#gongximakan For All: Grab Drivers And Delivery Riders Celebrate Chinese New Year With The Underprivileged

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Some 120 Grab drivers and delivery partners participated in the #GongXiMakan For All initiative to reach out to underserved communities and show them kindness and fellowship during this Chinese New Year season.

A Grab driver since September 2017, Shanlee Tan shared that as drivers, they often find themselves driving through parts of Kuala Lumpur that they normally wouldn’t go on their own.

“And along the journey, we can see many people, especially at night, sleeping on the streets or children going through bins looking for plastic bottles and cans they can sell to scrap dealers for money to pay for essentials they need at home.

“Sometimes, we have passengers who would rather walk home with their bags to save a few ringgit, but because they are elderly, they don’t have the energy to walk. As drivers, we share stories of our encounters with each other and it breaks our heart to hear of these stories,” he said in a statement.

Collectively, the teams across Malaysia utilised soup kitchen locations to provide warm meals sponsored by various restaurants to over 700 homeless individuals in marginalised areas across Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Kuantan, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu.

This joint effort involved multiple non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs), including The Lost Food Project, Kechara Soup Kitchen, Happy Charity Association, Malaysian Red Crescent Society, Society for Kuching Urban Poor, Hope Place, Rumah Kebajikan Anak Yatim dan Fakir Miskin Perempuan, and Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Lelaki dan Miskin Baitul Mukmin.

“Additionally, we also distributed food packs containing items such as rice, sugar, and eggs to 300 lower-income households in these areas,” Shanlee said.

In the Klang Valley region, the team collaborated with The Lost Food Project (TLFP), a food rescue NGO, to address hunger issues and climate change by tackling the food waste problem.

Instead of letting extra food go to waste, they collect and distribute it to over 80 charities and thousands of B40 families in less privileged areas, regardless of their background.

So far, the TLFP team has saved 6.7 million kilogrammes (kg) of food from being wasted, which is equivalent to 19.1 million nutritious meals, and prevented 16.7 million kg of greenhouse gases.

According to Sharipah Mazenah, a Grab driver from Kuching, participating in the initiative provided another opportunity to serve the community and offer comfort and hope to the homeless, especially during festive seasons when they may feel isolated.

“Being involved in this initiative gave us, the community of drivers and delivery riders, the chance to bring comfort and hope to the homeless. I am humbled to be able to do this together with my fellow Grab drivers and delivery riders,” she said.

Similarly, Mohamad Heruan Shah, a Grab driver from Penang, described the initiative as an eye-opening and emotional experience, highlighting the power of community support and empathy.

“Seeing the gratitude and appreciation in the eyes of the families and children we were able to help reminded me of the true meaning of family, empathy and kindness. This initiative showed me the power of coming together as a community to support those in need,” he said.

-- BERNAMA