Despite the seemingly comfortable lives most Singaporeans lead, hunger is still a real issue for some, like several needy families in Jalan Besar.
Hoping to alleviate their burdens, The Food Bank Singapore has launched a special vending machine in the neighbourhood.
Piloted by the Jalan Besar’s Member of Parliament (MP) Ms Denise Phua, the dried foods vending machine lets members of the public bless other residents with daily necessities that they can ‘purchase’ at their convenience.
Situated at Jalan Besar Community Centre (CC), #LoveConnect Hub combines the functions of a vending machine and a foodbank, making it a ‘convenience NTUC’ essentially.
Ms Phua announced in a Facebook post on Sunday (21 Sep) that she came together with some grassroots leaders and families to launch this community initiative.
Using credits topped up monthly in a special card, residents in need can ‘buy’ the food items they desire from the many lockers there.
Different combinations of dried foods are available in each transparent compartment. Once residents have selected which group of necessities they need, they only have to tap their card on the machine to ‘pay’ using their credits, collect the items, and leave.
Ms Phua was on standby yesterday (20 Sep) to assist any resident who needed help.
Other secondary items like clothing and toys were also available in the mini store, for residents to choose from.
If the vending machine is like earlier ones The Food Bank has placed in estates like Toa Payoh, other residents may be able to buy the food items too, at $2 per set.
Ms Phua wrote in her Facebook post that donations are welcome, but volunteers are still in the process of consolidating the list of items they need.
Hopefully once they sort that out, the public can do more to contribute and help.
The MP added that if the pilot fares well, she is interested in bringing it to other areas in Singapore.
The Covid-19 pandemic, while a crisis, seems to be have brought out many silver linings as well.
Singaporeans have banded together to help one another, we learnt not to take our lives for granted, and have built up steely resilience and resourcefulness to tackle an uncertain time.
We certainly hope this community spirit continues to flourish as we tide over this tumultuous period together as a nation.
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Featured image from Facebook and Facebook.
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