Bake a Difference: Delivering Love and Opportunity Through Collaboration
In conjunction with Autism Awareness Month, the last of the 700 pies made by young autistic adults using funds collected through the ‘Bake a Difference’ campaign was successfully delivered on May 28.
Mr. JC Lee, a passionate individual, organised the ‘Bake a Difference’ campaign dedicated to empowering the lives of those affected by Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with the participation of Sokong.org as its media and digital donation platform partner.
Ms. Samantha Ho, the Assistant Manager for Sokong said that the campaign initially aimed to raise RM3,000 to support employment opportunities for young adults with ASD and to bake 520 pies to gift to the autistic community. “Due to an overwhelming response, there was an excess of RM1,000 in donations,” she said.
This additional amount was then put to good use, and the eleven autistic bakers from ‘Stand Pie Me’ poured their love into baking 180 more pies, bringing the total to 700 pies altogether. The pies were then delivered to 15 autistic centres around the Klang Valley by seven student collaborators.
“The idea was to create a programme that would benefit ‘Stand Pie Me’, a beneficiary of Sokong’s platform, and at the same time, impact the autistic community too,” said JC Lee, the curator of ‘Bake a Difference’.
“It all started when someone donated food for 500 people during a vegetarian festival. This got me thinking about organising food for the autistic centres. Things just fell into place, and one thing led to another,” he shared.
The ‘Bake a Difference’ programme also served as a bridge between volunteers and the autistic communities, with volunteers visiting and engaging with autistic individuals at the centres where the pies were sent. “For many of these volunteers, this was their first experience interacting with ASD individuals,” said JC, who has been advocating autism-related causes.
After all the pies were delivered, the student collaborators were requested to complete and return a survey form. “This will help us measure the campaign’s impact. This first-hand experience provides our collaborators with invaluable insights and understanding of the autistic community.
“On top of that, the collaborators will make short videos highlighting their interactions and expressing their views about those they met at the autistic centres,” he said. JC also pointed out that the videos would fulfil the ‘Autism Awareness’ aspect of their campaign.
The collaborators were from:
- Taylor’s University Psychology Society (TUPSYSOC)
- Sunway University Social Innovators (SSIC)
- Kids Inspiring Tomorrow’s Success (KITS)
- Monash University Student Psychology Interactive Network (SPIN)
- Help University Psychology Students’ Union (HUPSU)
- Monash University Volunteer Programme (MUVP)
- Sunway University Student Volunteers (SSV)
On April 20, an Autism Awareness Bazaar with the theme ‘It’s okay to be different’ was held at GMBB, a creative community mall in Bukit Bintang. Ten organisations, including Spectrum By ESA, Pokokon, Miles Autism Academy, and ‘Stand Pie Me,’ actively participated in the event.
“100 per cent of donations collected through the Sokong platform were channelled to ‘Stand Pie Me’ in support of their efforts in employing young adults with special needs,” said JC.
JC also thanked all the donors for supporting their efforts and the fundraiser campaign. “Without them, our campaign would not have lifted off the ground,” he said gratefully.
The beneficiaries of this programme were:
- Persatuan Kebajikan Amal Jian An Malaysia
- Persatuan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Insan Wilayah Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor
- Kidz Steps Centre
- Pusat Jagaan Autisme CSEAT
- NASOM Titiwangsa
- The Playhouse Therapy Centre
- Pusat Jagaan dan Latihan Insan Istimewa IMC
- Persatuan Kebajikan OKU GNB Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor
- GENIUS Kurnia
- Persatuan Kebajikan Sri Eden Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur
- NASOM Jalan Ipoh Vocational Centre 2
- Brain Connection
- Miles Autism Academy
- HaLoKids Therapy Center
- Bloomers Employability Skills Training
Autistic individuals possess unique talents and perspectives that can enrich society. Initiatives such as the ‘Bake a Difference’ campaign provide such individuals with the opportunity and support to excel in fields of their interest. Society can harness the strengths of autistic individuals by enabling an inclusive environment and providing meaningful employment opportunities. “By doing so, we could promote diversity, enhance community engagement and drive social progress,” concluded JC.
If you would like to support Stand Pie Me and help provide meaningful employment opportunities for young adults with special needs, contributions can be made HERE. Your support can make a significant difference.
