The Lembah Subang Food Bank is an initiative by P105 Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament, Maria Chin Abdullah, to distribute excess food to low income families earning less than RM1,500 per month within her constituency. The programme is run by her dedicated team of volunteers in partnership with the Food Aid Foundation and Team Selangor. Starting out as a pilot project in September 2018, the food bank expanded in 2019 to support 114 families (458 people) living in the Lembah Subang People’s Housing Project. Families are selected on a yearly basis and registration is open once each year to all those living in the housing project that meet our criteria.
Over the first three months of the Movement Control Order (MCO) from March to May 2020, the P105 food aid escalated sharply, from the regular 100 plus families in Lembah Subang, aid reached 5446 families across Taman Medan, Sri Setia, frontliners as well as refugees, migrants and the homeless. Tremendous support amounting to a total of RM 465,622.77 in cash and in kind was received and extended.
To increase effectiveness, P105 coordinated virtually with many groups serving the needy at Lembah Subang, ultimately compiling a master list of 1,095 aid receiving families. The annual Lambah Subang PPR Food Bank targeted family recruitment was postponed. WIth the availability of substantial excess of fresh vegetables, the team resumed activities in August. Once fortnightly, approximately 700 kg of rescued vegetables and limited quantities of contributed dry foods were distributed to each of the families on the masterlist by rotation. However, since the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) has closed PPR halls in red zones thereby suspending further distribution.