Kuala Kubu Bharu, 7 February 2017

The Year of the Rooster is off to a great start for Taman Sinar Harapan. The institution, which provides care, shelter and rehabilitation for disabled individuals, is the focus of Malaysian AEON Foundation’s (MAF) 2017 “Spread Our Love” Chinese New Year celebration.

A visit to the centre today proved to be an auspicious one as 50 AEON volunteers and five MAF committee members came bearing gifts. “Happiness is meant to be shared, and with Chinese New Year upon us, there is no better time to ‘spread the love’. As a brand that is built for the community, we believe in the necessity of giving back to those in need. It’s a cause that we continue to champion year after year, and really, the smiles that we get in return make it worth the while,” expressed Vice President 2 of MAF, Mr Kenji Fujita (Managing Director of AEON Credit Service).

Home to 220 residents, Taman Sinar Harapan received assistance from MAF in the form of RM10,000 worth of essentials ranging from adult diapers and toiletries to blankets and food products. In a bid to ease its financial strain, MAF also presented the home with a cheque of RM20,000.

The donations though, were not the only items on the agenda. With the ultimate intention to bring cheer, MAF volunteers also spent time engaging with the residents in a series of fun activities. MAF volunteers were given the opportunity to get closer with the residents through cake decoration contest where the volunteers were paired with the residents and compete against each other.

To channel the festive spirit, the MAF volunteers worked together to clean and decorate the home, and as a reward for their hard work, a delicious lunch was served, where MAF volunteers also helped to feed the residents that require assistance. Continuing the Chinese New Year tradition, MAF volunteers together with the residents tossed the Yee Sang who wish for fortunes to rise and expand during the forthcoming year. Rounding things up was a very loud and colourful Chinese New Year staple—a lion dance performance.

Up to this date, MAF has successfully initiated six “Spread Our Love” campaigns, the first of which began since 2012. Some of the past efforts included visitations to old folks’ homes, donations to welfare organisations as well as the AEON-sponsored shopping trip for 150 children.