Reach Out reaches out to the poor every day, rain or shine - The Rakyat Post

“Welcome to our office! The streets are our office and is the busiest.” Reach Out Kuala Lumpur founder and president Peter Nicoll’s voice bellowed as 50 or more excited volunteers gathered close to the 53-year-old along bustling Jalan Pudu. A Cityliner bus passed, spewing a cloud of smoke as Nicoll continued: “Here, you won’t be getting any Datuk-ships, Datin-ships or a hero’s medal. “We don’t feed the ego. We feed the poor, the homeless and the destitute. “So, if you’re here for Datuk-ships, not in my NGO,” he said, explaining the brief rules of engagement for the volunteers who had come in large numbers to show their solidarity and support for the non-governmental organisation (NGO). “Usually, we only permit 15 to 20 volunteers. But today is a different story,” Peter said after the briefing, as he wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead using an old piece of cloth he had brought along. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had on Thursday called for soup kitchens within a 2km radius of Lot 10 in Bukit Bintang in the city centre to be banned. He also said alms givers would be fined RM150 and beggars and the homeless would be hauled up. This had led the Scottish national to issue an open invitation to Tengku Adnan to visit Ground Zero for himself and observe the work that related NGOs carried out to feed the poor and homeless in the city. “Reach Out KL has been conducting these efforts for the past eight years and we are not going to stop.” Nicoll revealed that it all began in 1998 when he arrived in Malaysia after being appointed to a high-ranking corporate position. “I took a drive around the city and found homeless men rummaging through dustbins for food. That’s when I decided to purchase food and give these men something to eat.” Now, 16 years later, and eight years after the organisation’s formal inception, the small group has grown after word spread, with Nicoll knowing by heart almost every homeless and beggar on the streets in KL. “I know where they live and where they sleep,” he said during the briefing. “Keep in mind, we’re venturing into their bedroom. So, please turn off your camera flash when taking photos.” The NGO is among the four largest soup kitchens within the city, after Kechara Soup Kitchen, Dapur Jalanan KL and Pertiwi Soup Kitchen. “We work every day, regardless of whether it rains or shines, if it is Hari Raya, Christmas or Diwali. “There is no off day for us.” Nicoll explained that each day, run leaders were assigned to organise and oversee the group’s modus operandi for the day. Travelling to six to seven “hot spot” locations, with Masjid Negara, Bangkok Bank, Kota Raya, the old clock tower in Pasar Seni being among the areas the group covers, the group later meets to obtain feedback from new volunteers. “We try to find new ways to improve our services. We’re always looking forward to new suggestions from new volunteers.” Nicoll revealed that in a day, the group distributed about 250 packets of food, which is obtained through friends, families, restaurants and even companies through their corporate service responsibility initiatives. “We never give money, ever. We provide food, clothing and, sometimes, basic health care assistance.” While the majority of Malaysians were glued to their television screens nationwide to watch the Argentina-Belgium World Cup match yesterday, Nicoll led the team, which had then broken into smaller groups, to provide packets of food to the homeless, with some carrying cat food as well. “Many of these homeless adopt kittens and dogs as their pets. Realising this, we bring pet food along as well.” When asked if ministry officials had contacted him after Tengku Adnan made a U-turn on his plans yesterday, Nicoll revealed that he had yet to receive a call from them. “No calls as of yet. But we will wait.” He revealed that Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s Anjung Singgah initiative was created after then minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil approached the NGO five years ago to find a means to end the homelessness debacle. “However, the majority of our suggestions, strategies and feedback were cherry picked for the intervention centre,” he said, adding that Kuala Lumpur City Hall had refused to work together on the effort. “For me, I believe the initiative can be improved upon if the right employers are brought in, along with the collaborative efforts of the relevant agencies. “These people should not only be given food, but counselling services to motivate them,” The former Royal Hong Kong police officer added that punitive measures would not solve the problem in the long run. “Short-term measures would not work if you wish to end the issue once and for all. You have to come down to the ground and see for yourself what it really is like.” It had started to drizzle by the time Nicoll and his group had finished their run for the day at 2am. Their work continues tonight when they go down to Ground Zero again. “We’re not going to stop. This is good work we’re doing and we believe in it.”



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