As part of the ongoing efforts to support communities around the country amid the unprecedented impact of COVID-19, Starbucks Malaysia announced the launch of their “Goods for Good” campaign, to thank, celebrate and reward the frontline medical and emergency staff in Malaysia.
With every purchase of its merchandise, Starbucks will donate RM2 to MERCY Malaysia. The total proceeds will then be used to fund Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPPS) consultation sessions for frontline health workers through MERCY Malaysia’s Psychological First Aid (PFA) hotline platform.
The MERCY Malaysia Psychosocial Support Helpline is a non-clinical service for the public, which started when the Movement Control Order (MCO) first took place in March of this year, and aims to provide mental and well-being support to those who have been significantly affected during this pandemic.
In addition to the general hotline that is open to everyone, they also launched a dedicated project for frontliners, to provide consultation for the frontline medical staff to address any anxiety they might have or should they require any basic emotional support.
Most recently, MERCY Malaysia launched a dedicated hotline for children, and also one for Sabahans in light of the COVID-19 spike in the state in October.
“We were inspired by how the COVID-19 outbreak has taken an emotional toll and wanted to respond to the uncertainty by extending our Psychosocial Support Helpline services,” said Mohammad Said Alhudzari Ibrahim, General Manager, Program Operations Division, MERCY Malaysia. “It's all hands-on-deck at this moment. Support like this is very much needed to ensure our hard-pressed frontliners have all that they need in doing their work while putting themselves at risk. We know that health workers need the equipment and support now, not later. That's why we created the Sabah COVID-19 Fund to provide what they urgently need to fight the global pandemic,”
The hotline provides a safe and private platform for people to share their anxiety or problems with professionals, which consist of clinical psychologists and counsellors who are trained in PFA during a crisis and in dealing with mental health issues. As part of the sessions, the team will help provide emotional support and counselling services, offer help for psychiatric problems, lend an ear on domestic issues, offer assistance to food and financial difficulties, answer any questions related to COVID-19 or MCO, and answer general complaints that the callers may have.
The Goods for Good campaign also builds on Starbucks Malaysia’s investments in supporting community response and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the ‘Goods for Good’ campaign, all Starbucks merchandise that customers purchase will come with its own ‘Thank You’ tag for their support. The campaign will be applicable at all stores in Malaysia, which will run from 14 December to 27 December.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
