As part of its commitment in supporting underserved communities, Ben’s Independence Grocery (B.I.G), operated by The Food Purveyor, handed over RM10,250 raised to fulfil the wish list of The Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped, Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan (SSMH). The fund will be used to support training activities for the disabled children to maximise their functional skills including motor, cognitive, communication, social and self-help skills.
The fundraising drive, which took place for a month starting from November, saw shoppers from B.I.G supporting the initiative by purchasing SSMH ornaments and loyalty programme members donating their points on the BITES loyalty app for a good cause.
In this trying time, children with disabilities are the most vulnerable. It is important to support children with disabilities to reach their full potential that will benefit them and their families. We hope that this initiative will provide some relief to the centre to operate as we enter the new normal of 2021.
The initiative is part of The Food Purveyor’s Smiles programme where we aim to bring joy to homes during key festive seasons ensuring benefits are spread across the various cultural and religious communities,” said Geoff King, Chief Executive Officer of The Food Purveyor.
SSMH is a voluntary welfare organisation that provides daycare and rehabilitation for children and youths with severe mental and physical (multiple) disabilities.
According to Fadillah Mohd Yakin, president of SSMH, the organisation requires about RM35,000 a month in order to maintain and run its training centre. With the current pandemic, as with other charities, SSMH also faces challenges in raising funds as we have had to cancel various activities this year. Our fund-raising events such as movie screenings, charity bazaars and art exhibitions have had to be put on hold due to the current situation.
“We are thankful to The Food Purveyor for their willingness in offering us the help we need at this time. SSMH focuses on meeting the needs of this group of special children and supports parents and other caregivers in providing the training that is needed to help the children attain some independence in performing the daily living tasks – such as walking, grooming and feeding ourselves, that we all take for granted. We hope more corporations will follow in the footsteps of The Food Purveyor and support charities that help people in need,” said Fadillah Mohd Yakin.
