137 Pillars House Launches CSR Guest Visiting Program with Chiang Mai School for Life

137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has introduced a new guest activity program in conjunction with School for Life, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility Program to support the local community.

Through the program, guests can visit the school and interact with the pupils while participating in activities to support the children and the school.

Chiang Mai’s School for Life was established by Professor Juergen Zimmer and Thaneen "Joy" Worrawittayakun in 2003. The internationally sponsored project provides home and care for children who live in difficult situations. Initially, the main target group was Aids-orphans, but many children with diverse backgrounds came to live at School for Life including Tsunami orphans. School for Life provides for their basic needs, offers psychosocial and medical care, and a new home; and aims to make the best possible education available to them, while respecting their right to a happy childhood.

The partnership between School for Life and 137 Pillars House began when the hotel held a fundraising concert by internationally known Jazz Duo Tuck and Pattie, supported by the famous Blues musician Matthew Kelly, which raised over Baht 160,000 (US$ 5,300) for the school.

In addition to financial support, the school is seeking assistance with activities that require manpower to make the school and living facilities even better for its students. The students live in ‘families’ of up to 20 children in one group.

The hotel’s guest program gives guests of 137 Pillars House, a chance to actively participate in the project of their choice. Activities include:

- Choosing from a list of needed supplies/clothing/ etc., constantly updated by the school’s Swiss General Manager. The hotel will then assist the guests with the purchase (at no surcharge) and guests can choose to have the supplies delivered to the school by the hotel, or to pay the school a personal visit. Supplies may include, but are not limited to clothing and shoes, school supplies and personal supplies for the children.

- Sponsoring and participating in a special event for a “family” or the entire school. This could be a BBQ or other special banquet, performing a simple play for the children, or help make the family houses and the school a more beautiful and cheerful place to live. All equipment/food/etc will be organized by the hotel’s staff at no extra cost to the guests, and hotel staff will assist the guests throughout the execution of the event.

- Organizing sports activities and games for the children on location (the hotel will assist with any purchase of sport equipment/games etc. at no extra cost).

- The Godparent program. The school will provide the guests with a list of the neediest children, and guests can opt to sponsor the monthly costs for education or the cost of living – or both. This can easily be done through bank transfers from anywhere in the world.

Further projects, which may involve hotel guests, are currently being discussed. These include the purchase of a house in Chiang Mai for the children who are continuing their vocational training after graduation form the School for Life, and to raise funds for the vocational training programs, as well as the construction and equipment of a training kitchen at the School for Life premises.