Community Services

Contact: Faye Ong & Annu Takhar

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Community services: What does it mean?

Community services calendar

Recyclables

Community services: What does it mean?

If English is not your first language, the term ‘community services’ might not say much to you. Let’s check out what it means:

       Community service is an act by a person that benefits the local community.  (Wikipedia)

       Some people associate community service with punishment, since it is often offered to small-time offenders as an alternative to fines or jail time.

       Getting involved in your community makes it healthier and livelier, and numerous organizations around the world support community service activities.

       In all cases, volunteers perform community service work. In some instances, the work would not be accomplished without such volunteers.

       For people who are new to a community, community service can be a great way to learn more about the place in which they live and the people they live with.

       Many people engage in community service because they believe that it carries rewards beyond the obvious and tangible. (Wisegeek)

Community Services at the IWA is all about volunteering. It is one of our ways to give something back to the Penang community. The IWA will try to match your requests for volunteering work with the wishes and needs of the charities supported by the IWA. Moreover, the IWA Board will make sure that your donations are 'well spent' within the Penang community. 'Well spent' meaning that we focus on basic needs and try to keep all our events self-supporting. Our donations in goods and volunteering work help charities in Penang to do their work better.

Call or e-mail our Office if you are interested in volunteering as an IWA-member. If you’re not a member please sign up first with IWA or contact the charities directly. Alternatively you could get yourself a free directory of all Penang NGO's at:

MMK Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Komuniti

Tingkat 53, Komtar

10503 P.P.

Tel. 04-2614590/6505137

Ask for the Direktori NGO-NGO

Community services calendar:

(note: all charities web links open up in new windows)

Penang Home for the infirm and aged, 409 Jalan Masjid Negeri (Green Lane)

Every Monday 10-11 am: helping the residents with exercises for their feet, legs and arms.

Every Friday 10-11 am: playing bingo and doing puzzles with the residents.

Cheshire (handicapped) Home, 409 Babington Avenue

Every Saturday 9-10 am: helping with swimming activities.

Any weekday 10am-5pm: helping and teaching craft.

http://cheshiremalaysia.org/penang/

St. Nicholas Home for the Blind, 4 Jalan Bagan Jermal

Any morning: help in the library, classrooms or on field trips.

http://www.snh.org.my/

Women’s Centre for Change (WCC), 24-D Jalan Jones

Any weekday 10am-5pm: helping in their office.

http://www.wccpenang.org/

Nasam, National Stroke Association of Malaysia, 9 Jesselton Crescent

Wednesday 2-4pm: Reiki group session for stroke patients.

http://www.nasam.org/

Eden Handicap Service Centre, 1-3 Jalan Taylor

Play with handicapped children at the children’s hostel or help out at the training centre, handicraft sessions or counseling.

http://www.edenhandicap.org/

Children Protection Society (CPS), 118-A Scotland Road

Any weekday afternoon: help to teach the children English.

http://www.cpspg.org.my/

Ashrama Ramakrishna orphanage, 37 Scotland Road

Every Thursday morning: badminton and other sports activities.

Every Friday 2-4pm: help to teach the children English.

http://www.theramakrishnapg.org/

Penang Shan Children’s Home, 679-D Jalan Mount Erskine

Every Tuesday and Thursday 3-5pm: Help the children to do their homework.

La Salle Learning Centre, 25-K Penang Road

Any weekday afternoon: help to teach students learning skills and or help developing new learning materials (and a website!).

SPCA,  Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, Jalan Jeti Jelutong

Any day

http://www.spca-penang.net/

And many more!

Recyclables

It might not always be obvious but there is a lot of recycling going on in Penang. Many charities are happy to receive your paper, plastic, glass, cans, clothes, shoes and all kinds of household goods. Please check your Penang Pointers (an indispensable handbook for sale at our Office) for details.

       If you are moving and you have many and/or big items and furniture that you want to get rid of, please call the Women Centre for Change (04-2280342) or Eden Handicap’s recycle unit (04-6442912), they will arrange the pick-up for you.

       Did you know you can put your empty batteries (and old cell phone batteries and phones) in boxes at the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (30 Wisma TNB Jalan Anson) and at Jusco’s (Queensbay Mall, supermarket section, basement)?

From Malaysian-German Society (25 January 2010):

Dear Members of IWA,

As you know, batteries disposed of in landfills can disperse significant amounts of heavy metals and other toxic substances into the air and water. Battery waste prevention and recycling strategies are essential to help our environment.

Therefore, the Malaysian-German Society (MGS) is glad to announce that we are extending our recycling programme:

In cooperation with JUSCO, we are able to collect used batteries and mobile phones from now on in the premises of our Society.

Other places to dispose batteries and mobiles are at the entrance of JUSCO Supermarket at Queensbay Mall, Penang and at JUSCO Seberang Prai City, Butterworth.

So help us to save the environment and bring your batteries and mobile phones to JUSCO or MGS for recycling!

Our established monthly recycling campaign will take place on

            27th of January,

            24th of February,

            24th of March.

On these days, from 9am to 2pm we will collect newspaper, loose paper, cardboard, clear plastic bottles, coloured plastic, tin cans and aluminium cans at our premises at Jalan Air Itam 250B. For further information please call our office 04-2296853

Let’s all help to make Penang a cleaner island!