Christmas cheer await 43,000 needy families
Members of the Boys’ Brigade will fan out across the island to give out hampers and gifts during this holiday season to more than 43,000 needy families, amid slowing economic growth and rising prices.
The Boys’ Brigade Share-a-Gift 2022 project, which was launched on Monday, will have in-person collection of donations after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.
The public can donate food items at four FairPrice outlets in AMK Hub, Bedok Mall, Thomson Plaza and Jurong Point. For the last two years, only cash donations were accepted through online means.
The project aims to distribute hampers to about 34,803 beneficiaries and fulfil specific wishes from almost another 8,500. Specific wishes refer to items based on the beneficiaries’ requests, such as shoes, baby products and home appliances.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, who was the guest of honour at the launch of the event, said though Singapore’s economy has rebounded, there are new challenges to be confronted.
“We can see that besides the pandemic, the global economy has been impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine, disruptions in food and energy supplies, slower economic growth and rising prices everywhere,” said Mr Wong, noting that Singapore has not been spared.
“That’s why we recognise that there are, in our midst, vulnerable families and households who are facing difficulties during this period. And that’s why it’s important now, more than ever, to sustain that spirit of togetherness that saw us through the last three years of the pandemic.”
The annual initiative was started in 1988 to bring cheer to the less fortunate for the festive holidays.
The physical collection points will be open from Nov 22 to Dec 19, from 1pm to 5pm daily.
The list of food items needed for the beneficiaries will be updated on The Boys’ Brigade’s social media, and relayed to the public through the boys manning the stations. The public can shop for the items and leave them at the four collection points.
Online cash donations can still be made through PayNow, AXS machines and the project’s page on Giving.sg until Dec 31.
The project’s beneficiaries are identified through government agencies, with this year’s beneficiaries including close to 2,000 families from KidSTART Singapore, up from 1,000 in 2021.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Nura Vanisa, 39, is a full-time caregiver to her three children and mother.
Her husband, the family’s main breadwinner, lost his job as a security officer for six months when the pandemic first hit in 2020, forcing the family to use their savings to scrape by.
After her third child was born earlier this year, the family has been struggling with the rising prices of baby products. Ms Nura and her family have asked for milk powder and diapers for their two-year-old child.
The presenting sponsor for this year’s project is Prudential Singapore.
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