The destitute and the homeless, the people who have slipped through the cracks of society. Their daily lives are a challenge, and very often, they do not even know if they will make it through another day. But while they are invisible to most of society, one street ministry initiative has taken steps to bless them this Malaysia Day.
BlesStore was birthed from the KL Urban Fellowship, a ministry who serve among the homeless community. Taking the form of a mobile free clothing store, the BlesStore was originated to give the homeless a chance to experience ‘shopping for clothes’, something that many of us at times take for granted.
Through the BlesStore, the homeless get to come and pick the clothes that they desire. The hope is that this will give them a sense of better self-worth. Along the way, the homeless will also be guided and given opportunity in decision making, in making choices for themselves.
The initiative also has another purpose, that the society may be more aware about the homelessness issue and this marginalised group of people. Already, last Sunday on the 13th of September, while many of us are concerned with our own shopping or our own self-interest, many others have come to lend both their energy and donations to the effort.
‘We were amazed by how supportive people were. There were so many clothes being donated. On the Sunday, so many people came to volunteer their energy, that the sorting schedule that was expected to end at 6pm ended early by 4.15pm. Our hope is that our street friends will get to experience joy and happiness for at least a while through our sharing,’ one of the organizing committee member said.
BlesStore is run on a non-discriminatory basis. Any one from any race and even migrants are welcome to be blessed. This Malaysia Day, they held an event at the KL Urban Fellowship (KLUF) centre on Jalan Petaling, in which the free clothes, including foot wear, was distributed.
During the event, there were also music, food and drinks and fun. ‘We had been organizing the event for weeks. Lately, we had heard of a certain incident that was going to take place here on the day of the event. But we went ahead in faith so that our friends will not end up being disappointed.
‘In times like this, we should be in prayer. While there is need to encourage prudence, we should not fuel fear. Our prayer should be characterized by faith, not fear. Our hope is that life can go on as normally as it can.’
‘We took the necessary precautions for the safety of our team & friends. We planned most activities to be carried out indoors, instead of at the corridor. And our KLUF centre, as it had always been all along, would be a refuge centre during street rallies, fully equipped to assist people who are seeking refuge, food, protection, medical aid, etc during such incidences,’ a sister shared.
As it turns out, God was watching over the participants. The police carried out their responsibilities well, protecting and sealing every entrance into the street where the KL Urban Fellowship centre was located. Many of our cousins were quick to come and defend the other races.
One of the volunteers reported that when they sang patriotic songs and praises to God in the streets, the Prince of Peace broke barriers with His love, and even some persons from the other races joined in and sang together.
‘It was very powerful and prophetic. We got a glimpse and foretaste of the Prince of Peace’s power in breaking down barriers with His love when the Church has a caring heart of service and compassion. It was so calm that we shifted our activities back to the five foot way where it was planned originally’ she shared.
Part of BlesStore’s aim is to recruit volunteers to contribute efforts in partnership with current and future KLUF projects. The KL Urban Fellowship is built on a mission to reach out to the homeless, the hungry and those who are poor and needy in our neighbourhood by reaching out a hand of friendship to them.
Among KLUF’s missions are to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who live on the streets and also those in our community, to bring hope to the hopeless in the community, to show love and care to the rejected and despised in our community, to effect positive changes in our community, to help those in the community who had gone wayward to get back on track, to act as a referral point for those who are seeking rehabilitation and professional help for their brokenness, and as an employment point for work opportunities.
All pictures kindly contributed by BlesStore. If you’re interested in finding out more about Bless Store, you can visit their FB page at /blesstorekl. For more information about the KL Urban Fellowship, you can visit their centre at:
No 154-1, Jalan Petaling, 50000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2070 8663 Fax: 03-2070 8662
Office Hours: Tuesday~ Saturday 10.00am ~ 5.00pm
Saturday Fellowship: 7.00pm ~ 9.00pm
|Share The Good News|
Jason Law
Leave a Reply