KUCHING: The Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) Community Pantry Project will go on until Sarawak Day on July 22.
This was disclosed by MPKS council member and project organising chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok.
He expressed hope that by then, Sarawak would move into other phases of the recovery plan to allow more economic activities to resume and operate freely.
“We are now moving into Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) thus more economic and business activities are allowed. However, there are still sectors that are closed or restricted.
“The MPKS Community Pantry Ver. 2.0 will be partnering with various supermarkets, namely LePapa, Farley, H&L at Aiman Mall, Sen-Sen at Samarindah and Desa Ilmu, Choice until July 15 and Everise from July 20 to 22.
“A minimum of 30 food packs will be distributed at 3pm by each supermarket, conducted in a proper manner under strict standard operating procedure (SOP),” he said today.
Sim said the public who wished to support the project could do so at Farley Supermarket.
“The pandemic has created many unprecedented events such as our Community Pantry Ver. 1.0 where it united 14 of the supermarkets in Samarahan and synchronised the time to give out the food aid to those in need as well as preventing any opportunist from taking too much free food in a day from our partners.”
It is estimated that over 5,500 food packs had been given out to over 22,000 people over eight days – equivalent to 10 percent of the population in Samarahan.
“In a simple estimate that 23 branches of various supermarkets during the event from July 4 to 12 had given out 30 packs for eight days, that would equal to 5,520 food packs being shared to those in need.
“If one pack would serve a family of four, this would mean 22,080 persons or 10 per cent of the Samarahan population have been helped.
“Their generous actions have saved the residents in Samarahan not only from hunger, but social or family problems and even might have helped in reducing crime as well as suicide rates in our neighborhood.
“Our MPKS Community Pantry Ver. 1.0 has shown that Samarahan is the most caring and truly giving place to live, study, work and to do business.”
