Yayasan Sunbeams Home (YSH), a non-profitable, non-religious, non-political, non-governmental, self-supporting multi-racial foundation, is a home to displaced, misplaced, abused and neglected children of single parents. It was the brain-child of a husband and wife team, Pastor Alvin and his wife, Pastor Lucy. It was started in 1995.
From a home of first two half-brothers, the home has grown to 60 plus children, consisting of boys and girls. These children are housed in two double-storey houses, back-to-back, one for the girls and the other for the boys. Our children range from 1 years to 22 years old.
A colourful blend of culture occupies its premises, which include Chinese, Indians and Orang Asli, all looked after by pioneers and 30 others who make up the staff and some volunteers who come by to oversee the children's studies.
Another branch of YSH came into being in June 2006 to cater to the increased intake of needy children. We have more than 20 children staying here.
We have also just set up another branch of YSH in Alor Gajah, Malacca as there was a need. We launched the Home on 1st May 2007. We have currently 9 children staying there.
A day care centre was set up to cater to the needs of the low income underprivileged parents who can ill afford to send their children to the commercial day care centres. In this centre, we have a full time coordinator and volunteers to help guide the children in their studies.
The Community Learning Centre was launched in January 2008 with the objective of approaching an alternative way in handling our children's education. We believe that every child is unique and learns differently. Therefore, these children are given a more personalized learning method that will help to instill academic confidence and motivation. We need approximately RM20,000 monthly to run this facility.
As the vision expands, we have also set up a department to provide provisions and other help to the following groups of people in need:
We are now networking with the MP of Pandan in doing social work.
Pastor Alvin Tan has been appointed as the Director of Welfare in the Majlis Kebajikan and Pembangunan Masyarakat Parlimen Pandan. We are also working closely with ADUN Teratai in carrying out social work in our community.
Pastor Alvin Tan and his wife, Pastor Lucy, both teachers, took optional retirement in 1994 to lay groundwork for Sunbeams Home to look after the needs of deprived and underprivileged children. This vision became a reality when in 1995, the first children were two half-brothers; the elder was aged 7 while the younger was a mere 18 months old. In the beginning, only a single double-storey house was utilized, which had the home and administration office within it. God looked at the couple's aspirations and willed it...
Today, we have expanded to the following:
We have recently purchased the current 2 rented buildings, which we are now occupying and the corner house next to our building to be used as a landmark. These buildings will be rebuilt into 3-storey buildings to house 100 children. The architect has already come up with the design for the new buildings and we will begin reconstruction of the buildings very soon. We still need another RM1.5 million to complete the project.
Our future plan is to acquire a piece of land of about five acres to building a multipurpose complex, where all the community services will be available:
The estimated cost for the land and the construction of the multipurpose complex is about RM25 million.
We have currently our founders, Pastor Alvin Tan and Pastor Lucy Tan, and Board of Trustees together with 36 salaried staff helping to run these homes and facilities.