
Lodge International School donates RM5,000 to Hope Place
KUCHING (Aug 13): Lodge International School has contributed RM5,000 to Hope Place Kuching to aid the purchase of special needs items for the disabled community.
The funds were raised by the school's Korean Club and handed over earlier this week by principal Markus Gatuman to Hope Place founder Kelvin Wan during a small handing-over ceremony.
The event was witnessed by the club's president Kim Chang Hui, vice-president Marcus Chung, and teacher-in-charge Esther Jung.
According to Hope Place, this marks the second time that the Korean Club has donated to the local non-governmental organisation (NGO), as part of its ongoing efforts to promote empathy, love and a culture of giving among the younger generation.
Founded in 2013, Hope Place supports nearly 100 disabled individuals across Kuching, Serian and Samarahan, providing essential items such as disposable diapers, specialised milk powder, and wheelchairs.
The NGO works closely with Sarawak General Hospital, Sentosa Hospital, and Serian Hospital to ensure proper care for those with physical or mental disabilities.
Hope Place expressed its appreciation to Lodge International School and other educational institutions for spreading awareness on community work, diversity, and inclusivity.
Those wishing to contribute to Hope Place can contact the NGO on 082-505 987 or 013-567 2775.
Donations may be made to its Maybank account (511289001160), or via S Pay Global QR code available on its Facebook page. Receipts will be issued upon request. community financial aid Hope Place lead Lodge International School

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
NGO holds charity sale in Melaka, hopes to raise RM110,000 for its programmes
One of the many homemade goods sold during The Salvation Army Melaka's open day in 2023. The event tomorrow will be held in Jalan Parameswara. Non-governmental organisation (NGO) The Salvation Army Melaka will be hosting a charity sale and open day tomorrow to aid the needy and support the organisation's programmes. The event will be held from 8.30am to 1.30pm at its premises in Jalan Parameswara, where nearly 50 food stalls will profer various types of food such as nasi tomato, vegetarian fish porridge, and cakes. Salvation Army programme coordinator Olyvia Lim said the organisation aimed to raise RM110,000. 'The event promises a day of wholesome family fun, where everyone can enjoy good food, do good and make purchases for a worthy cause,' she said. 'The public is urged to support the sale, as the funds will be used to support the organisation's numerous activities. 'We hope that with the funds raised at the charity event, the work of the Salvation Army in Melaka can be further expanded and more underprivileged people can be assisted,' she added. 'As a non-profit organisation, we are highly dependent on public donations to ensure the continuity of our community programmes, such as our sheltered employment and training centre for individuals with special needs, and our senior citizens fellowship called the 'Rainbow Club',' said Lim. Visitors can participate in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop organised by the Asean Foundation and facilitated by students from Kolej Tingkatan Enam Tun Fatimah. There will also be special performances from students of The Salvation Army Hopehaven Special Needs Care Centre and members of The Salvation Army Rainbow Club, as well as live music by The Straits Kambradus Band. Since the late 1970s, The Salvation Army Melaka has been managing a special education centre for individuals with learning disabilities such as Down's syndrome, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at its Hopehaven Special Needs Care Centre. The sheltered employment and training centre includes classes such as making handicraft and baking. The Rainbow Club is a fellowship of about 50 senior citizens, primarily unmarried people living below the poverty line, who support each other as they navigate life in their later years. The NGO also carries out community care projects like food aid for poor families, emergency aid and relief during fires and floods, and a social enterprise thrift store that collects and sells preloved items. For details, contact 06-283 1203 or 011-3577 4017.


