There is a saying that all great things have small beginnings. Small efforts done with great intention and passion will build big things. It all adds up. You may have noticed the unique presence of various Kedai Bless outlets while shopping at malls like Midvalley Megamall, 1 Utama, and CITTA Mall. The outlets offer and provide an opportunity for shoppers to get high-quality items such as clothing, small furniture, and jewelry for a fraction of their cost, and at the same time, bless the underprivileged.
It all started in 1999 with a small group of big-hearted ladies wanting to bless the community through a two-fold project. The idea was that it would bless its patrons while simultaneously building revenue that could be channelled to the less advantaged groups such as the homeless, the elderly homes, and the disabled. Not having the funds to do so, the women started the ball rolling by rummaging through their closets so that they could sell their personal belongings. It was a humble beginning of an enterprise that comprises multiple outlets throughout the Klang Valley today.
Not knowing where it would lead but stepping out through faith, the ladies began selling those belongings at various flea markets. As people started noticing their stalls, the project struck a chord with the public, and donations started coming in. At one point, from 2004 to 2005, when our neighbouring countries were struck with natural disasters, so many hearts were moved that the donations were ceaseless. The team had such a surplus that there was a slight problem with storage.
A magnanimous brother-in-Christ provided a solution by giving the BLESS Ministry full use of his premises in Bandar Tasik Selatan, and the pioneer BLESS Shop was born. What had started as small projects like flea market sales in Amcorp Mall and Mont Kiara eventually grew to the string of collective shops today called BLESS Shops.
The opening of that pioneer store was fortuitous. Only slightly over a year later, the team opened a second BLESS Shop in Midvalley Megamall. Today, Kedai BLESS is at 5 locations with outlets at Midvalley, CITTA Mall, Ara Jaya (D’Crimson), 1 Utama Shopping Centre and Sunway Mas Community Center (SMCC).
What is Kedai BLESS?
Ms. Tina Chong, who is the senior operations manager and also in charge of public relations for the enterprise, explains that BLESS is an acronym for Bringing Life through Evangelism and Social Services. Under the umbrella of SIBKL, BLESS was started as a ministry to help the less fortunate groups of people in our nation. The money raised through Kedai BLESS is sent to the less fortunate communities to help fund projects that will build them up and give hope to them.
Specifically, the projects BLESS helps support include the Kenosis Homes for Drug Rehabilitation (http://www.kenosis.org.my/); the Crossroads Ministry, which provides Rainbow Homes for Troubled Women; the feeding of 950 Myanmar refugee children with at least one solid meal each day; and as support for about 50 volunteer teachers who teach the Myanmarese refugee children the English language.
When you visit a Kedai BLESS Shop, you will find a wide variety of second-hand products, all donated by caring people. Ms. Tina shared, ‘The amazing thing is that people do not just donate used items. We receive many brand-new goods from the many generous people in the Klang Valley. You will find many beautiful things like clothes, shoes, home decorations, jewellery, books, soft toys, electrical goods, kitchenware, and even paintings at BLESS Shops. Each item sold in the BLESS Shop was given by a generous donor.’ The price for items starts at RM5, and all proceeds contribute to the charitable works that BLESS is involved in.
Not Just a Shop But A Social Enterprise
Ms. Tina explained that the Kedai BLESS outlets are not just shops. The outlets are actually part of a social enterprise. ‘After deducting our operational costs, the net profit is donated to our causes,’ she shared. As a social enterprise, BLESS mainly supports two causes in line with its current profits.
As mentioned above, BLESS uses part of its revenue to provide meals to about 950 Myanmarese refugee children every day and educational materials to ten(10) Myanmarese refugee children learning centres located all over the Klang Valley. These learning centres include Children Future Education Centre (CFEC), Blessed Sunway Mentari, Zomi Education Centre, Lautu Learning Centre, Peace Education Centre, Zo Children School, Hope Learning Centre, Alliance of Chin Refugee School (ACR), Myanmar Refugee Learning (MRCLC) & Hriphi Learning Centre.
BLESS also channels part of its revenue to the Kenosis and Rainbow Home drug rehabilitation centres to support operational expenses. A portion of the items and household goods that were donated are delivered to the Orang Asli settlements in Kg Cheros, Cameron Highlands, Kg Terkis and Kiol in Jerantut, Kg Jentung A and B in Slim River, as well as poor students at Masterweld Academy.
Ms. Tina explained that a bin is installed below the SIB church at SMCC. ‘People can donate goods via this bin and at our outlets except for One Utama. That particular shop is too small,’ she shared. ‘We always encourage the general public to only donate items in good condition. However, sometimes, donations come to us in less-than-desirable conditions. At BLESS, we do not believe in wasting anything. As such, we send the rejected donations that cannot be sold at our outlets to the Shuang Fu (Dual Blessing Bhd) organisation for people with disabilities (PWD). Besides giving to Shuang Fu, we also send the non-sellable items for upcycling, meaning that we almost do not throw anything away,’ Ms. Tina explained that Kedai BLESS holds to the green concept.
Ms. Tina conveys that BLESS is not just about charitable work but also about blessing people every step of the way. BLESS hires single mothers, Orang Asli, refugees, and even ex-drug-rehab patients to be part of their team. ‘We want to give them the fair opportunity of building a career and earning income. The staff is employed to sort through donations coming in and as retail assistants in our various outlets.’
By purchasing an item from a Kedai BLESS outlet, you are not just being offered a chance to get high-quality products for great prices but also helping the less fortunate in the communities among us. BLESS still continues to welcome donations from big-hearted people. If you have goods to donate or the next time you are at CITTA Mall, Midvalley Megamall, or One Utama, grab this perfect opportunity to pay them a visit.
Note: Kedai BLESS manages a Facebook page where you can find out the latest news about them. The writer would like to thank Kedai BLESS and Ms Tina for their great hospitality and help throughout the production of the article. All photos were kindly contributed by Ms Tina and Kedai BLESS.
|Share The Good News|
Leave a Reply