Sunway Group kicked off its annual Meal Pack-a-thon series in collaboration with international hunger relief agency Rise Against Hunger, as part of its flagship #SunwayforGood food aid programmes.
The nationwide meal pack-a-thon was launched at Sunway Pyramid by Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah AO, alongside Rise Against Hunger Adviser Dato’ Ir. Jimmy Lim and Rise Against Hunger Malaysia President Mr. Tiki Keh.
The inaugural event was then followed by the second leg at Sunway Putra Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, and is slated to continue in Sunway City Iskandar Puteri in Johor, Sunway City Ipoh in Perak before the finale at Sunway City Seberang Jaya in Penang in October. This year’s meal pack-a-thon will see a total of 330,000 meals packed by some 700 volunteers.
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah said, “The issue of food security is one that we at Sunway take seriously. This initiative is powered by our belief that no corporation can stand apart from the communities it serves. Sunway has fully embraced the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and our food bank initiatives are in line with Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report by the United Nations, hunger afflicts one in 10 individuals globally. This issue is even more pressing now as food prices have increased by 20 per cent on average over the past year due to rising inflation, according to World Bank estimates.”
This year, meals packed by Sunway and Rise Against Hunger will reach more than 5,500 beneficiaries, including Orang Asli communities in Perak, Kelantan and Pahang; orphanages, senior homes and refugee population throughout Klang Valley, Johor and Penang; the hardcore poor across Klang Valley, Penang, Perlis and Kedah, as well as the underprivileged in Timor-Leste.
Since this initiative started in 2014, Sunway’s staff have collectively clocked in more than 25,000 volunteer hours to pack some 1.3 million meals comprising enriched rice, lentils, dried vegetables as well as 23 essential vitamins and nutrients.
In addition to Rise Against Hunger, Sunway is collaborating with several NGO partners to make this pack-a-thon a success, including the Selangor Youth Community, Yayasan Raja Muda Selangor, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, Yayasan Kebajikan Negara, Jabatan Kerja Raya Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, 4×4 Relief Malaysia, Rotary Johor Centennial, Sahabat Orang Asli, Rotary Club USJ and Subang, Kiwanis Club of Penang, and The Lost Food Project.
The Sunway Meal Pack-a-thon is part of #SunwayforGood, the Group’s award-winning corporate social responsibility umbrella that pledges to promote sustainability and social responsibility efforts through three areas namely education, healthcare, and community enrichment, aligned with Sunway’s commitment to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In the lead up to its 50th anniversary in 2024, Sunway aims to build and refurbish at least 50 libraries through the Sunway READ (Reading Enhances Aspiration and Drive) programme, pack two million meals for undernourished communities, as well as provide basic health screening in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation for 50 Orang Asal communities.
Source: Sunway Group
