Local Matters June 2021

Every month we allocate 5000 THB to the Local Matters initiative.  Funds will be allocated based on the Sisters’ voting.  We will either vote online, or in person at the SOS Ladies Lunch every month.

Cause 1: Helen and Beam Shinoda (FEEDING 54 STREET DOGS)

Locals Helen and husband Khun Beam currently feed 54 street dogs daily and medicate & sterilise as many as they can. It costs 5 Baht per dog per day to feed. It costs 1500 Baht to sterilise a dog and 300 Baht for medication. These big hearted folks have done this since April 2020.   More information on their Facebook page here.

The pandemic has seen many animals become homeless with owners leaving the island, and Helen and Beam are out there looking out for these homeless fur friends. Some of the animals live at the Tesco car park and others in Chaweng zones. 

In June we received this great couple’s nomination for Local Matters, knowing the work they do is 100% volunteer based, and they rely on donations to help feed these fur friends who have no other way to survive without owners. Thankyou Helen and Beam for all that you do

CAUSE 2: Khun Jinta Boonsuk (cooked meals for those IN NEED)

Khun Jinta runs a very popular facebook group called Koh Samui Peoples Collective, with over 57,000 followers, and has done this for the past 7 years. However something else she does which she says is more important is she cooks for people who have no or little income and or no food. 

Cooking between 50-300 meals at a time, she is selfless in her care for those suffering due to the pandemic. Buying 100’s of kilos of rice to sustain her cooked meal handouts, we received her nomination for Local Matters in June to be able to help her in her amazing selfless efforts, by supporting her with some money for rice. Thankyou Khun Jinta for helping feed those who are doing it real tough right now.

Results

We’ve tallied up the votes from online and also at the lunch.

– Khun Jinta (providing cooked meals for those with little or no income)- 1st

– Khun Beam and Helen (taking care of the soi dogs) – 2nd

Khun Jinta and Khun Beam and Helen both received 3000 baht, thanks to the generous donation of 1000 Baht from one of the ladies at the SOS lunch on 18th June., which tops up our Local Matters fund of 5000 baht to 6000 baht.