Hope Place celebrates 8th anniversary

KUCHING: Hope Place Kuching, a local non-government organisation (NGO), is celebrating its 8th anniversary this month.

Started in 2013, Hope Place is no stranger in the local scene – helping the underprivileged people regardless of their race or religious background.

Its operations manager Heidi Law. said: “We want to thank all donors, volunteers and the media for supporting Hope Place in the past eight years.

”It is amazing to see more and more people, especially the younger generation, actively involved in community work. Hope Place is truly grateful to everyone out there who believes in what we do and what we fight for.

For eight years, Hope Place has helped more than 700 families and individuals, ranging from single parents with school-going children, to families with low income, disabled individuals and terminally sick people, she said.

With the contribution of items such as rice, dry noodles, cooking oil, disposable diapers and milk powder, among others, Hope Place is able to supply food aid as well as special needs items to needy people once every three months. It also responds to emergencies such as people affected by floods and fires.

Hope Place has given aid to about 120 fire and flood victims since 2013. Earlier this year, it helped more than 700 families who were affected by the flood in Serikin, Bau and Kuching, and also more than 20 flood relief centres, Law said.

Hope Place also has annual charity projects – helping villages in the interiors of Sarawak by giving food aid, bringing medical team, and installing solar lights.

It also assists kindergartens in Lingga, Sri Aman and upper Baram.

It also gives talks to educational institutions, government depts, and private firms since 2014. More than 120,000 students in the country have attended talks conducted by Hope Place.

On its future plans, Law said Hope Place was looking into new ventures in order to reach out to more needy people.

In 2017 for example, it started a Budget Shop, selling second-hand merchandises at a very low price, to cater for lower income people in a ‘buy & donate’ basis, whereby all cash donation can be exchanged with any items of the same price.

“All proceeds are ploughed back in helping the needy. The shop also gives free items such as clothes, shoes and kitchenware to flood and fire victims and needy families under Hope Place care list. It encourages the public to donate their used but still good items like clothes to the centre,” she said.

In 2019, Hope Place became part of the frontliners assisting Sarawak General Hospital in transporting and giving aid during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has given one-off food aid to more than 250 families since the Movement Control Order last year.

Just recently, the team went to Lundu, giving food aid to 148 families in two villages under lockdown, Law said.

For more information, Hope Place can be reached at 082-505987. Opening hours are from 8am to 5pm from Mondays till Fridays and 8am to noon on Saturdays. All donations are welcome and receipts will be given upon request.

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