Spreading Kindness This Christmas ~ Let your kindness be the rain that cares not whom it falls upon

Hello Hiveans! This week's Qurator's Photo Quest theme is embracing Christmas Spirit. As I am not a Christian so what is actually Christmas Spirit? I will try my best to share with you what I understand the meaning of Christmas through some recent experiences and photos.

May you have the best health, wealth and happiness in the New Year ahead.

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Let your kindness be the rain that cares not whom it falls upon.

I would like to call it a season of spreading kindness and togetherness. It's about Giving and Receiving Joy. Embracing the spirit of Christmas means giving to those in need with a generous heart.

Embracing the joy of giving and receiving happiness with underprivileged children in orphanage homes.

I got the golden opportunity to help some orphanage homes when a budget was set aside by the company for me to do small charity efforts. So I started by finding suitable homes to help and identified the following 10 orphanage homes:

Agathians Shelter. Founded in 2003.
House of Joy. Founded in 1992.
Lighthouse Children Welfare Home Association. Founded in 2004.
Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Mary. Founded in 2003.
Rumah Charis - Home for The Children. Founded in 1988.
SHELTER Home for Children. Founded in 1981.
Stepping Stone Living Center. Founded in 1998.
Trinity Children's Home. Founded in 2006.
Victory of Children & Youth Home. Founded in 1998.
Yayasan Sunbeams Home. Founded in 1995.

And then I continued by conducting a survey and reaching out to all of those identified homes to understand what are the items that they currently in need of. Those homes responded with items needed, such as rice, choco malt drink, full cream milk powder, sweetened creamer, cooking oil, sugar, salt, vermicelli, tea bags, dishwashing liquid, bar soap, antibacterial hand wash, detergents and face masks.

I carefully planned to ensure the children will have a joyous Christmas and New Year. Aside from the groceries, I also prepared some festive hampers that contain goodies for them and KFC vouchers for the children to enjoy their favorite KFC meals. Supermarket vouchers were also thought of so that the caregivers can purchase raw materials such as veggies and meats. The process started with lots of grocery shopping and packing to be done. After that arranging a transporter to send those packed donation boxes to those homes. This task was eased off when a close acquaintance offered his assistance by sending his delivery team to help me complete the task on 12 December 2020. The lord is with me and lending me invisible hands.

On 15 and 16 December 2020, after much planning of the map and route to each of the 10 homes, I went out to distribute hampers, supermarket vouchers and KFC vouchers to them.

Earlier on 10 December 2020, I went to send donations of cash supermarket vouchers to 4 Old Folks' Homes. The Supermarket vouchers can be used by the caretakers to purchase raw materials such as vegetables and meats. I was tasked to arrange and find 4 homes that are in dire need of help provided that they are non-profit organizations and are registered with the Government Welfare Department. Based on these requirements, I did my research and identified four homes suitable for charity work. Mostly taking care of abandoned, abused, destitute, ill and bedridden elderly with no family members. They are:

1. Pusat Jagaan Sri Mesra - Mesra Home Ampang

Address: 16, Jalan Watan 1, Taman Sri Watan, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.
Total Elderly: 40 Old Folks. Age Range: 60 to 93 years.

2. Pusat Jagaan Pertubuhan Kebajikan Chester Selangor

Address: No 2, 2A & 4, Jalan Wangsa 3/4, Taman Wangsa Permai, 52200 Kuala Lumpur. Total elderly: 35 Old Folks. Age Range: 60 to 88 years.

3. Rumah Jagaan & Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas

Address: Lot 3530, Jalan Bt 18, Kg Pulau Meranti,47120 Puchong Selangor.
Total Elderly: 45 Old Folks. Age Range: 60 to 96 years.

I am with the founder Mrs Muji Sulaiman, who is a breast cancer stage 4 survivor. Puan Muji was given only a few days to live in 2007 and she fought through all the hurdles and is living proof of someone that had won against all the odds.

4. Xiao Xin Serdang Old Folks’ Home

Address: No,1687, Jalan 18/46, Taman Sri Serdang, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor. Total Elderly: 13 Old Folks. Age Range: 60 to 72 years.

These homes are in dire need of help

The financial resources of these homes are entirely dependent on the generosity of the beneficiaries. Due to the pandemic situation and lockdown, most of the homes are in dire financial difficulties to sustain their monthly bills such as paying rents and bills.

The happy results

At the end of the project, 500 children and 130 elderly benefited from the visits. Watching their happy faces that were lit up when they saw the gifts were so priceless indeed. I forgot all my exhaustion and it was replaced with the feeling of contentment.

Christmas decorations at my workplace.

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Christmas is a time when we open our hearts before we open our presents

Ainie Kashif with her friends during the gifts exchange party on 23 December 2020.

Much Love from Ainie Kashif, here's wishing you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas isn’t just a festive season. It’s the season to spread kindness and bring us together.

And that concludes my presentation for:

Qurator's Photo Quest | Christmas Spirit by @qurator

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That's all for now, wishing you a beautiful day ~ Life is Beautiful.

The Best is yet to come, Keep Creating Keep Hiving!

Take care and Stay Blessed!

Yours truly,