JULIA C F Chong cannot remember the last time she had a good night's sleep.

She's either giving talks, going on road shows in various parts of the country, meeting with suppliers or thinking up strategies to help the less fortunate or coming up with more avenues for the public to help charities through simple, everyday routines.

"My head is swimming with so many ideas on how TLC can help the less fortunate even more.I can't rest until we are firmly established and the various programmes implemented. After that I can afford to kick up my feet."

The chief executive officer of Truly Loving Company, or TLC as it is popularly known, has been on her feet the whole day preparing for the upcoming weekend road shows and talks in various towns in the country to promote a novel way of getting everyone to care for and support charitable causes without any donations.

"That's the beauty of it all.There is no donation involved to help these charities," says the mother of two grown-up children as she takes a sip of steaming hot tea from a mug. The 58-year-old breaks into a smile as she notices a puzzled look from me.

"That's the reaction I get from everyone when I tell them we are not looking for donations to help the various charities in Malaysia. Everyone showers, washes hands, cleans our houses daily using various brands of consumer products.But when a family uses TLC products they are contributing to a better life for the less fortunate."

TLC is Malaysia's first social enterprise which pledges 100 per cent of its dividends to its five charity partners through the TLC Charitable Trust held by the HSBC Trustees Bhd.

The five charities are Hospis Malaysia, National Stroke Association of Malaysia, The Handicapped and Mentally Disabled Children Association of Johore Baru, Rumah Aman and Shelter Home for Children.

TLC's revenue is derived from sales of the TLC brand of quality household and personal care products, such as dish washing liquid, floor and toilet bowl cleaners, shower cremes and hand and body lotions in retail outlets and hypermarkets throughout the country.

"Rest assured that there is no compromise on the product formulas to achieve cost savings in order to improve margins and all product formulations contain ingredients of the highest quality. For example, in the personal care products, fragrances from France are used."

The former high-flying corporate director who has worked in several multi-national companies turned her back on her lucrative career about three years ago to play a more meaningful role in lending a hand to charities.

"Many thought I was totally mad to give up my secure, high paying job to set up TLC. But over the years my priorities have changed and I don't want to wake up one morning and regret that I did not play a more positive role in helping an underprivileged person."

The seventh of nine children of a foodstall owner and a homemaker mother, Chong became involved in charity work about 11 years ago when she sometimes accompanied her late lawyer husband, to spend time with abandoned children at a home.

There is a faraway look in her eyes as she recalls those moments.

"He was very much into charity work and he always made time for it.During holidays, most weekends and festive seasons he would spend time with abandoned kids."

Her encounter with the abandoned young children left a lasting impression on her.

When her husband who was in his 40s died of a heart attack, she decided to take up his cause where he had left off. However, she did not fully pursue her passion as she had a demanding career as the managing director of a multi-national company and coping as a single parent of a teenage son and daughter.

It was only after her children completed their university studies in England that she decided to close the doors on her corporate career.

"I felt the time was right for me to do something useful for the less fortunate, the rejected, the abandoned and the underprivileged people.You can keep making money but I feel there is no meaning to life unless you use it effectively to help others and create more happiness.

"It was time to give back to society and I find that very satisfying."

Without a second thought, she withdrew RM1 million from her EPF and savings, and together with a lawyer friend, who not only shared her vision but came up with RM500,000 to set up TLC.

Wasn't that a highly risky move? "Of course," she says emphatically.

She pauses, takes another sip of tea and continues.

"But then isn't everything in life a challenge? Let's not forget that I have about 30 years of experience in the household industry, have the right knowledge and built up a network of contacts to set TLC on firm footing."

Chong and her other director hold one ordinary share each which allows them management rights but no dividend rights.

Over the past three years TLC has given more than RM100,000 to the charities and its effort has been noticed by the Prime Minister's office and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community.

Four months ago Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave TLC the Corporate Social Responsibilities Award in the small business category.

The going was rough and tough in the initial stages there were many occasions when Chong wanted to give up.

"It was an uphill battle and there were so many moments when I just wanted to throw in the towel. Every time that happens I drive up to one of the five charities and look at how they live their life with what little they have. That's when I count my blessings and find the strength to carry on."

Chong and her 13 employees including six field workers have also been initiating several fun projects for TLC's partner charities - an art therapy session, a hair makeover session, football clinics and fashion show.

"We believe we must directly engage and interact with the less fortunate, the disabled and the underprivileged in our community if we are to understand their plight and if we are to grow and mature as a caring and developed society," says Chong who has influenced her family and friends to switch to TLC brand for household products.

Her enthusiasm for charity works has also rubbed off on her architect son who has taken one year off his work to help in TLC latest programme, the Promise Me campaign.

It is a youth engagement programme that allows the younger generation the chance to directly engage, interact with and help a less fortunate person.

"It was my son's idea," says the proud mother, beaming with joy. The campaign, she says, is an opportunity to fulfil the wishes of the less fortunate such as an orphan wishing to ride a bicycle or a mentally challenged girl wishing to learn to dance.

These wishes become Promise Me pledges which a caring participant promises to fulfil with a month.

The participants are also required to blog about their journey in fulfilling their pledges.

"The whole idea is for volunteers to touch someone's life and experience that person's less privileged situation. At the end of the day, it will allow each and everyone of us to appreciate how fortunate we are and to grow within ourselves."

The Promise Me campaign was launched last week by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Sharizat Abdul Jalil.

Close to 70 wishes have come in from the charity partners and the Minister has take up three pledges - a mentally challenged girl wants a lazy chair, a 10-year-old boy from Rumah Aman wishes for a squad of soldiers to visit the home and a woman recovering from stroke wants an outing to a scenic countryside in Malaysia.

Although her work is demanding, Chong is not complaining and there is no slowing her down.

Retirement is a word that is also non-existent in her vocabulary.

"Sometime I wish there were more hours in a day as there is so much to be done .What is most rewarding is being able to put a smile on a less fortunate person's face, to touch a person's life in gentle but a positive way. Those are the riches I now seek."

She unwinds by going out with her friends and family whenever time permits.

She also takes time off to go to England to visit her daughter, a doctor, who is settled there.

"And twice a month I allow myself the luxury of going for a full spa treatment."

Life Lesson: Always lend a hand to those in need and it does not have to be in monetary terms.

Sometimes, we all need a shoulder to cry on, someone to lend us an ear when we are down.

That's how I pulled through the rough period when my husband suddenly died.

That's why I am always there to lend a hand to those in need.