Giving from the Heart

The giving of charity can often be just as rewarding to the giver as to the receiver. However to select one charity is difficult hence my advice is to follow your heart and find one that appeals most to you. Here are a couple of organizations worthy of consideration.

The Truly Loving Company (TLC)

Buy bath and body products, floor, kitchen and bathroom cleaners. All dividends declared by TLC goes to five charitable causes such as Shelter Home for Children, National Stroke Association of Malaysia, The Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association Johor, Rumah Aman and Hospis Malaysia. To ensure the money is distributed effectively the company has constituted a council to oversee the admission and review of selected charities as well as allocation of dividend. They also have a green-product range!
www.thetrulylovingcompany.com

Hospis Malaysia

Organisation provides palliative care and medicine at no cost to anyone with life limiting illness in Klang Valley. Services encompass both homecare and day care. Cash donations or/and medical equipment are appreciated.
www.hospismalaysia.org.my

The Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association of Johor

A home for mentally disabled children who suffer from cerebral palsy,hyperactivity, autism and others. There are also children who have been abandoned or abused. Cash donations or buying items on their wish list are welcomed.
www.handicabjb.org.my

Epic Homes

Founded to build sustainable housing for underprivileged Malaysian communities, particularly indigenous people or Orang Asli. Homes are built and repaired by volunteers. One can donate to purchase building material or spend a weekend building a home.
www.epichome.org.my

Kiva

A San Francisco based non-profit organization that facilitates interest free lending to alleviate poverty. Donors loan to low-income entrepreneurs of their choice around the world and repayment are remitted back to the donor via Paypal. Kiva works with microfinance institutions in five continents to provide loans to people without access to banking system. I have been a member of KIVA for 4 years now and have lent to a number of single mothers who would like to start a small business to support their families in Asia and Africa. So far I have been paid in full which I then lend out again to another individual. You will find KIVA’s website organised and user friendly.
www.kiva.org

All of us can have a profound influence on the lives of others through the act of giving – Bill Clinton

Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others.” – Barbara Bush