Most Singaporeans will agree that hawker food is part of our national identity, such that it’s even been immortalised in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
The Government is even rolling out a hawkerpreneurship course to train young people to take up the trade.
However, the vulnerable members of society also deserve a chance to pick up the trade, especially since they may not be able to find other jobs.
To that end, Dignity House is the 1st hawker training school for the disabled and serves up affordable local and western delights.
It’s still open for takeaway and delivery as dining in is not allowed under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) restriction.
If you support the initiative, they even offer delivery via wheelchair to nearby locations.
Located at an unassuming corner of Boon Keng Road and Bendeemer Road is a bright red building bearing the address 69 Boon Keng Road.
That’s the location of Dignity House, also known as Dignity Kitchen.
For those in the know, it’s actually a no-frills makan place that serves up a range of delicious and affordable food, popular with workers on their lunch break.
The place is actually a hawker training school for the disabled and disadvantaged.
According to their Facebook page, their mission is: To build and return dignity to the disadvantaged and disabled through vocation with passion.
Its fully functional food court serves to train its students by giving them a platform to develop their skills via an interactive experience with the public.
Unfortunately, like many hawkers, their customer footfall has been reduced due to the current no-dine-in restrictions.
However, they’re still open for takeaway and delivery.
It’s thus appealing to the public for support as it’ll help their special needs trainees.
From the menu, we can see that even the fussiest eaters will find something to eat, e.g. chicken rice or noodles, vegetarian, Malay cuisine and Western food.
Better still, it’s entirely halal-certified.
Those with a sweet tooth can also order their baked goods.
Send them a WhatsApp message at 9853 9086 from 11am-6am on Mon-Fri to pre-order. You can also a walk-in takeaway from 8am-6pm, Mon-Sat.
If you live nearby, you can also order home delivery – with a difference.
Dignity Kitchen’s probably the only food outlet to have delivery riders in wheelchairs.
The Dignity on Wheels initiative empowers the disabled, offering them a new career choice that some would have thought impossible.
It’s only for deliveries within 1km from the Boon Keng premises, subject to wheelchair accessibility and a limited menu during lunch hours.
Do send a WhatsApp message to 9853 9086 if you’re interested.
Dignity House also has a Pay It Forward scheme that allows you to donate meals to the needy.
If you have $3.50 to spare, you can buy a bento box for 1 needy person.
You can contribute in person at 69 Boon Keng Road or scan the above QR code to contribute via PayNow.
Thanks to its sponsors, Dignity Kitchen donated 100 meals per day to needy families during the recent Ramadan period.
If you want to stop by to tapao something or donate, Dignity House is just a short walk away from Boon Keng MRT.
Facebook: Dignity Kitchen
Nearest MRT: Boon Keng
Due to the latest no-dine-in restrictions, initiatives like Dignity Kitchen that depend on public support may suffer.
Thus, if you can, do support them by ordering their food and helping those in need at the same time.
As the pandemic continues to affect Singaporeans, it’s our duty to do all we can to contribute to society, even through small ways like this.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook, Google Maps and Facebook.
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