The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Upset over healthy trees felled in Selangor
RESIDENTS of Klang, Selangor, are angry with their local council, alleging that it is on a 'tree-chopping rampage'. Taman Melawis resident G. Santhi, 61, said Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) contractors went to her area without prior notice and started felling trees almost to the root. 'I have been living here since I was seven. This is the first time this is being done,' said Santhi. 'Usually, they will only prune and trim the trees for maintenance and not destroy them completely.' Going by the way the contractors hacked at the trees, Santhi said they were probably not trained to do the job in a proper and non-destructive manner. HK Sidambaram, 46, another resident there, alleged that MBDK had destroyed the trees that made the neighbourhood a pleasant place to live in. 'Now it is hot, humid and very uncomfortable without the trees,' he said. The aftermath of 35 trees being chopped down in USJ2, Subang Jaya. — Filepic Other residents also alleged that even fruit trees they had planted many years back were not spared. Besides Taman Melawis, another area that bore the brunt of tree culling was the recreational park next to Stadium Sultan Sulaiman. Senior citizens, retirees and those who frequent the park were heartbroken after 15 trees there were cut down. Retired trade unionist A. Balasubramaniam said that without the trees, the seniors found it difficult to sit and chat because of the heat. 'There is no shade or cool environment and this has thrown a spanner in our social activities,' he said, adding that the retirees used to hold potluck meetings under the shady trees. Jeanne Sivakumar, 48, is another affected park-goer who used to exercise at the park every morning but has stopped after the trees were cut. 'It is too hot now and most of those who used to frequent the park have also found other places for their morning recreation,' said Jeanne, adding that the once beautiful park was now barren. Residents in USJ2, Subang Jaya, had also previously complained about rampant tree-cutting after Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) cut down 35 trees in their neighbourhood. A tree being felled in Taman Melawis, Klang. Christine Das, who is a wildlife conservation artist, said the indiscriminate cutting of the trees, which provided beauty and shade, had devastated the neighbourhood. 'The removal of this cluster of 35 trees has destroyed our vibrant bird habitat and reduced the bird population. 'It is a profound loss for me and my neighbours,' she said. Christine said that after a mediation arranged by Subang MP Wong Chen between all stakeholders in late July, MBSJ had agreed to replace the trees that were chopped down. 'But the dates have not been confirmed yet. 'Currently our jogging track is being upgraded,' she added. Wong, in a Facebook post on Aug 1, said the MBSJ Landscaping Department had explained that the trees in USJ2 were cut to manage landscape congestion and for public safety. Malaysian Society of Arborist president Mohd Zailani Jamil said any decision pertaining to trees in a public place must be based on the needs of the people in the area. Those involved in the management of these trees, he said, must also know how to maintain and manage trees to ensure they do not pose a danger. 'There is a technique to manage trees to promote their longevity as well as to ensure that their lifespans are long and healthy,' he added. Mohd Zailani said it did not mean the trees posed a danger to people just because they were old. 'With proper pruning and management, trees will not pose a risk,'' he said. He also said concerned residents had a right to know why the trees were felled. When asked about the felling in Klang, MBDK Landscape and Recreational Department deputy director Azzura Zainal said she would look into the matter. 'There definitely must be a good reason for the city council to have done that,' she added. Selangor local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the two city councils would be questioned as to what prompted them to fell the trees.


