KUCHING, Dec 24: Home of Peace was a picture of joy and fun recently when members of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Batu Kitang branch dropped by for a pre-Christmas charity party with its 27 residents.
Home of Peace is a charitable institution run by the Catholic Welfare Services Council Sarawak (CWS). It is located at Jalan Landeh here.
DAP Batu Kitang branch pro-tem chairman Abdul Aziz Isa said the gathering, which was held last month, received overwhelming support.
“Home of Peace is meant for the poor and destitute senior citizens aged 60 and above, irrespective of race and religious backgrounds,” he said in a statement.
Abdul Aziz said after speaking to the Home’s manager, Sister Ursula Lian, his branch members decided to organise the charity event with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Timogah.com.
“We prepared potluck dishes such as chicken curry, bamboo chicken or ‘manok pansuh’, mixed vegetables, steam fish, rice, fried noodles, fruits, cakes and drinks. It’s so amazing to see how the group’s members volunteered to prepare the food,” said Abdul Aziz.
The event started with a speech by Sacred Heart Catholic Church chairman Jisin Nyud, followed by another from Abdul Aziz.
Three Christmas carol songs, ‘Gloria In Excelsis Deo’, ‘Mary’s Boy Child’ and ‘Come Lord Jesus’, were then sang to the delight of everyone present.
“We brought along buskers from Kampung Semeba to play guitars and ukulele. They were Elena Andrew Munyen, Petrus Fregard and Albert Me-ol.
“Before we had lunch with the residents, we invited prayer reader Peter Pasen to lead the Grace Before Meal prayer to bless the food. While having lunch, we also interacted with the residents by exchanging stories and laughter.
“It is a blessing for us to know them better and to understand their past. It’s a wonderful experience worth remembering,” said Abdul Aziz, who is also DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Sarawak publicity secretary.
Before the party ended, Christmas gifts were handed out to the residents.
“We also donated daily necessities such as toiletries, rice and cooking oil. It was a contribution from donors.
“We will organise more charitable events in the future,” he said. — DayakDaily
