A Happy and Blessed 2022 New Year!
We have been pretty much silent from the newsletter's space since the lockdown has started, not because we have stopped all activities from aiding families in need; but in fact 2021 has been one of the busiest years we ever been through for 8 years
Even though Malaysia has begun to allow restarting of the economy with 90% vaccination achieved, however throughout the entire 2020 lockdown, many families have been greatly impacted and more and more families
There were almost 900 families registered for emergency temporary food aid throughout 2021 as we kept seeing businesses closing down, unable to sustain rent without businesses running as usual.
Fortunately, by the Grace of God, even though many people are facing so much challenges, there are many more who could pulled through the pandemic with less lack are willing to pour out what they have for those who are in need.
This photo was taken after the water started to subside and the outreach teams were able to travel in to help after residents stranded in 3 feet flood for at least 4 days.
This was particularly true when massive flood affected
One of the devastated locations was the local flat community that we were teaming up with our special Glad Tiding's zone PJ1,2 and 3 out reach teams to help them through food rescue collaboration, where residents were stranded with the flood up to 3 meters high and many were not able to get from one block another during the heavy storm; while we learned there was one lady in the flat electrocuted to death (as she was at floor 1 and the water was already sipping into her house), while another attempted to swim out to seek for help but was suck into a manhole and drown from all the heavy currents in the flood.
(We believe his body was recovered down the stream)
Other places like our usual outreach locations, Pulau Indah, a village that is close to the shoreline, suffered days of flood due to the high tide and storm, damaging a lot of crops that they had and the beds that they sleep on.
The consolation that we had was during the flood, they had some food from all the packing we did a week prior for Christmas and they could survive a good few days...
And truly thanks to our generous donors and the people of Glad Tidings who didn't think twice to chip in to help immediately when they heard many of our outreach locations were affected by the massive flood.
Our food bank was buzzling with outreach teams one after another scrambling in whatever we had left from the Christmas blessing packs alongside with additional donations for the flood aid.
God truly pulled us through with His provision and the love of the community
who disregarded their safety and went in all out to help those who were stranded
Especially getting stranded families from the most affected areas out to multi stories public schools for shelter; while we prepared whatever food aid we can scramble from all the donations we received.
Some even give out whatever they have: clothes, blankets and even additional baby chairs, knowing that the damages that all the affected families faced will be massive.
All in all, it wasn't the best year; but God is still Good!
Our Food Bank received so much that we could be a continuous blessing to the families especially in the State of Selangor and the Federal territory of Kuala Lumpur
Providing a lending hand for outreach teams to do what they can, reconnecting and helping those who are in trouble.
We couldn't be more grateful for the people around us in Malaysia who stepped up to help, and the list can go on and on
Especially we are all gearing up to readily aid outreaches in Malacca area when needed as the rains are yet to stop pouring.
The entire year of 2021 has truly made one profound scripture jump up to life in our hearts:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
2 Choritians 4:8-10
God has truly never short change us in this very season that we needed His grace the most.
Angie Ng
Daily Bread Food Bank Director
disclosure: the Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit channel, collaborating with other NGOs including the latest Fresh Food Bank Initiative movement.
To know who we are, please do read through our introduction here in HIVE
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