The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Volunteers help reopen US camp for disabled children after Texas floods
When Kenny Hudnall looked out the window of his mother's minivan, he could see the destruction wrought by the floodwaters of the Guadalupe River in Center Point, Texas, the United States on July 4. Fat cypress trees snapped like twigs, kayaks dangling from debris piles 9m off the ground. Volunteers were still working to clear the mess, many wielding chainsaws. But Hudnall, a 21-year-old college student, could not join them. He was partially paralysed in a car crash at age five and needs a wheelchair to move and a ventilator to breathe. Still, he had a part to play in the rebirth of Texas Hill Country after the deadly floods of July 4 that left at least 132 dead and nearly 100 still missing. Hudnall was traveling to Camp CAMP (Children's Association for Maximum Potential) in Centre Point, which was improbably welcoming new campers, many with physical and cognitive challenges too serious for other camps, little more than a week after the deadly deluge. 'Seeing those volunteers on the road was very similar to the vibe at camp,' Hudnall said. 'It's bringing normalcy to a person who doesn't always feel normal.' Camp CAMP provides an inclusive summer camp experience for children and adults with a wide range of disabilities. Rebuilding after the storm The reopening of a summer camp recently heralded the green shoots already sprouting in the flood's wake, and it felt particularly poignant, and perhaps a little scary. One of the most indelible horrors of the flood was Camp Mystic, 48km upriver in Kerr County, Texas, where more than two dozen campers, counselors and other employees lost their lives. Camp CAMP was not in session the week of July 4. Its cabins and other buildings sit on a hill 24m above the river anyway, safely above the flood's high-water mark, said Brandon Briery, the chief operations officer. The camp's undeveloped stretch of riverfront property was used by campers only sporadically for fishing, canoeing and bonfires. 'For years we had talked about building here, and I always said no,' Ken Kaiser, the facilities director, said this week as he stood on the riverbank. 'Because it always floods.' Still, flood detritus did render the waterfront impassable. The heart of camp was unscathed, but leaders worried about exposing vulnerable campers to scenes of destruction, including search teams from Texas A&M University on the property looking for human remains. 'We didn't want them to see their home as a disaster area,' Briery said. Then unexpected help arrived. Cord Shiflet, an Austin, Texas, real estate agent who started helping with disaster relief when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, had driven to the Texas Hill Country looking for places to pitch in. Someone directed him to Camp CAMP. He discovered the destroyed waterfront, and the camp's mission, helping children too disabled to attend other camps. On July 8, Shiflet sent a plea to his tens of thousands of Facebook followers. Camp CAMP serves individuals with developmental, intellectual, physical, and medical disabilities. 'I need MONEY, MANPOWER, and MACHINES,' he wrote. 'We do NOT need people in athletic shorts showing up with a rake. We need the biggest, baddest muscle we can find to work our tails off.' On July 9, 250 people arrived at Camp CAMP. By Friday, the number of volunteers had doubled. They brought front-end loaders, excavators, dump trucks and dozens of chain saws. They hacked the tangles of debris to pieces and hauled it all away. By Saturday evening, the waterfront was a flat expanse of fresh mud. 'I am overwhelmed,' Kaiser said as he surveyed the scene. 'We thought this would take a year. They did it in four days.' Briery sent word to campers' parents that Camp CAMP would reopen at noon Monday, just as he had planned before the flood. 'My first reaction was: 'Really? Is it going to be safe?'' said Gigi Hudnall, Kenny's mother. 'It was scary that they were going to open so fast.' Kenny was intent: He wanted to go. 'It does look like a trash dump compared to the beautiful forest we're used to,' he said. 'But it's rare for me to get this kind of connection with people who are not members of my family, or doctors or nurses.' A safe space Another camper, Eli Hemerly, usually prefers not to go outside. Born 17 weeks premature, he is now 18 years old with the cognitive abilities of a first grader, said his mother, Lucy Hemerly. He favours playing inside with his Mighty Morphin Power Rangers action figures and watching episodes of Paw Patrol. A few minutes before noon, the predicted storm arrived. The Texas Department of Public Safety ordered the camp to remain closed. Hemerly was half a mile away when she told Eli the news. 'I'm disappointed,' Eli said, as his mother later remembered. 'I was shocked,' Hemerly said. 'He never wants to go anywhere.' The delay proved short. Twenty-four hours later, the camp reopened, and campers started to return. Hemerly arrived at noon sharp so she could explain to counselors the complicated necessities of her son's care, which included instructions to navigate the gastric port in his stomach for feeding, the different diapers he wears, and his particular sleep postures. 'The counselors here have always been wonderful at making sure he's comfortable,' said Hemerly. Hudnall was most excited to ride a horse. The activity is logistically complex. Two counselors lift him onto a horse's back. Once the horse is in motion, one counselor walks behind. Two more stand on either side. A fourth carries his ventilator. 'The way that people grow in relationships is doing things together,' said Hudnall, who has attended Camp CAMP for 10 years. 'For people in my predicament, that is the hardest thing to find. So here, having someone who is guaranteed to be around you at all times, that helps a lot.' – ©2025 The New York Times