Kechara Soup Kitchen is in the press again
Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) is making waves upon waves by appearing in the newspapers/ magazines almost weekly this month. I am very proud of them because they work very hard to provide for and assist the homeless. Exposure like this will create awareness for more people to join in and help the needy.
PRESTIGE, JULY 2010
THE STAR, 14th JULY 2010
Click on the paper above, to read carefully regarding the exciting auction and dinner. And that’s not all!!! Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) was also in the press last week.
THE STAR, 9th JULY 2010
Council to host charity dinner for two groups
Friday July 9, 2010
MASJID JAMEK in Kuala Lumpur was bustling with activity on a late Saturday night with hordes of people queuing up along the sidewalk.
However, what appeared to be an abnormally long line for the bus actually led to a team of volunteers giving out free packs of food and drinks to a group of homeless people.
On a crusade to combat hunger for the homeless and unfortunate of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) has been distributing free food in the dark alleys and dodgy corners of the cities for nearly four years.
KSK president Ruby Khong said they tried to fulfill the needs of a segment of city society without food and shelter.
“These homeless people continue to wander the streets of Kuala Lumpur in hunger and uncertainty of what tomorrow holds.
“Our long-term mission is to reduce the number of homeless living on the streets by providing a nurture centre for basic care, training and assistance to help the homeless seek employment and re-enter society.”
Formed by volunteers of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds, Kechara Soup Kitchen’s activities are rapidly outgrowing its current premises.
Thus there is an urgent need to establish a permanent Soup Kitchen building as an urban centre for the distribution of hot food and provision of basic medical treatment for the homeless, while continuing to deliver food to those who are unable to ome to the centre.
KSK is non-religious and does not discriminate in terms of race, gender or culture.
This is reflected in their motto, “Hunger Knows No Barriers”, as well as the vegetarian and halal food that they serve.
Recognising KSK’s contributions to society, the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) is raising funds to help KSK accomplish its objectives and aspirations during a charity dinner to be held on July 15.
Themed “Timber Industry With A Heart”, the dinner also intends to raise funds for Childline Malaysia, a national public safety project that aims to protect and safeguard children’s interests.
Childline Malaysia, which will be officially launched in October, is a dedicated telephone line for children.
Spearheaded by a group of volunteers, Childline Malaysia is supported by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Unicef, the police, Health Ministry and Child Helpline International.
Childline Malaysia chairman Sabri Rahman children were a vulnerable group for manipulation, psychological, sexual and emotional abuse, human trafficking as well as domestic violence.
Childline Malaysia aims to be the first point of contact for children, and caring adults everywhere, especially when they have no one else to talk to, or when the children’s fragile trust has been betrayed by the adults closest to them.”
With a mission “Enabling Children to be Heard” and through the establishment of a 24-hour toll-free telephone helpline, Childline Malaysia attempts to connect children in need with the support services like counselling, immediate rescue or intervention provided by government agencies, the emergency services and non-governmental organisations.
“The Malaysian Timber Council believes in the causes advocated by KSK and Childline Malaysia. We hope that the funds raised during our charity dinner will help to contribute towards the advancement of their causes, and ultimately enhance the well-being of the community as a whole,” said MTC chief executive officer Cheah Kam Huan.
MTC’s fundraising event aims to bring members of the Malaysian timber industry together to contribute to and celebrate the efforts by the Kechara Soup Kitchen (www.kechara.com/ksk) and Childline Malaysia to help the unfortunate members of our society heal and rebuild their lives.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/7/9/central/6612187&sec=central
And the week before…
THE STAR, 2nd JULY 2010
At your service
Story and photo by OH ING YEEN (ingyeen@thestar.com.my)
Friday July 2, 2010
THE need to change their lives was what prompted Bud and Yus (not their real names), who were homeless, to take up the job offer by Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
“We were the first to take up the job offers,” Bud, the more outspoken of the duo, said.
He added that some of the homeless were not interested in the job offers.
The 25-year-old Sarawakian had been on the streets for eight months after he was robbed upon arrival in KL.
“There are even degree-holders who came to KL looking for jobs. But these people were conned by agents or acquaintances — some from the same kampung — and some were robbed and lost all their money and belongings.
