 43 residents staying there now.

“We really hope to prevent further untoward incidents.”

Lee said the home relied on public donations which have been dwindling in the last few years.

“I understand that the economy has been hard on a lot of people.

“We are running a deficit this year. We have to dip into our reserve funds to keep the home going, ” he said, adding that monthly operating expenditures could come up to about RM35,000.

He said it was running a “One Million Smiling Faces” project with the hope of raising at least RM1mil so that the home, which has seen much wear and tear, could be renovated.

“The project ends this year but the response has not been great thus far.

“We only managed to raise RM40,000 so far, ” he said.

Lee added that a fundraising food fair is being planned for April 26 next year.

Star Foundation is the charitable arm of Star Media Group and aims to deliver meaningful initiatives with lasting outcomes to a diverse group of beneficiaries.

For more information, visit starfoundation.com.my.