In response to charity homes hit hard by the movement control order (MCO) – with donations declining and volunteers finding it more difficult to extend help, Sunway staff, through the #SunwayforGood Fund, have channelled close to RM130,000 into footing electricity bills of up to six months for 16 charity homes nationwide.
The #SunwayforGood Fund was set up as one of Sunway’s many initiatives to help alleviate the hardships of bottom 40% (B40) income-group communities and those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and the entailing MCO.
Within days of the MCO, the #SunwayforGood Fund was swiftly set up in collaboration with the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, with the senior management’s full consent and support to collect donations from all Sunway employees for this purpose. More than RM800,000 was collected from hundreds of donors. To date, #SunwayforGood Fund has impacted the lives of more than 160,000 B40 beneficiaries since MCO.
Sunway Group deputy executive chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman M. Hashim said, “We are doing this because we got to know many charity homes’ difficulties in sustaining their expenses, as the usual public donations have decreased due to the MCO and COVID-19. We hope this will alleviate the financial burden of these charitable homes and help them sustain through these difficult time.”
Dr. Ben C Ng from Johor Cheshire Home said, “We were hit very hard during the MCO, but thankfully Sunway helped us by paying our electricity bills, thus allowing us to continue aiding the needy.”
The 16 selected homes which received the utility bill aid are located in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor. They are Rumah Pengurusan Al-Firdaus, Rumah Kasih Harmoni Paya Jaras, Pusat Jagaan Anbe Sivam, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Ehsan As-Shakur, Pertubuhan Anak Yatim & Miskin Pinang Klang, Johor Cheshire Home, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Puspanesam, Rumah Sinar Kebahagian, Shammah Children Home, Pusat Jagaan Sinar Ceria, Rumah Sejahtera Permatang Tinggi, Pertubuhan Rumah Sinar, House of Hope, Pusat Jagaan Rumah Juara Puchong, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak-anak Yatim dan OKU Mesra and Rumah Hope.
Previously, drawing from the #SunwayforGood Fund, Sunway donated RM10,000 to Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya and Yayasan Kebajikan Negara each. The fund was also used to prepare “StaySafe” packs consisting of masks, vitamin C and sanitisers for all frontline workers including those involved in essential and critical services across Sunway Group. This is to keep them safe while they performed their duties.
Sunway’s frontline staff include healthcare workers at Sunway Medical Centre in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Medical Centre Velocity in Cheras, who have been working tirelessly; zoo keepers who continue tending to animals at Sunway Lagoon and Sunway Lost World of Tambun; hundreds of hotel staff across Sunway’s properties nationwide; facility maintenance workers as well as security officers and auxiliary police who ensure the safety of communities in Sunway townships.
