S’porean Who Overcame Poverty Starts Non-Profit Group, Raises $167K For Needy Families’ Groceries

Non-Profit Group Project Stable Staples Raises $167K To Supply Groceries To The Needy

In the midst of these dark times, a local hero is stepping up to help the less privileged.

Founder of Stable Staples – Mr David Hoe – runs a welfare organisation that gives monthly grocery vouchers to families financially affected by Covid-19. While he has managed to raise $167,000 to fund the initiative, this local hero is going viral for his compelling backstory.

In a Facebook post, Geneco – an energy company – revealed that like all superheroes he endured many hardships in the past.

The full post is continued here

We summarise his story below.

Worked as a child

David’s hardships began at the age of seven, when his mother went blind. Due to her disability, he had to step up from a young age.

He acted as his mother’s eyes and kept her company. At the same time, he raised money for the family by carrying bags of tissue papers to sell on the streets and at hawker centres.

Despite their best efforts, they struggled to keep food on the table. David constantly worried about his family’s financial situation so his academic results suffered.

His mom was later diagnosed with kidney failure and he had to accompany her for dialysis sessions. As a result, he had less time to study, and his grades further declined.

Receives help from kind locals ⠀

Life was tough but David endured with the help of mentors and peers who supported him. One of his mentors even gave him $50 when he was in dire need of money.

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Since he didn’t want a free pass, he asked how to pay back the money.

Instead of seeking repayment, the kind mentor simply replied,

Pay it forward.

This philosophy inspired him to start his career as a teacher. Later on, he became a Community Partnerships Officer with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to support students from disadvantaged families.

Starts non-profit group to help the needy with groceries

Several years have passed since his life-changing incident with his mentor, but he still believes in paying it forward.

Growing up in a one-room rental flat has made him empathise with large families living in small houses who struggle to afford 3 meals a day.

Instead of becoming bitter over his hardships, David channelled his energy into building Project Stable Staples. The initiative aims to help households that have experienced a massive income loss due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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Currently, the welfare organisation supports more than 266 families. Beneficiaries receive grocery vouchers every 2 weeks in hopes that they’ll become ‘stable staples’. ⠀

Raised $167,000 for needy families’ groceries

For the past two months, Project Stable Staples has been fundraising to help the needy who are deeply affected by Covid-19.

In a Facebook post, the organisation announced that their initial goal was S$60,000. However, the help of kind locals has enabled them to go beyond their expectations and raise a total of S$167,153.07.

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Thanks to the help of generous donors, the organisation believes that their work has just begun. Their volunteers are planning to onboard more needy families and reduce their backlog.

Helping needy families through the Covid-19 period

David believes that the coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented situation in our lifetime.

Some families can afford to stay at home and live comfortably, but the most vulnerable do not have this privilege. Hence, he’s choosing not to turn a blind eye to the needy.

Similar to the mentor and friends who supported him, he believes that everyone should pass on their blessings to others.

He says,

Today, I’m still paying it forward. I choose to power kindness.⠀

His touching story and initiative remind us that lending a helping hand can have phenomenal results.

Hope even in dark times

David’s triumph over adversity shows that there is always hope even in dark times. After all, there will always be organisations, mentors, friends, and family that we can lean on for support.

If you want to learn more about Project Stable Staples, you can check out their Facebook Page and website.

Following David’s philosophy, remember to be kinder to those around you. You never know, but sometimes, someone near us is simply struggling to survive.

Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.