1) For Nature
Gear up to go green for Mother Nature and take some time to visit the Free Tree Society in Kuala Lumpur. Like what its name says, the Free Tree Society gives away free trees to the public on certain environmental days, and they will most certainly welcome you to join them in planting the seedlings and trees.
(Source: Free Tree Society)
A Must Volunteer For: Anybody who’s passionate about the environment and/or trees. A definite must-visit for tree-huggers, and even young children are welcome. You can even brag to your friends that you ‘made’ oxygen. #thankyounext
2) For Hunger
The fight against hunger never ends and for that, we’re thankful for soup kitchens and kind souls around us who lead the fight. There are many soup kitchens in Kuala Lumpur, and the Happy Caring Hearts Crew goes all out to distribute food to the homeless, less fortunate, and for anyone who needs a little bit of something in a time of nothing.
(Source: The Lost Food Project)
The Lost Food Project is also one that’s not to be missed – their goal is to feed the hungry and not the landfill, hence, they “rescue” leftover food and provide them to the urban poor. If you’re a restaurant owner with excess food at the end of the day, do consider this alternative!
A Must Volunteer For: Those who want to give back to society but don’t have much time or resources to do so. It doesn’t matter what you give, as long as you give it wholeheartedly. Do take note that soup kitchens usually operate during the middle of the night, so consider your safety and convenience before volunteering.
We would recommend joining with a couple of friends, and don’t forget to let other people know of your whereabouts (just in case)!
3) For Education
Remember writing ‘cita-cita saya’ during primary school? Some of us may have written ‘cikgu’ or ‘guru’ and then grew up to follow totally different career paths. With Teach for Malaysia, no matter what you studied in college or what you’re currently working as, you can shape the education of our nation’s youth with your very own hands.Volunteers under TFM will be assigned teaching duties in schools throughout Malaysia, so if you’re keen to make a change in a child’s education, here’s where you can start.
(Source: Teach for Malaysia)
A Must Volunteer For: Youths who are keen to empower other youths through the means of education. It won’t be an easy task to manage and teach these students, so do be prepared to face challenges and setbacks, but never break your stride!
4) For Health
Food, water, medicine, education - these are basic necessities, but scarce to some. Teddy Mobile Clinic is a roving clinic that provides medical services to the homeless and less fortunate in Kuala Lumpur, operating side-by-side with soup kitchens at times so that it’s easier to talk to those who need help.At Teddy Mobile Clinic, patients receive free medication and treatment, plus health check-ups, but that doesn’t mean you can play around and try to get certain pills for free, okay?
(Source: Teddy Mobile Clinic)
A Must Volunteer For: Doctors, nurses, or medical professionals who have the time to spare and hearts that care. The team at Teddy Mobile Clinic comprises solely of medical volunteers, hence, it would be best for volunteers to have prior medical knowledge before joining.
5) For Refugees
Humans just like us, these refugees have a right to live and make a living. The Picha Project is a sustainable food organisation where they provide delicious meals and catering nationwide, all cooked and prepared by refugees. The selection of food is amazingly creative with a menu you don’t see every day, and so is the idea behind it with stories that will move you deeply.
(Source: The Picha Project)
A Must Volunteer For: Anyone who wants to make a change or to have a chance to interact with refugees. The Picha Project welcomes volunteers for a variety of tasks, so take your pick and create an impact today.
6) For Everything
If you’re looking to make a change in more ways than one, consider SOLS 24/7 and Kembara Kitchen. These organisations partake in a variety of services and good deeds for the community - from soup kitchens to education, to computer refurbishments and child-grooming awareness, to even corporate training and relief efforts overseas.We could list down all the things they’ve done and it still won’t be enough, because they’re always adding new things to their roster of good deeds.
(Source: SOLS 24/7)
(Source: Kembara Kitchen)
A Must Volunteer For: Anyone and everyone is welcome. Young or old, your contributions will help these organisations in many ways than one. It doesn’t have to be much - time, food, funds, energy, even helping to create awareness will go a long way.
7) *Bonus* For You!
Yes, contributing to charity is good and all but sometimes we just don’t have the time… Not to worry. If you’d still like to provide monetary assistance to charities, you can contribute to causes such as Empire Project (street kids’ welfare), Zero Waste Malaysia (spreading the message and awareness of zero waste), and ProjectEd Malaysia (for the education and leadership of youth), or any of the organisations we just listed in this article!
(Source: ProjectEd Malaysia)
Super interested to help out but your boss is making you OT like crazy and you’re already exhausted at the end of the day? It’s alright, there are other ways you can help – you can contribute a small amount of money to help these organizations and best of all, you can claim this for income tax ;) It’s practically a ‘kill two birds with one stone’, win-win situation for everyone.
Are there any other charities close to your heart that you’d love to see featured? Share their plight with us and let’s spread the word!
