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Come, I Belanja You
Providing over 30,000 meals for those in need

01 May 2020

Funny how our environments have completely changed, but some things remain the same. We still can’t decide what to eat (ideas: here and here), and the kind act to belanja, or to treat someone a meal or a drink for a friend or a loved one continues.

These days, to stay in touch with your friends and loved ones staying away from you, we’re ordering food online to each other’s homes. It is just one of the many things that make Singapore the caring community it is. It is a simple way to show that you care, and for the person receiving the meal, it is always a pleasant surprise.

But for some, receiving a meal delivery is more than just a surprise, it is almost essential.

Since Singapore’s circuit breaker measures kicked in, volunteers visiting the community care facilities like AWWA’s Senior Community Home have almost stopped. Volunteers that would typically help to cook or send food to the residents at the Home are now staying indoors. 

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Karen, from AWWA's Senior Community Home

This presents a challenge to Karen. Karen has been working with AWWA for 20 years. She runs programmes and plans outings and events for the residents. She also works with volunteers and donors for donations of food items, meals and other necessities as required by the residents at the Senior Community Home.

Without these meals, Karen explains, “a huge sum of food expenses is incurred daily by the residents as our senior community homes serve over 140 elderly residents.”  

Operations at AWWA’s Senior Community Home have also changed. “Staff must adhere very strictly to various measures put in place to counter the spread of the virus, particularly for the elderly who are vulnerable. This is in addition to managing day-to-day needs of the residents,” shares Karen.

Residents like Mr Ho are also impacted.

Mr Ho, 67 has been at AWWA's Senior Community Home since 2014.

These days, like most of us, he too has to practice social distancing and fills his day watching television or on his mobile device, playing games and contacting his relatives and daughter. 

Meet Mr Ho. Mr Ho is a 67-year old divorcee. He has been living in AWWA’s Senior Community Home since November 2014. A friendly face at the community home, Mr Ho chats regularly with his neighbours.

Whenever possible, he helps out at the garden with his friends.  However, with Singapore’s circuit breaker measures in place, visits to the garden have stopped. For Mr Ho, even sitting down to enjoy his favourite local food with his friends will have to wait.

Normally, the sound of pots and pans clanging would fill the air during the lunch time at the AWWA Senior Community Home kitchen. You can hear the shuffling of feet. Chairs being pulled out. There is activity and energy.

But these days, the kitchen is much quieter.

The AWWA Senior Community Home typically serves over 140 elderly residents, and volunteers who would usually visit AWWA to cook or deliver food are now staying at home.

Thankfully, with the meals donated by CapitaLand, Mr Ho need not purchase food for himself. He can save his money to buy other daily necessities and household items. 

When COVID-19 ends, Mr Ho hopes to join his friends in the community garden again. 

Play to listen to Mr Ho's Story! 

“It could take a toll on the staff and test their perseverance to stay strong under such trying circumstances, Nevertheless, both staff and residents understand that the additional measures are necessary to keep everyone in the Home safe and healthy. We have been doing our utmost to work together in overcoming the odds,” shares Karen.

Thankfully with the help of CapitaLand, the odds are not insurmountable. To support these immediate needs of the elderly and community care staff, CapitaLand, through its philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) has been delivering meals to homes like AWWA's Senior Community Home and Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL) since early April. AWWA and AHL will continue receiving meal support for the next six months.  

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Treasure the seniors in your lives better and find out what CapitaLand is doing to support the vulnerable elderly in Singapore.

Love Your Senior

Treasure the seniors in your lives better and find out what CapitaLand is doing to support the vulnerable elderly in Singapore.
Read Now!
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Have A Meal On Me!

The community outreach initiative is truly one that is by the community for the community. 

Through ‘CapitaLand #MealOnMe’ initiative and in collaboration with The Food Bank Singapore, CapitaStar members, through the CapitaStar mobile app were able to support meals for the vulnerable elderly, underprivileged children and community care staff by donating 5,000 STAR$® (equivalent to S$5). CHF also matched the contribution, 1:1. 

In about a week, 5,000 contributions from CapitaStar members were made!

This will provide over 8,000 meals to these vulnerable groups, on top of more than 30,000 meals over the next three months through CHF’s S$300,000 pledge to The Food Bank Singapore.

CapitaLand malls’ F&B tenants such as ABR Holdings, Creative Eateries Group, Katrina Group and The Minor Food Group that operate the likes of Bali Thai, Bangkok Jam, ThaiExpress and Tip Top are also part of the initiative. 

To deliver the food, over 100 CapitaLand staff volunteers are expected to be mobilised to be part of the action.

Becoming delivery crew for the day, food will be delivered to the various locations, and CapitaLand staff volunteers have gone door to door to deliver these meals to vulnerable seniors, underprivileged children and their families.

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CapitaLand volunteer, Mr Teo, 33 said, “I’m so glad to be involved in many initiatives to do good for the community during my time with CapitaLand. The volunteering opportunity is especially meaningful for me, allowing me to do my part for these seniors during the circuit breaker period.  It’s an added bonus to volunteer together with my wife, which was a wonderful experience!

Visiting these seniors is a stark reminder that there is so much more we can do as a community to help and support one another during these tough times. It really shouldn’t matter too much if we have to go without fast food or bubble tea. Even a simple meal box makes a world of difference to some,” adds Mr Teo.



MORE! Watch as our colleagues Jonathan, Rachelle and Lisa from the CapitaLand Graduate Development Programme share their meaningful #MealOnMe volunteer experiences with us!

And Karen is very grateful. “Our residents are very appreciative of the delicious meals sponsored by corporate donors like CapitaLand. Knowing that their meals are provided gives our residents a peace of mind and serves as a form of solace.”


Life After Circuit Breaker

It might be still weeks away, but we're patiently waiting the circuit breaker to end in Singapore. 

Karen shares, "After circuit breaker , there are many things I look forward to. First, I hope to reconnect with our volunteers and donors whom have been supporting our home in so many ways during this period."

As for Mr Ho, he hopes for the virus to end soon so he can join his friends in the community activities again.

So do we Mr Ho. 

 

Our CapitaLand Volunteers in Action!

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