Media planner Lee Yan Joe, 27, was in a cheerful temper throughout her company’s company social accountability (CSR) programme on the Autism Café Project (ACP) at Da Men Mall in Subang Jaya lately.
She didn’t thoughts being tasked with kitchen duties, together with chopping hen, peeling kilogrammes of onions, and packing chilli sauce into small containers. The CSR exercise concerned serving to ACP employees put together 200 meals for the homeless, orphanages and B40 households within the Klang Valley.
“I’ve been helping out at the cafe since yesterday afternoon. We must prepare tomato rice, ayam masak merah, stir-fried vegetables and drinks for underprivileged communities by noon.
“It’s a lot of work, but my colleagues and I have been managing pretty well.
“Each of us have different responsibilities and together, we have completed quite a bit of work,” mentioned Lee through the CSR programme.
Lee (proper) believes within the significance of empowering individuals with autism.
She was one of many 60 employees from Universal McCann (UM) – the worldwide media company community of IPG Mediabrands – who had participated in Impact Day, their company’s annual CSR exercise.
This yr, Lee and her colleagues got here collectively to assist ACP – a undertaking that was established to encourage independence amongst young adults with autism.
ACP was arrange in 2017 by Mohd Adli Yahya, 57, whose son, Muhammad Luqman Shariff, 23, is autistic. Currently, there are 4 young adults with autism employed by ACP.
Some UM employees chipped in to cook dinner meals whereas others bought cookies, jewelry and muffins.
Just a few took cost of the espresso machine, whipping up lattes, cappuccinos and caffe Americanos for clients.
Others went out to ship the meals to the underprivileged communities in Subang and Gombak and orphanages in Selayang and Puchong.
Impact Day exemplifies UM’s dedication to assist communities.
Lee is studying extra concerning the significance of empowering individuals with autism. She understands a bit concerning the challenges they face and desires to do no matter she will be able to to assist them attain their fullest potential.
“This is the first time I’ve worked with young adults with autism. And now that I’ve been with them, I realise that they are just like us.
“Sadly, many people think autistic people are different. I think it boils down to understanding their needs. They just don’t relate to their environment like us. But with the right training, autistic youth too can excel.”
UM chief govt officer Audrey Chong was happy with her employees’s turnout and their enthusiasm to assist this underserved group.
Impact Day additionally gives the UM staff with an opportunity to bond with others, says Chong.“My staff are all so semangat (in high spirits). Everyone looks forward to Impact Day, a time to give back to society each year.
“Such activities teach us about empathy and inculcates in us the spirit of giving.
“Plus, it also exposes us to issues faced by those with special needs.
“These days, we are so caught up in the virtual world that we tend to lose contact with others. So, it’s good for people to connect with others and understand others better.”
“We were in search of a worthy cause to support and we came across ACP on Facebook.
“We liked the idea of how the project supports the autism community. and were touched by Mohd Adli’s appeal for funds for his chilli farming project.
“We were taken up by how Mohd Adli is going beyond ACP to build a agricultural farm to help young adults with autism.
“He’s doing whatever it takes to allow his son and his special needs staff to move towards independence,” mentioned Chong.
With correct coaching, autistic individuals like Muhammad Luqman can excel in several expertise.
An opportunity to assist society
So on Impact Day, UM invited shoppers, companions, family and friends to go to the Autism Cafe Project in Da Men Mall to have lunch ready by the young adults with autism whereas studying extra about their actions and the chilli farm initiative.
In complete, they managed to increase RM30,000 on that day.
“Learning more about this social enterprise’s activities is exciting and inspiring. They provide job opportunities and give voice to those living with autism.
“We must not close a blind eye to people with special needs. Society needs to become more open, accepting and inclusive to those who are differently-abled.
“They have the same needs as the rest of us. Thankfully, as a community, we are slowly becoming more aware about autism, people with different disabilities as well as mental health issues.”
