People queuing up for the char kuey teow at The Salvation Army Penang Open Day on Logan Road.
SENIOR manager Ong Siew Hoon is a bubbly mother of a 15-year-old boy.
On most weekends, however, she becomes a teacher, hairdresser, baker and even a handicraft maker to raise funds for the underprivileged, the aged and the disabled.
Although Ong, 48, works a nine-to-five job from Monday to Friday, she allocates time on the weekends to focus on her responsibility for others.
“I sometimes use my annual leave days from work to attend to my ‘other’ responsibilities.”
Handicraft made from recycle household items being sold at The Salvation Army Penang's open day in Logan Road. - K.T. GOH/The Star
It includes teaching children with autism at the Association of Resource and Education for Autistic Children (Lions REACh) in Gelugor, Penang.
Besides baking, Ong also teaches how to make keychains, earrings and hair pins.
“When necessary, I go to old folks’ homes to cut hair for the elderly and prepare lunch for them as well,” she said.
Helmy Hafrizie Hazir helping prepare satay at the open day. — Photos: KT GOH/The Star
She also helps out with cancer patients at the Mount Miriam Hospital.
When asked how she does all these while working full time and being a mother to a teenager, she said “it is all about juggling my schedule.”
Ong was selling her handicraft items recently at the annual Salvation Army Penang Open Day at The Salvation Army Children’s Home on Logan Road.
Ong showing boxes of handicraft items she made for sale at the open day to raise funds for the Salvation Army home.
She said all proceeds from the sale of her items would go to the welfare home.
The open day was organised to raise funds for the home’s operations costs, with people setting up stalls to sell nasi kandar, muar chee, char kuey teow, lok lok, satay and other local favourites, as well as drinks, handicraft items and pre-loved items.
The home, which currently houses 19 boys aged three to 18, has been providing a caring place of stay and guidance to many boys since 1938.
Children from Fabulous Kids performing to entertain visitors.
A stall selling satay, set up by Jenny Lim, 47, from Kuala Lumpur, was also a hit with the crowd at the open day.
Lim, a customer service, logistics and planning department head, said she came to Penang for the open day to help raise funds for the home.
Lim has been selling satay at the open day for more than 10 years.“I have been doing this for more than 10 years, except for the past three years.
“We prepare 2,000 sticks of satay to be sold here and 100% of the sales go to the children’s home,” she said, adding that she also raised funds for The Salvation Army Ipoh’s Open Day every year.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was the guest of honour, said in his speech that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that wish to apply for the state government’s annual grant of RM2mil must submit their working paper for consideration and approval to implement or kick-start their projects.
He said the grant, which was pledged in the Penang Unity Manifesto this year, was to support the good work of local NGOs.
“It is the state government’s obligation to support the good work done by our local NGOs and we hope with this annual allocation, our NGOs can remain focused and steadfast in continuing their good work,” he said.
Chow said the Salvation Army home had a long history of helping underprivileged children.
Chow (in red shirt) with Lee (in uniform) checking out the dishes offered by a nasi kandar vendor at the open day.
“Many of these children are now contributing back to our local communities,” he noted.
He also said that the home needed RM43,000 each month for their monthly expenses, which included food, medical care, school supplies, transportation, utility bills and facility maintenance.
He said the fund target set for the open day this year was RM160,000 and that the state government was allocating RM20,000 to the home.
Also present were Salvation Army secretary for business administration Major David Erickson, programme secretary Major Susie Erickson and Salvation Army Penang team leader and organising committee chairman Major Lee Kong Yee.
