Food4U offers food distribution, pathways to recovery and family reunification
PETALING JAYA: What started as humble street outreach has since grown into life-altering interventions for some of Kuala Lumpur’s most vulnerable.
Non-profit organisation Food4U, founded by Tony Lian, affectionately known as “Uncle Tony”, continues its mission to provide shelter, medical care and dignity to local and foreign homeless individuals.
Lian, a pensioner in his 70s, has spent the past 11 years serving underprivileged communities across the city.
Guided by the belief that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”, he has expanded Food4U’s work beyond food distribution, offering pathways to recovery and, where possible, family reunification.
The organisation has recently come into the spotlight for helping foreign nationals in distress.
In one notable case, Food4U rescued an Indian man after a video of him being kicked and hosed with water outside a bank was widely shared online.
Disturbed by the footage, Lian went on foot searching for him along shop lots in Taman Maluri, Cheras finding him and offering shelter.
The man, identified as Safiudween, had lost his job as a waiter and had nowhere to turn.
With Food4U’s support, he was reunited with his family in Tamil Nadu through coordination with the Indian High Commission.
Last Christmas, Food4U also assisted an Indonesian woman who had lost her leg and was discharged from hospital with nowhere to go.
The organisation provided shelter and worked closely with the Indonesian High Commission to arrange her safe repatriation, with officials escorting her home last Wednesday.
On Friday, the group found a homeless Japanese man with a severe foot wound.
He was admitted to The Sanctuary One, Food4U’s men’s shelter, where he received medical care and meals.
Doctors later advised that amputation might be necessary and the organisation is coordinating with the Japanese High Commission and Hospital Sungai Buloh for further treatment.
Food4U has also assisted three Malaysians in recent weeks, rescuing them from the streets and the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
They are now receiving shelter, food and medical support at The Sanctuary One.
Currently, The Sanctuary One houses 15 male residents, while The Sanctuary Two, designated for women, shelters six residents. Both facilities offer a safe environment for recovery and rehabilitation.
“Walking the streets, reaching out and touching the hearts of the homeless not only brings joy to them, but also a deep sense of fulfilment to all of us involved,” said Lian.
Food4U’s work exemplifies how compassion, persistence and personal commitment can transform lives, proving that sometimes, a helping hand can lead to a second chance at life.
