CapitaLand wins ‘Organisation of Good’ at President's Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards 2020
The group has pledged more than S$2 million and rallied over 1,000 staff and community volunteers to uplift vulnerable communities in Singapore impacted by COVID-19
Singapore, 16 October 2020 – CapitaLand has been awarded ‘Organisation of Good’ at the President’s Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) 2020 for its exemplary contribution to the community in Singapore during COVID-19. The award is the highest honour for giving to the community and is conferred by President Halimah Yacob. This year’s PVPA Special Edition – Our Finest Hour in the City of Good seeks to recognise exceptional givers who have voluntarily devoted their time to create a positive impact in the community amid COVID-19. Mr Lee Chee Koon, CapitaLand Group Chief Executive Officer and Director of its philanthropic arm CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), received the prestigious award from President Halimah who was the Guest-of-Honour at the PVPA ceremony held today.
“CapitaLand is humbled to receive the ‘Organisation of Good’ award for our efforts to support the vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19. As a socially responsible company, CapitaLand has been helping the communities where we operate globally. This gives us a sense of purpose, a soul to the company. From the start of the pandemic, we quickly galvanised our resources to provide vulnerable elderly and children with healthcare, food security and social assistance. We would like to thank our staff who contributed over 7,000 volunteer hours through various activities and also our tenants, business partners and customers for joining us to help those in need. I am encouraged by this strong community spirit to build a more caring and inclusive society.”
Mr Lee Chee Koon, CapitaLand Group Chief Executive Officer and Director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation
CapitaLand was one of the earliest companies in Singapore to support the immediate needs of communities affected by COVID-19. To-date, the Group has contributed more than S$2 million in Singapore and over S$6 million globally to support over 55,000 people including vulnerable elderly, underprivileged children, community care staff and healthcare workers impacted by the pandemic. An advocate of employee volunteerism, CapitaLand has also mobilised more than 1,000 staff and community volunteers to deliver meals, conduct virtual engagement sessions with the elderly, help the elderly stay connected with their families using tablets, distribute hand sanitisers, and make mask pouches for children and youth with special needs.
Providing healthcare, food security and social assistance
To help children and youth with special needs stay safe, CapitaLand through its recent #CareKitWithLove initiative pledged S$200,000 to President’s Challenge 2020 and received strong response from volunteers who have committed to make over 9,000 mask pouches, exceeding its initial target of 8,000. More than 250 CapitaLand staff and community volunteers have contributed over 4,500 volunteer hours since the launch of #CareKitWithLove on 17 September 2020. In line with President’s Challenge 2020’s focus on empowering people with disabilities, CHF worked with Arts@Metta, a programme under Metta Welfare Association, where its artists with special needs designed 2,000 batik mask pouches. The mask pouches are sold from 14 October 2020 at eCapitaMall1, CapitaLand’s curated digital mall. CHF will pledge2 S$20 for every pouch sold to President’s Challenge. Proceeds from the sale will go to Arts@Metta to equip youths with special needs with life skills to promote integration, independence and employment.
In July 2020, CapitaLand reached out to staff and tenants to raise over S$58,000 for Rainbow Centre through ‘Gifts of Joy – The Essentials Edition’, with matching donations from CHF. The funds raised provided financial assistance to students and their families in response to COVID-19.
Since April 2020, CapitaLand has provided more than 38,000 meals and 6,000 food bundles containing food, snacks and drinks, to uplift more than 9,000 elderly and other vulnerable groups, including children from low-income families as well as community care staff. This included ‘CapitaLand #MealOnMe’ initiative with food charity The Food Bank Singapore and CapitaLand malls’ F&B tenants, in which more than 150 staff volunteers and their family members delivered meals to the elderly and underprivileged children in the community. CapitaStar members also contributed their STAR$® towards the initiative with matching fund from CHF.
To help residents at Apex Harmony Lodge (AHL), a purpose-built lodge for people with dementia, cope with split-zoning measures during the circuit breaker, CapitaLand donated refrigerators and other appliances like air coolers and air purifiers. CapitaLand also donated 560 packs of 5kg Fragrance 43°N Jilin rice3, a product by CapitaLand’s Sino-Singapore Jilin Food Zone4.
‘CapitaLand #LoveOurSeniors’ was initiated in April 2020 through a partnership with Community Foundation of Singapore’s Sayang Sayang Fund. CHF contributed S$700,000 to Agency for Integrated Care and provided emergency support for community care providers such as personal protection equipment, disinfection of the premises if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19, as well as support for affected staff, elderly and their family members. The contribution also goes towards a preparedness fund to keep the vulnerable elderly engaged and safe in the community as well as appreciate the hard work and dedication of community care staff during this challenging time.
To keep the elderly digitally engaged, active and connected with their friends and families, CapitaLand donated 60 smart tablets to AHL and Alzheimer's Disease Association (ADA). Eighteen refurbished laptops were donated to ADA for their centres’ use. CapitaLand staff volunteers also conducted virtual exercise and singing sessions for ADA’s seniors.
In March 2020, CapitaLand through its S$500,000 CapitaLand-U Care Resilience and Enablement (CAP+Ure) Fund set up in 2019, extended support to children of National Trade Union Congress union workers impacted by COVID-19. In February 2020, CapitaLand pledged S$300,000 to The Courage Fund to support households who require extra help to cope due to the impact of COVID-19. CapitaLand staff also contributed over S$20,000 to the Fund.
When travel restrictions were introduced, many returning nationals found themselves a home with CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott). Ascott also contributed its management and operational expertise as a lodging provider to enhance Singapore’s response to COVID-19; helping to care for healthy individuals and migrant workers in alternative accommodations. In the case of Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, Ascott, with support from CHF, responded swiftly to provide complimentary accommodation for the care staff who were displaced from their homes by their landlords amidst the COVID-19 situation.
For more information about CapitaLand’s support for the communities impacted by COVID-19, visit: https://www.capitaland.com/chfcovid19.
Notes:
1 CapitaStar members get to earn instant STAR$® for every transaction. STAR$® refers to the rewards point for CapitaStar, the leading lifestyle loyalty app by CapitaLand with more than one million members in Singapore. To sign up as a member, visit www.capitastar.com
2 CHF will pledge S$20 to President's Challenge for every mask pouch made or sold, up to S$200,000.
3 In 2015, the Sino-Singapore Jilin Food Zone (SSJFZ) launched its Fragrance 43°N Jilin rice in Singapore. Fragrance 43°N’s high-quality rice is harvested and packaged through processes that adopt Singapore’s food safety experience.
4 Set up in 2012 to support Singapore’s food diversification strategy, SSJFZ is managed by Sino-Singapore Jilin Food Zone Development and Management Co., Ltd, a joint venture between CapitaLand and the Jilin City Government. SSJFZ is part of Singapore’s efforts to diversify its food sources, including rice, the preferred staple food for most Singaporeans. In April and May 2020, CapitaLand increased import of Fragrance 43°N range of rice into Singapore multifold to meet rising local demand.