Work came and went. Her health was failing. Every ringgit she earned vanished into rent, bus fares, and basic meals. Most days, she went without so her baby could have a little more.

Then some people showed up with a meal. People who remembered her name. People who came back. That’s how she found The Assembly Soup Kitchen (TASK).

“We were able to step into her life and contribute food, milk powder, basic sustenance and nutrition for her and the family,” Soo Mun Keong, TASK’s founder, shared with FMT Lifestyle.

Based in Shah Alam, TASK is a community-run soup kitchen helping hundreds from underserved communities – the Orang Asli, refugees, the homeless, and the B40. People like Songla.

“She was able to get better and eventually find proper work. And today, we still see her around the community … definitely a lot better, healthier, and happier,” Soo, a former pastor, added.

At TASK, food isn’t just about filling stomachs. “The food is our primary blessing to the community,” said Soo, 45. “But I do find it more as a bridge into their lives.”

That belief shapes everything they do – how they serve, who they help, and why. “Ultimately, people crave for that relationship and emotional support … they need to know that people do care and want to help.”

TASK began during the pandemic in August 2020 when Soo and his wife were cooking extra meals for a family in need.

“We met a family that needed help. So we thought, ‘let’s do what we can with what we have’,” he said.

“We started cooking extra meals for them. And one family became two, two became three and we realised that there was a large portion of the community that needed help.”

Soon, others joined in – friends, church members, neighbours, anyone who wanted to help.

“We managed to get about 150 people who were willing to cook from their homes. And we felt that, wow, this is getting quite big,” Soo laughed.

That’s when they knew it was time to scale up. They set up a shared kitchen at a factory space in Shah Alam. “That’s how the name came about – ‘Assembly’ – because we come together to do this as one.”

Today, TASK serves up to 3,000 meals weekly. Over 1,000 volunteers have pitched in – some even helping beyond the kitchen.

Like a hive of bees, the volunteers clock in and get started: sorting, cleaning, chopping, cooking, packing, delivering food. When it’s all done, they sit down for lunch together – this fellowship keeps TASK going, according to Soo.

Indeed, rather than a top-down approach, TASK lets volunteers take the lead. If someone is passionate about helping a certain group, TASK supports them.

“We need a group of willing, active, consistent volunteers for the area,” he said, adding that they needed people who were also willing to spend time with the needy, speak to them, and find out what their real needs were.

TASK currently focuses on communities in Chow Kit, Pudu, and other nearby areas.

They have also branched into education and healthcare. After spotting unschooled children on the streets, they launched The Assembly Learning Center in Subang in 2022 – a school for refugee kids.

“We have about 90 to 100 kids who we are able to educate consistently and provide proper guidance to keep them out of trouble,” Soo said.

TASK also works with health and dental groups to provide free check-ups for those who cannot afford to see a doctor.

The mission is simple: meet immediate needs, then go deeper. Soo believes charity may not fix everything, but it can spark change.

“Many Malaysians live in a bubble. We’ve been very comfortable and really only concerned with the things that go on in our world. I believe that everyone must be involved.”

Find out more about The Assembly Soup Kitchen here or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.