“I lost all my belongings, including my cellphone, hence I lost contact with my family,” said Bud.
Both Bud and Yus got to know each other on the streets and became friends. The pair did not know anyone in KL.
Luckily, they came across the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK).
KSK is a registered NGO whose volunteers go out every weekend since 2006 to bring freshly cooked vegetarian food and dry food to over 800 men, women and children on the streets.
KSK vice-president Julia Tan said initially she was worried when the hotel proposed the idea of hiring the homeless.
“Some are illiterate,” she said. “However, after we asked around, some said they have working experience.”
KSK’s objective is to help the homeless get off the streets by finding them shelter homes or jobs that will bring dignity back to their shattered lives.
“We want to get them off the streets and them back into mainstream society.
“Nobody chooses to sleep on the streets. Some were cheated, some ran away from home. A high percentage of the homeless are individuals between 60 and 70 years old,” Tan said.
According to Pan Pacific KLIA sales (corporate & MICE) director Darus Ismail, this is the first time that the hotel is hiring the homeless.
“When they went to Sabah and Sarawak to recruit employees for the hotel, the response was not so good.
“Then someone told us that there are many Sabahans and Sarawakians in KL, why not recruit them there?
“We got in touch with Kechara Soup Kitchen and were surprised that many of the homeless had experience (in the hospitality industry). We spoke to Julia who then brought them for an interview,” he said.
Yus, who hails from Johor, is one such example. He had previously worked in the hotel industry but quit to care for his sick mother.
“I only had two sets of clothes with me when I came to KL. I did not expect that it would be so difficult to get a job here. I ended up sleeping at Masjid India,” the 32-year-old said.
Pan Pacific KLIA restaurants, bars, and events manager Aghelan Ganesan, better known as Allen, was equally impressed with some of those interviewed.
“One guy could speak Hakka, Cantonese, English and Bahasa.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/7/2/central/6493260&sec=central
For more interesting information:
- Why I Conceived of Kechara Soup Kitchen or KSK
- Official Launch of Kechara Soup Kitchen Melaka Store
- Reuters: Kechara Soup Kitchen wins World CSR Leadership Award
- Kechara Soup Kitchen going strong!
- Sodexo and KSK served 1000 hungry stomachs
- Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) Goes National!
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
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The Star newspaper is helping KSK again by printing the story of an auction dinner organised by Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) to raise funds for 2 charitable organisation which is KSK which is a non religious organisation formed by all faiths and the other childline Malaysia a project formed for the protection of children. The theme for this auction dinner is called “TIMBER INDUSTRY WITH A HEART”. KSK motto is HUNGER KNOWS NO BARRIERS. Childline Malaysia is started by a group of volunteers from government ministry, the UNICEF, Police, health ministry and Childline International. Malaysaia timber Council believes and respect the causes that Kechara Soup Kitchen and Childline Malaysia are doing.
The work that KSK embarked on uncovered quite a number of Sabahans that were stranded in Kuala Lumpur. Which led to the Sabahan government to sent a representative to help their fellow Sabahan.
I have noticed that many of the homeless really can feel it if you care about them deeply. Once they feel that they will start to open up and more opportunities can arise to help the even more.
Ruby Khong and Julia are the darlings of the media/newspapers/magazines, all decked up but for a very different reason from many other people. They dresses up to dinner parties for the homeless, for those who has no one, for those who are hungry!
Ruby and her team are the darlings on the streets, giving out 850 packets of food, befriending many homeless who doesn’t have anyone.Join in the KSK rounds to experience first hand the joy of giving.
I love how KSk brings the disparate stratas of society together. This week alone, there are two charity dinners where one of the beneficiaries is KSK. One is organised by the Malaysia Timber Council (Thank you MTC!) and the other is coming up this sunday, organised by Kechara.
If you’re new to KSK, you may think it has been a easy journey to bring KSK to the level it is at now. Think again. Spiritual Guide H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche was there in 2006 when KSK was only feeding 20 homeless a week. Funds were not easy to come by, and media & press support even less so. But through sheer hardwork and dedication, KSK is becoming an NGO that will be a pillar of Malaysian society. Congratulations to President Ruby Khong and her hardworking committee, not to mention all the sponsors and volunteers.
