00:00Hi, my name is Chew Song Kong and I'm one of the winners of the Star Golden Hearts Award 2025.
00:08Some of the best we have to dismantle because the electrical board system all kaput, they cannot be used.
00:3367-year-old Chew Song Kong shows us a workshop of Charity Food Basket Society Klang that he is operating out of a premises tucked away at a neighbourhood in Klang.
00:43The premises is where they conduct maintenance and repair works on hospital beds, wheelchairs and other equipment which are later list out for free to those in need.
00:54It is also where food provisions are given out to about 160 families each month.
01:00Chew said 13 to 15 food item provisions including rice, instant noodles, biscuits and sardines are handed out every first Sunday of the month.
01:10We started in 2016, started with one hospital bed. Someone donated a hospital to us. So we lent it out.
01:19After a while, people asked for more hospital beds. So from there we raised money to buy.
01:27From 2016 to now, we have about 500 old hospital beds. Some of the donations goes to repairing of the beds.
01:34We repair ourselves, paintings, cleaning, sanitiser, or we do in-house, including wheelchairs. Everything is in-house.
01:42Actually, this centre is fully run by volunteers. The whole community does not get paid.
01:48Outside volunteers, we have about 10 to 12 of them. And then they help us to leave the hospital beds, collect hospital beds.
01:56They go and do retail work, maintenance, help us out. Some of them, they come one month once to pack onion, potato and garlic.
02:04Some of them, they're packing for the monthly, before they store inside. One month once, they come and collect.
02:10About 10 to 12, we send to their house. They are too old, handicapped, and very far away.
02:21These are the colors where our food recipients are.
02:25Roughly where they stay, we know.
02:28Chew's act of compassion began more than 20 years ago after he was moved by the plight of a single mother and her children,
02:34where he began providing weekly groceries to them.
02:37Actually, it started not on purpose with one family.
02:42They want the row size, and then with a few children.
02:45So, I took pity on them.
02:48After that, I saw the second family. It grew and grew and grew.
02:53Once I reached a certain amount, I cannot afford it anymore with my salary.
02:57So, we looked around for friends, donors to keep in.
03:02It grew beyond my imagination.
03:05In the beginning, we don't have a warehouse.
03:08I used my car as the car boot as the store.
03:12So, after work, I could buy some provisions and distribute.
03:17As cases grew, things grew, I used my house.
03:20Then, also, it outgrew my house.
03:23Then, we bought a container behind my house.
03:2740-foot container. I think this is the container, original container in my house.
03:31Yeah, we found this land, I think 15 years ago.
03:35The kind Indian lady let us use this for free.
03:38Chew said a thorough vetting process is carried out before registering a recipient.
03:43And applicants must fill up a form containing their personal and family details,
03:47utility bills, and related documents.
03:50The criteria is very easy.
03:52If their income is 2,000 or 1,500, what are their expenses?
03:57If their expenses are higher than their income, then we go to interview them at their house.
04:05Then, we will issue them a card.
04:07Every month, we have this system called drive-thru.
04:11They come in, they show the scan, then they collect, then they go off.
04:16And then, if our 160 quarter is full, they have to wait a few months.
04:20Because if it's urgent case, immediately, no need to wait for the quarter.
04:25Some of them are very grateful. They terminate themselves.
04:28They say their children are big, really working.
04:31They need to give it to other property to others.
04:34Some of them thought they donate back a little bit of cash to us every month.
04:39So, they say to help others.
04:41I don't believe in getting famous.
04:46It's not my style.
04:48When I started this, I used to know what, maybe it was a hobby.
04:51To now, it might be a hobby and it keeps me alive.
04:55Every day, I have something to do.
04:57To Chiu, his charity work gives him a purpose of life,
05:02and seeing the smile on the recipient's faces gives him sheer happiness and satisfaction.
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