Customers contributing pantry-stable food items for the food donation drive.
TO commemorate World Food Day, Lotuss Stores (M) Sdn Bhd (Lotus’s Malaysia) handed over 1,500kg of pantry staple foods, drinking water, cooking oil and other necessities to Kechara Soup Kitchen.
The goodwill gesture, for the second year running, benefitted over 300 underprivileged families across the country.
“One of the primary intentions of this initiative is making sure that Kechara has enough supply of nutritious food that families request most and to get food to those in need,” said Lotus’s Malaysia corporate services executive director Azliza Azmel.
The initiative included a food donation drive, with food bins placed at seven of its stores – Kepong, Tanjung Pinang, Station 18, Melaka, Seri Alam, Bukit Indah and Ipoh Garden – to encourage participation from customers and the public.
“As a caring and compassionate retailer driven by our #KitakanJiran spirit, we understand that we have a role to play in supporting efforts of charitable organisations like Kechara Soup Kitchen in addressing food insecurity among struggling families and individuals.
“Through this food drive, we can collectively make an impact on the lives of those who are facing hunger or malnutrition,” she said.
Azliza handed over the food contributed by Lotus’s customers and the public to Kechara Soup Kitchen marketing director Justin Cheah, together with Chris Leong Method Tit Tar founder and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Chris Leong, an active volunteer at Kechara Soup Kitchen, at a ceremony held at Lotus’s Kepong.
Azliza and Cheah at Lotus’s Kepong during the handover ceremony.
In support of the campaign, Lotus’s Malaysia contributed other food items and necessities worth RM3,000.
“The response has been positive. To see so many customers and the public willing to donate food items to those who are less fortunate is truly inspiring.
“We hope to continue this initiative in the future,” added Azliza.
In line with Lotus’s Malaysia’s commitment to redirect food waste from landfills, the retailer has been working closely with its charity partners including Kechara Soup Kitchen on its flagship Food Surplus Donation Programme since 2016.
The initiative redistributes fruits, vegetables and bakery products that are unsold but still safe for human consumption to individuals and families.
As a testament to the commitment, 2.4 million kg of food, equivalent to 10.4 million meals, have been redistributed to more than 120,000 families thus far.
