Malaysia’s Renaissance Hotels & Resorts Renew Commitment To Help Habitat for Humanity* * * Marriott International “Spirit To Serve” Philosophy Will See Executives And Staff Associates Assist New Habitat Projects
May 14, 2004
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 (US1,060.00).
“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 US530.00, 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