Man rents Tampines void deck for free community soup event, surprised by strangers’ warm interactions
In an effort to bring back some kampung spirit, a man set up a free soup dining event at a Tampines void deck so people could eat together and hang out.
Despite some hiccups on the first try, he ended up serving over 40 people, turning the void deck into a shared dining room.
Source: bangsphotos on Reddit
Town Council approves void deck for community event
The original poster (OP), ‘bangsphotos’, wrote on Reddit that the idea sprang up after he read about how people nowadays feel socially isolated despite many ways to connect.
He came up with the idea of organising a free soup event where a group of people could eat and chat together.
Initially, the OP wanted to rent out a private venue, but the high costs deterred him. He then reached out to the local Town Council about holding a free community food event in a void deck.
“To my surprise, they were okay with it,” he wrote.
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
On 19 May, the OP announced the event on social media and asked interested attendees to register, capped at 50 slots.
Nearly 20 hours of preparation with help from volunteers
The event, dubbed Kampong Soup Kitchen, happened on the evening of 30 May. Over 40 registered participants showed up, some even travelling from the west side of the island.
The OP served two soups:
- Clear chicken soup with crêpes and vegetables
- Spiced pumpkin and carrot soup with red lentils and coconut milk
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
“I tried to keep the ingredients halal-friendly, although I also made it clear that I’m not from a halal household,” he added.
Due to having work in the morning, the process of cooking the soup took almost 20 hours, and the OP said he couldn’t have done the event alone.
Volunteers, participants, friends and family helped with a lot of the prep and setup: making the savoury pancakes, shredding chicken, cutting vegetables, plucking herbs, moving chairs, arranging the space, serving and cleaning up.
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
The OP ran into some hiccups, including only being able to use one power point. One water point also didn’t work.
He also only managed to spread the word of the event to his neighbours at the last minute due to how rushed everything was.
Some of them went down to try the soup, and to the OP’s surprise, they naturally started chatting with the strangers.
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
The atmosphere was honestly warmer than I expected! At one point, the void deck felt like a shared dining room.
Organiser aims to include older neighbours and Muslims in future events
Ultimately, the OP paid a total of S$89.38 for using the void deck, including S$50 for the rental.
He called it “affordable” and thanked the Town Council for being open to the idea.
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
Having gained some lessons from this first run, the OP hoped to do more monthly events in the future, including reaching out to older neighbours.
He also sought to make future sessions of Kampong Soup Kitchen more halal-friendly, to better include Muslim friends and neighbours.
A bowl of soup obviously does not solve loneliness or social isolation, but it can create a small moment where people sit together, talk, and remember that community can still happen in very ordinary places.
Source: @tov.ie on Instagram
His Reddit post gained over 6,600 upvotes at press time.
Commenters praised him for “bringing back the kampung spirit”.
Source: Reddit
Others lauded the OP for spending time, money, and especially effort for his community.
Source: Reddit
MS News has reached out to the OP for his comments.
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Featured image adapted from @tov.ie on Instagram.
