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One year meal sponsorship for Lighthouse clients |
| Jun 15 2009 |
June 06 , 2009
By Lucille Dass
PENANG: A rare and special tea treat from the kitchens of Penang’s Shangri-La Group arrived in style at the kitchen of POHD’s The Lighthouse to be served to the 70 clients and some guests present.
The occasion saw Rasa Sayang Resort Spa, Golden Sands Resort and Traders Hotel jointly launch their Corporate Social Responsibility Sponsorship Programme (CSR) at the Lighthouse recently. At this launch they pledged to do more than just tea for the Lighthouse which is a project of POHD, the social arm of the Catholic Church, Penang Diocese.
The general managers of the said hotels — Desmond Hatton (Rasa Sayang), Bruno Cristol (Golden Sands) and Karl Karlsson (Traders Hotel), together with Gerard Robless, POHD Management Board member, and Belevendiran Joseph, manager of The Lighthouse, were on hand to receive the chief guest — Yang Berhormat Phee Boon Poh, State Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee Chairman.
In his address on behalf of the Shangri-La Group, Desmond Hatton explained how the group got involved in the food sponsorship for The Lighthouse: “It was our Group Director of Food and Beverage who championed this noble cause of contributing food to the needy other than the usual funding and organised collection of necessities for the poor.
The chefs of the three hotels got together and after some deliberation, selected The Lighthouse Centre as the beneficiary of this food sponsorship programme.” The group has pledged a balanced meal sponsorship programme for an estimated 100 -
120 clients of the centre by taking turns on a monthly basis, for one year. In addition, “Apart from the meals, we will also make arrangements to donate more linen, bath towels and slippers to the centre.”
Hatton indicated that this was the first time the three hotels had combined to undertake a common cause and beneficiary. “We feel honoured and blessed by this opportunity to make a difference in our community.
We also hope to do more to help ease the burden of the poor and the destitute by contributing not just food but also basic comforts like blankets, beds and furniture,” he pledged further.
YB Phee in turn began with an interesting remark. He decried being addressed as Yang “Berhormat” by Suleiman Tengku Abdul Rahman, Group Director of Communications, who was at the mike. “How can you call me Yang Berhormat when I am standing in front of so many homeless and poor people? It means I have not done my job! I am not honourable.
You should address me as Yang ‘Berkhidmat’! I am here to serve the people.” He expressed the state government’s commitment and appreciation of the co-operative efforts by the corporate sector to help the poor and needy. He asked that the truly needy families be identified and made known to him so that they can be given social welfare benefits.
“Tiada siapa pun yang akan dipinggirkan,” he said in BM and in Chinese addressing directly the Lighthouse clients. He criticized the federal government for being tardy in approving funds to the state to pursue its sustainable development plan for the needy. He
promised to drop in the centre from time to time to show his commitment, and, as if suddenly inspired by scripture, he said “I am with you and will always be with you …” in BM and Hokkien. He closed his impassioned speech by applauding the Shangri-La Group's move as paving the way for other corporate bodies to do the same.
Gerard Robless thanked the benefactors and YB. He hoped for more support in cash and kind from the state government for POHD’s ongoing projects to rehabilitate the poor and the needy. Centre manager, Belevendiran, was glad that the occasion helped raise awareness of the presence of the poor and destitute all around us, and the need to reach out to them.
A simple cake cutting ceremony by YB, the three managers, Robless, Belevendiran, and some clients marked the CSR launch. Tea and fellowship followed. Later in the evening, the clients also had their first dinner treat at la Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa. —
Last changed: Nov 17 2009 at 11:13 AM
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