Food banks and soup kitchens have become lifesavers for many. But it isn’t always easy to know the location of these initivaties, and finding a food bank or soup kitchen may be difficult for those incapable of long-distance travel.
These are issues a group of local youths are tackling through their new website, Feed Malaysia. Launched on Aug 28, the platform lists food banks and aid organisations by location, allowing visitors to identify the ones closest to them.
At present, 748 food banks and aid organisations are listed on Feed Malaysia, with more added regularly.
The website also provides donation and volunteer pages, as well as helpful links to free mental health helplines.
The effort was spearheaded by Au Jun Wei, Karishma Menon, Leong Himn Yau, Max Chew and Natasha Lim, five students who hope the platform will be a bridge for those in need, even after the pandemic.
Au, 19, tells FMT that Feed Malaysia was preceded by a smaller-scale project called Feed Selangor.
“We were working on a project making and donating face shields. Then we wanted to start a food bank, but during the white flag movement, we found that many others were already starting their own food bank initiatives,” he says.
Au and his friends realised they had an opportunity to set up an information hub enabling Malaysians to find nearby aid groups quickly.
At first, the scope of the project was small, focusing solely on aid groups within Selangor. But as it became apparent that Feed Selangor was a success, they decided to widen the scope to cover more of the country.
Visitors to Feed Malaysia can provide information on new food banks and those that are no longer operating. The website is available in Malay, English and Chinese, with a Tamil page in the works.
The team is also seeking volunteers from Sabah and Sarawak who would be more familiar with the active aid groups in East Malaysia.
“We are looking to expand to the entirety of Malaysia,” Au says, adding that they hope to find people to keep the project going when the current team is preoccupied with their studies.
Accessibility issues
A common problem faced by websites is accessibility, especially when its target audience are the underprivileged who may lack internet access.
“The fact is that many people in the B40 group, who Feed Malaysia targets, aren’t necessarily digitally connected,” says Au.
To address this, the team has collaborated with C.A.R.E. Lifeline, a social initiative and hotline that guides callers to food and medical aid, quarantine isolation facilities, as well as prayer and counselling services.
It might be surprising to learn that Feed Malaysia is not a university project – it was born out of a sincere desire to help.
“As privileged students, it’s our responsibility to give back to our communities,” says Au.
“I hope in the future, there won’t be any need for Feed Malaysia to keep going,” his teammate Karishma, also 19, adds.
“Everyone needs to keep supporting each other during this tough time. The community support we have received is really strong, which is great to see.”
To find the food bank location closest to you or to check out the other resources, visit Feed Malaysia, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also contact the C.A.R.E. Lifeline for help at 03-82308844 (Mondays to Saturdays, 10am-6pm).