When it comes to food, Singapore is nothing short of a paradise. Whether it’s the street stalls serving up steaming plates of Hainanese chicken and chilli crab, one of more than 40 Michelin star restaurants dotted throughout the city, or the simple comfort of kaya toast in the morning, there is a true melting pot of flavours to please the fussiest of taste buds. 

But despite a prosperous economy and a thriving culinary culture shaped by a shared passion for food, thousands of Singaporean families still go to bed hungry every night. One in five low-income households faces severe food insecurity in the form of meal skipping, undereating, running out of food or not knowing how or when they will get their next meal. With the most recent government statistics estimating at least 105,000 families live in poverty, an overlooked hunger crisis is beginning to emerge.

For those of us who are lucky enough to live with food security, our experience of hunger is limited to disgruntled tummy rumblings experienced when a meeting runs into a lunch break or that Hokkien mee you ordered is taking longer than usual. But prolonged hunger, often caused by food insecurity, can cause serious harm ranging from fatigue and chronic disease to unemployment and depression. 

COVID-19 has hit the underprivileged the hardest 

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of devastating, but some have been affected more than others. Vulnerable communities in Singapore not only find themselves in greater need of support but are also seeing a plunge in food donations – which they desperately need. The number of willing donors plummeted by nearly a third between April and July, reflecting the exceedingly uncertain economic climate that has forced under-resourced charity centres to shut their doors.

In spite of these unprecedented challenges, the situation is far from helpless. Individuals and businesses throughout Singapore still want to do their part: the main obstacle is knowing how to provide support in the midst of a pandemic.

We have a mission, but we need your help

The need to mitigate hunger in Singapore has grown rapidly over recent years and the pandemic has added a new sense of urgency. We believe that every individual has a civil and moral duty to support and empower the underprivileged, but we also recognise the need for modern solutions to these issues. 

It’s for this reason that we established our social giving initiative to provide you with a clear pathway to donate FMCG products to those in need. You can send your package to any charity, care home, childcare centre, temple, church or mosque in Singapore, or even directly to low-income families and vulnerable members of the community.

All products in our online catalogue are included in this initiative, making it easy to donate anything from rice, eggs and cooking oil to snacks, drinks and cereal. And it doesn’t need to be food for donation: other FMCG products from toiletries to cleaning products will also make a difference to those in need of support. 

How does it work?

Our social giving initiative is simple. Browse our extensive catalogue and select the products you wish to donate, tell us who you would like to send it to, make your purchase online and let us take care of the rest. With our well-established supply chain and delivery infrastructure, we’ll source and ship your order directly to their door with an optional note from you.

Donations of any size will make a difference, which means no gift is too small. Join us in tackling poverty and food insecurity by donating FMCG products in Singapore today.