Malaysia

Helping those in dire need, near and far

Penang-born, Netherlands-based Jeeny De Kuijper has distributed hundreds of food hampers and extended assistance to the less fortunate on the island for years

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 19 Dec 2020 10:00AM

Helping those in dire need, near and far
Jeeny De Kujiper (left) serving up meals to the needy at the Goddess of Mercy Temple in George Town recently. – Pic courtesy of Jeeny De Kuijper, December 19, 2020

by Arulldas Sinnappan

GEORGE TOWN – For the last 10 years, Penang-born Jeeny De Kuijper has helped the poor and the needy here, despite living with her Dutch husband in the Netherlands.

Despite coming under lockdown during the movement control order (MCO), Jeeny, 47, continued her work helping the poor affected by the pandemic.

Jeeny, who has since returned, not only contributed cooked food but also hundreds of food hampers with rice, sugar, flour, cooking oil, biscuits, coffee, tea, noodles, masks and sanitisers, to households in Mount Erskine, Tg Tokong, Tg Bungah and Batu Ferringhi here.

Recently, she engaged her friends to hand over 150 food parcels to the homeless at the Goddess of Mercy Temple at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling as well as to residents of the Salvation Army Penang Children's Home in Jalan Logan. 

Jeeny De Kujiper (right) and a happy recipient of food being distributed to needy families in George Town. – Pic courtesy of Jeeny De Kujiper, December 19, 2020
Jeeny De Kujiper (right) and a happy recipient of food being distributed to needy families in George Town. – Pic courtesy of Jeeny De Kujiper, December 19, 2020

A close friend, James Naras, 52, who, along with a team of six people, was undertaking the task of providing food on behalf of Jeeny, told The Vibes that she also personally distributed the goodies to the poor and the needy, when she was here.

“She wanted to relieve the starvation of the neglected and ease the hunger of the helpless people living in her area,” said James.

He said the event at the Goddess of Mercy and the Salvation Army Penang Children’s Home was also in conjunction with the one-year death anniversary of her adopted brother Richard alias Richie, 34, who died on December 9, last year. She promised to continue the event.

Jeeny, formerly a member of staff at the now-defunct Mutiara Beach Resort in Teluk Bahang, also helps her former hotel colleagues who were affected by the pandemic.

Jeeny also helps pets whose owners had abandoned them due to Covid-19, by supporting Butterworth SPCA, 4Paws, and Cat Beach, offering rice, pet food, detergents and hygiene products. – The Vibes, December 19, 2020

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