FAQs

ABOUT OUR HOMES AND SERVICES

Is Shelter an orphanage?
No, it is not an orphanage. A majority of the children who come to Shelter have been admitted by one parent or a guardian who has felt that the child is in need of protection and has given permission to Shelter to undertake that responsibility.

How do children get admitted into Shelter?
The children - or teenagers as the case may be - are usually referred to Shelter by the Welfare Department, hospitals, organisations or concerned individuals or relatives.

What can I do if I know of abused children?
You could call Shelter at 603-79550663 for advice.

What is the age group of the children in Shelter?
The ages of the children and young people with us range from four to 18 years old.

What happens to the teenagers when they reach 18 years old?
We help them to find jobs or send them for further studies. (We don't abandon them.) We will also harbour them until they feel ready to be on their own.

Do the children and young people with Shelter go to school?
All the children go to nearby schools. Some of the older ones had stopped schooling as a result of their disruptive experiences: they receive in-house literacy classes, computer lessons and vocational training in the homes.

Can I visit the children at Shelter?
Yes, but please call first at: 603-77814885.

How does the homes operate?
We have set a maximum of 20 residents in each home. Rather than cramming each home with residents, we believe it is essential to maintain a good staff-resident ratio to increase the quality of care in our homes in recognition of the fact that these children need special care, observation and attention.

Children up to 12 years old live in a co-educational situation. Young people from 13 years old onwards live in `boys-only' and `girls-only' homes. Each home is headed by a Home Manager (similar to the head of the house, like a parent).

ORGANISATION and FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT

Do the children pay to stay in Shelter?
We do not charge for any of our services or homes. However, if the guardians are able or wish to pay, they can give a regular donation.

Since Shelter does not charge for its services, how does it maintain itself financially?
Indeed, it is quite a challenge. Our operating costs can come up to RM130,000 a month as we provide for up to 80 children in the four homes. In addition, we also provide various services through our Community & Family Services.

We receive a small grant from the Government. Another source is fund-raising charity initiatives.
However, the bulk of our funds come from donations from the public. That is, from YOU. Thank you very much for your support! All donations to Shelter are tax-exempt.

How is Shelter managed?
Shelter's work is overseen by a Board of Directors comprising a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and four Committee Members. Our auditor is Horwath International.

Are your staff salaried or voluntary?
We have about 40 salaried staff for the homes and the services. We also have a pool of volunteers who help us regularly such as giving tuition, teaching computer or hairdressing skills. We are very grateful for these volunteers.

Does Shelter have an annual report?
Yes, it does. It is our aim to be accountable and transparent. If you wish, we can send you our latest Annual Report which states our budget and expenses.

In the year 2004, we were the Malaysian winner of the inaugural "2004 Asia Pacific NGO Awards" which attests to our good practices.

SOME PERCEPTIONS

Shelter has a high profile. Is it backed by a key patron or overseas organization?
No, we are not backed by a patron nor are we affiliated to an overseas organization. We have a high profile in the press because Shelter is well established. We are grateful to the support of the press.

Shelter is well known - therefore Shelter must be rich, right?
We are certainly not rich. The public are our chief source of funds and we do not charge for the homes and services we provide.

NEED LIST

What sort of things do you need?
You can donate in cash or kind. Of course, cash would be more helpful as we can channel it to our urgent areas of need.

We have a wish list and daily needs list which you can check on our website (www.shelterhome.org) or you could call our office at 603-79550663 to enquire. The wish list covers urgent items needed to run the four homes and the various services. It also includes individual wishes of the children. We also take in old clothes and furniture for our community services, but we should to stress that Shelter should not be a dumping ground for all old items which do not serve any purpose. The clothes can be sent to our office or to Shelter 1, both of which are in Petaling Jaya. It would be helpful if you could personally send furniture to Shelter 1. Please call 603-79550663 to enquire.