Kuala Lumpur, 28 November 2003 - With Christmas round the corner, and the new year about to draw closer, boys at Shelter Home V certainly have a long list of wish items.
They have been hopeful for generous Santa Clauses in the past to come around and give them what they had wished for, but this year, they have decided it is not enough just to wait for Santa to come on Christmas day.
Instead of waiting passively for handouts this year, they took the challenge from their friends and mentors at UCSI (University College Sedaya International) to dirty their own hands and earn some pocket money.

Initiated by UCSI’s Applied Science Association president, Choy Yin Fhan, the charity car wash saw some eight boys from Shelter V working and having fun together with students of UCSI on Friday (21 November 2003) to wash and polish cars for RM35 each.

Said the event’s organizer, Liew Yee Yun: “We want to do charity differently this time. Instead of giving money to meet the wish list of the orphanages, we work hand-in-hand with them to wash and polish cars. In the process, we help the boys earn some pocket money.”

By doing the work together with the boys, she said, her friends are now able to identify with the underprivileged teenagers from these homes. “We cannot afford to give money to the homes, but we can give of our time and energy to help them earn some pocket money,” she said. “We hope some friendships have also started as a result of this charity car wash.”

Earlier, the boys had an opportunity to visit the facilities at the University to inspire them about pursuing their further studies after their SPM.

Chairman of Shelter Home, James Nayagam said he is pleased with such projects going on from time to time. “We hope that our boys learn to appreciate the money they earn, so that by the time when they leave the home, they would have become independent adults who know how to fend for themselves,” he said.

”We make sure that the boys save some of their hard-earned money in their own savings account, which will come handy by the time they leave the Home,” he added.