This summer in Thailand was nothing short of extraordinary! What started as a simple dream of feeding the elderly in my village last year evolved into a beautiful series of events that exceeded all my expectations this year. One small idea sparked another, and soon, our efforts blossomed into something truly remarkable.
You can read the story about my 1st time feeding my village here
Initially, my focus was on providing meals for the elderly I grew up with. Sadly, only a few are left, and we lose more each year. The village rallied around my dream, helping with everything—shopping, cooking, cleaning, and packing food for those in need. It was heartwarming to witness the community come together.
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Last Year's Feed My Village (2023)
Last year (2023), as we wrapped up our food distribution, I noticed a woman tirelessly washing dishes in the back of the kitchen. Curious, I learned she was the wife of a neighbor. Due to her immigration status, she couldn’t find legal work, and her family was living in a shack, struggling to make ends meet.
This ignited another idea: what if we could help build them a proper home during my next visit?
After countless phone calls and discussions with my Thai family, we decided to take action. I jumped into fundraising for both the food project and the house. It was a challenging time as I also had to focus on recovering from a severe ankle injury. But once I was feeling better, I was ready to dive in!
Fundraising Time!
I organized cooking classes, sold Thai baked goods at local festivals, and shared my experiences at talks about the village and its history. One of the highlights was partnering with Feast World Kitchen for a huge cooking event, which raised significant funds for our trip.
I even opened a GoFundMe page, which was a huge step for me—asking for help can be tough, especially when I’m used to working for pay. But reminding myself that this was for the people in need made it easier to take that leap.
The outpouring of support, encouragement, and love was truly overwhelming, and I am so grateful to everyone who contributed. Your kindness has been humbling, and I can’t thank you enough.
Feed My Village, Kid's Edition
I decided to bring my kids along during their summer break this time. My husband could only join us for a few days due to work commitments, but I wanted my children to experience the joy of giving back. We brainstormed ways they could get involved and landed on raising funds for school supplies and, hopefully, uniforms, too, since Thai children are required to wear uniforms for school.
They got creative at an art fair, selling googly-eyed rocks, paintings, and recycled bottles with flowers. The highlight was their Thai iced tea stand, which was a huge hit despite the weather trying to dampen things—think rain, hail, and thunder! We had to move everything into the garage for a bit, but the community supported them, which was pure magic.
Thailand 2024
Before we arrived at the village, my family reached out to the community for support, and the response was heartwarming. The men rolled up their sleeves to tackle the house-building project while the women organized a feeding initiative. We didn’t just prepare meals for the elderly; we also had enough to feed all the volunteers and helpers who joined us.
Seeing so many people come together for a common cause was a beautiful sight, including my friends from Malaysia, who lent a helping hand!
Highlights from Thailand 2024
1. Feeding the Elderly with Leprosy
This year, we had a fantastic turnout, especially with teenagers and high school kids getting involved. Seeing the next generation stepping up to support our elders is great!
2. Feeding the Entire Village!
We expanded our efforts and invited everyone in the village to enjoy a meal at my family’s kitchen. The laughter and camaraderie made it such a fun experience!
3. Building a Home for a Family of Five
This was our largest project, requiring a lot of logistics and planning. Unfortunately, we faced some challenges with leadership issues related to corruption and greed. It was disheartening, but we persevered, and once the government got involved, we knew we had done our best.
4. Kid’s Feed My Village edition-Gifting School Uniforms
This year was especially delightful as I watched the kids, including my own and my friend’s son from Malaysia, bond over their uniforms. Although school supplies weren’t needed, the uniforms made a significant impact.
5. Feeding School Children at My Old School
With school supplies taken care of by the government, we decided to use our budget for treats for the kids in my village and at my old elementary school. Their smiles were priceless!
6. New Street Lights for the Village!
We brightened up the village with new street lights! The old ones on the main road had been out for years, turning some corners into hotspots for suspicious activity. The village pastor, whom I've known since she was a baby, reached out for help. Thanks to generous donors, we installed 6 solar-powered lights throughout the village. No more dark corners!
7. Quality Time with the Elderly with Leprosy
After the projects wrapped up, I cherished the extra time I spent listening to the stories of the elderly. Their wisdom is something I truly value.
8. Cooking Lessons with Village Women
I had a blast taking cooking lessons with the amazing women in my village. It was such a bonding experience, and I hope to continue this tradition. While they generously refused to accept payment, (Which I did not allow.) I cherished every moment spent cooking and connecting with them.
❤️ THANK YOU DONORS & SUPPORTERS! ❤️
A Huge Thank You to Our Donors & Supporters! **
This trip truly blew me away! I was surprised by the number of projects we tackled, all thanks to my family’s generosity and the commitment of amazing individuals in the village.
I’m so grateful for the bonds I’ve formed in our community and am excitedly planning future projects!
Your ongoing love and support made all of this possible. THANK YOU! ❤️
Suwanee says
Thank you Alice! Thankful for you, always!
Alice Koh says
It takes a community to build a village. I am so blessed to witness many people from Spokane, WA came together to support this humanitarian project. I am humbled to be a part of your fundraising and so proud of everything you have accomplished to help your village in Thailand. May each day brings more blessings to these families. May all your efforts now and in the future bring them financial independence.