By NAZLIN AMIRUDIN

IN the wee hours of the morning (okay, it was 9.30am) on Feb 3, a group of BRATs gathered at the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK), off Jalan Imbi, bright-eyed and eager to prepare food for the homeless.

KSK is a non-religious community action group that distributes vegetarian food daily to the homeless and urban poor.

With about 200 mouths to feed every day, it’s difficult to believe that KSK started off in 2006 with only four volunteers, 20 packets and the streets as their base point.

KSK distributes 200 packets of food daily for their “clients”.

Today, KSK has 12 teams of volunteers making daily rounds around KL, and providing all sorts of help, from medical aid, placement aid (rehabilitation and housing arrangements) and even food delivery services to shelters.

The BRATs were given kitchen duties, which involved packing 200 packets of rice and vegetables in stifling heat.

Once the packing was done, the BRATs passed the food to the hundreds who had arrived to collect their meals.

BRAT Nur Syahirah Kharum, 20, learnt a lot from the experience.

“You have to do the packing properly because you’re doing it for someone else. It reminds you to be grateful for all the food you have and to not waste it,” she said.

Even though the majority of KSK volunteers are in their early twenties, KSK project director Justin Cheah has noticed that most of them volunteer primarily because it is a mandatory course requirement at their universities/colleges.

“It’s sad that many of them come because they’re being asked to, not オンライン カジノ because they truly want to,” said Cheah.

Cheah is hopeful things will change. He has noticed some returning young volunteers, and some even ended up as permanent staff!

“I was overjoyed when the uncles and aunties exchanged smiles with me as I served them. You can’t put a price tag on something like that,” she said.

Most of the BRATs who helped out at KSK had never volunteered at a soup kitchen before.

“It’s incredibly satisfying to know you’re able to give someone something that would make their day better,” said 20-year-old BRAT Kimmy Khoo.

The BRATs team of 10 were handed over kitchen duties for the day.

Valentina Tan, 19, was equally upbeat about the experience.

“I was overjoyed when the uncles and aunties exchanged smiles with me as I served them. You can’t put a price tag on something like that,” she said.

In fact, the experience was so rewarding, all the BRATs agreed that they would definitely do it again.

That kind of positive attitude from young people has given Cheah much hope for the future.

He said: “Many people have the impression that homeless people are lazy because they are physically able and can work and find a job, but people don’t realise they need all the help and support they can get to get off the streets in the first place.”

• To find out more about the BRATs young journalist programme and its various activities, click HERE or email us at brats@thestar.com.my