When Susan Ho Sue Fun, 29, saw a video of a stranger paying meals in advance for another person, she decided to start the same act in Ipoh. After nearly a year of operation, Pay It Forward Ipoh (PIFI) has been feeding the homeless every week on Saturday.
When PIFI first started, together with her co-founder, they would walk around the city of Ipoh after hours to find the homeless. Using their own money, the duo distributed Nasi Lemak and drinks for them and now from a team of two, it has expanded into a big group of volunteers who came from all sorts of backgrounds, race and religions.
“We provide the food for those who need it regardless of their race and religions. I decided to focus on the homeless because they are often neglected due to their past history,” said Susan who is currently working in Kuala Lumpur.
“I was lucky to have great support from my family and friends to do this, especially my mom who has been kind enough to cook for the homeless for almost every serving,” added Susan. Her mom, Surine Chan, 58, has a stall located at Indera Mulia Stadium food court, shop number 3, where she will cook vegetarian noodles and sometimes porridge too.
PIFI runs solely on public funding where donations can be made upon buying food at Susan’s mom stall or by contacting Susan herself, “There are times when we would receive kind donations from the public and some would even sponsor the whole meal and toiletries.”
The volunteers of PIFI would gather every Saturday at 11pm at UTC, Ipoh. They will then pack the food, drinks and other donations before distributing it around town including Taman Kanak-Kanak and People’s Park.
Readers who are keen on joining Susan and the volunteers of PIFI can check their Facebook page at Pay It Forward Ipoh or contact her at 011 1278 7268 or email: ipohpayitforward@gmail.com.
Ili Aqilah
