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Malaysia’s
Renaissance Hotels & Resorts Renew Commitment To Help
Habitat for Humanity
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Marriott International “Spirit To Serve” Philosophy
Will See Executives And Staff Associates Assist New Habitat
Projects |
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KUALA LUMPUR, 14 May 2004: Three Renaissance Hotels in Malaysia
are to assist Habitat for Humanity with donations of time, facilities
and services this year, including encouraging staff to volunteer
on Habitat for Humanity building projects planned to take place
in Kuala Lumpur later in 2004.
Renaissance Kuala Lumpur general manager Robert
Frager (left) and Habitat for Humanity Malaysia's
Tim Fonderlin (Third from right) with voluneers for project |
The Renaissance Kuala Lumpur has also agreed to provide the
venue later this summer for a benefit concert planned to raise
awareness of Habitat’s work in Malaysia.
The commitment to support Habitat for Humanity Malaysia was
made by the general managers of the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur,
Renaissance Kota Bharu and Renaissance Melaka hotels at a recent
media conference in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
During the media conference representatives from the Renaissance
Melaka and Kota Bharu hotels handed over MYR4,000 donation (US$1,060.00).
“We hope to create a strong public awareness throughout
Malaysia…. to encourage other companies to come forward
to help the needy who are in desperate need for shelter,”
said Robert Frager, General Manager of Renaissance Kuala Lumpur
Hotel,
The hotels are part of The Renaissance Hotels & Resorts
of Malaysia, itself part of the Marriott International worldwide
hospitality company. Habitat for Humanity is one of the core
community projects that Marriott International has committed
to support in a global initiative that started in 1995.
Supporting the work of Habitat for Humanity in Malaysia is part
of the three hotels’ “Spirit To Serve Our Communities”
program.
In 2003, two work teams of staff associates spent a week working
on two homes in Kuching, Sarawak, the 17th and 18th houses to
be built in Eastern Malaysia by Habitat’s Kuching affiliate.
Renaissance Kuala Lumpur and Renaissance Kota Bharu contributed
bed sheets, linen, hand towels and blankets to the Kuching building
program. Associates from Renaissance Kuala Lumpur raised MYR2,000,
about US$530.00, for the Kuching affiliate.
Frager said that hands-on involvement with Habitat for Humanity
helped create and strengthen bonds between the hotels and the
local communities in which they operate. In addition, the experiences
provided hotel associates with opportunities to develop team
effort, leadership qualities and management skills.
In other support, the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel hosted
the first meeting of Habitat Malaysia's national board of directors
in July 2003.
Habitat for Humanity began work in Malaysia in 1999. Its principal
activities are in to date have concentrated in Sabah and Sarawak
in eastern Malaysia, on the northern coast of the giant tropical
island of Borneo. There are volunteer-run affiliates in Kuching,
Sarawak; Kuala Lumpur, Selangor; and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The
Kota Kinabalu affiliate is set to begin house construction with
low-income families within the next month or two.
Discussions have begun with community leaders in Penang and
Melaka, on the west coast of peninsular or western Malaysia,
to explore the possibility of developing Habitat projects |
