SINGAPORE – For the past month, volunteers have brought festive cheer to needy residents living in rental blocks in Singapore’s North West District with carepacks of food and daily essentials.
Residents received more than $385,000 worth of donations, which include home improvement services for some, as part of a campaign called WeCare @ North West – Service Weeks 2021, which ended on Sunday (Feb 7).
The annual affair, which has been running since 2014, is coordinated by the North West Community Development Council (CDC).
Despite the gloom of the recent Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s campaign saw a record number of 1,700 volunteers – up from a yearly average of 1,600 in previous years – step up to help with the packing and distribution, as well as the provision of home improvement services.
From Jan 6 this year, volunteers from various schools put together a series of festive packs worth about $50, each containing items such as powdered drinks, instant noodles, oatmeal and canned food.
Some 20,000 residents in about 6,500 households received the packs over the last month, along with over $60,000 worth of other donations.
At the final distribution event on Sunday, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, who is also adviser to Sembawang GRC Grassroots Organisations, thanked those who had helped make the campaign possible.
“I hope the year of the Ox will be a year of good health and national recovery,” he said.
The downturn caused by the pandemic has also not stopped some companies from stepping forward to offer their services to residents in need.
Mr Chris Tan, managing director of Lih Ming Construction, said that participating in last year’s drive had been an eye-opening experience for him and his employees.
Back then, his company helped six needy households with their home improvements.
Mr Tan added: “Last year we witnessed a number of low-income families struggling to make ends meet and having little space to live comfortably in. Although the company being in the construction sector was badly hit by the pandemic crisis, I feel happier simply knowing that I have made a difference to help people live better in their everyday lives.”
The positive experience has spurred Mr Tan to do more this year – his company is helping 11 households, with only finishing touches to go.
In addition to the donation drive, five companies – 3M Singapore, Gold Kili Trading Enterprise, Select Group, Eligo and Bigfoot Logistics – also joined a pilot employability drive, which aims to provide the residents with job opportunities.
Madam Seah Po Poh, director of human resources at Eligo, an industrial solutions provider, said that some of the positions on offer require little to no experience, and that her company has already received inquiries from residents.
“We hope to help our residents rise above their current situation,” she said.