I rather not say that Compassion Sells, but I would say that Compassion FEEDS the soul.
Hence, when someone has a taste of what it means to do something positive, however small or big, for someone else and see that single act benefit that person so much – that feeling, that high of giving and serving someone other than the self, is the most gratifying feeling of all.
This is one of the reasons why more and more people are coming into KSK to volunteer, to help and even the media. They can finally see how each of them can make a difference to someone’s life through KSK!
In KSK and through KSK, people of all walks of life have begun to experience for themselves, the meaning of humanity. You cannot imagine a few hours in a day can truly lift someone from a life of a scavenging rat to a decent human being again.
This is the true power of care, of loving kindness – Kechara Style via its Soup Kitchen.
And once you’ve got the taste and experience of making a difference, you’ll never want to go back to that self-serving life and attitude anymore. Your heart begins to open up and you’ll finally feel a sense of true happiness.
This is what KSK has done for the homeless and the volunteers. Because COMPASSION TRANSCENDS ALL and brings us home to humanity.
KSK has been getting the attention it deserves. Nowadays it’s fashionable to be altruistic. Charity, philanthropy and social responsibility constitute an image successful people and corporations want to project. Look at Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Their personal fortunes exceed the annual budget of some countries. They have more than they can ever use, so what to do with the obscene amount of money? Give it away of course! But you never see their taps running dry. The more they give, the more they seem to get and the more they give away. There must be a whole lot of truth in the belief that generosity invites wealth and giving invites happiness. Helping those in need brings a deep satisfaction that money cannot buy. It is obvious that KSK and its mission strike a chord in many people whether ordinary or famous. KSK gives them an avenue to give back to society especially since life has been good and in the process, they find fulfillment. This transcends race and religion. It is wonderful to see people of all religions and races supporting and coming together under the KSK banner to do charity. KSK in turn practices no bias and helps all who are needy. Incidentally, this is the pith of Buddhist teaching, compassion and KSK teaches compassion in action.
I knew it, I knew it all along, I just was not confident enough top believe it: COMPASSION SELLS!
We should not find it surprising that KSK is in the news, not that it came easy, that is not I mean, but stories of people getting together, getting organized, exposing themselves, giving their time and ressources to help others, developping empathy, love and compassion and engaging in the altruistic action of giving (altruistic = no hidden agenda, not doing “good” to “look good”-doing good because it is the right thing to do!) are SOOO IN!
I believe that compassion is the most attractice topic for us all, we want to know about it, we want to read, we want to be a part of it, we all, somewhere in us want to be Mother Theresa!
She is the most famous lady of the 20th century for a reason!
Compassion resonates DEEP in us all.
Wow, KSK you’re HOT! Congrats! And thank you for the inspiration!
Much Love
How absolutely brilliant that KSK has come so far and is doing so much good for the homeless. More importantly KSK is getting the well deserved exposure, not for fame but through these media brusts it will promote the plight and give rise to an increased awareness to the general public. And that is the key to success!
Not just doing good but to also inspire people to do so. Liasion Ruby is an inspiration and a truly remarkable lady. I have the great fortune to have had to opportunity to work with her on a few occasions and I find her to be extremely dedicated, passionate and oh so glamourous! Love her!
Thierry and I will always be here to support you whenever we can. Much love!
Liaison Ruby Khong stucked with H E Tsem Tulku Rinpoche when he had literally no money and she didn’t have much either due to the financial situation at that time. She was a loyal friend and student of Rinpoche’s and she come really far now with KSK along with her wonderful team of Julia, Justin, Siong Woan and many others. I know Ruby is really working hard to make the renovation of the soup kitchen premise perfect. She is also a mother of three lovely kids of which two are directly involved in Dharma work right now. Thanks to the shining example of Ruby, the kids really believe in the Dharma.
I can’t wait to see and help out at the soup kitchen when it comes up soon!
Well done, dear sis!!! With you and your dedicated team who so unselfishly work so hard, KSK will not stop here but will grow even bigger!!!!!
Great work Ruby Khong and team. I believe one day Penang will also grow to have better platform. May these good deeds continues beyond boundaries.