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Households get easier access to food support schemes with new online directory

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Households struggling to put meals on the table will now have easier access to community food support initiatives with the launch of a new directory that helps them locate food charities in their neighbourhood.

Launched last Monday (April 25), the FoodConnect Directory lists organisations by service location, dietary needs, type of food support and mode of delivery. It is the first consolidated food directory in Singapore.

In a Facebook post about the directory's launch, Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said the Charity Food Workgroup set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has been working together with social service agencies to make food support schemes more data-driven and empowering for beneficiaries.

He added: "(The directory) allows families in need, social service agencies and volunteer groups to search for food support sources by location and dietary requirements.

"The database also enables food support groups to coordinate with one another to minimise duplication and strengthen support for families in need."

The directory takes into account a user's preference for vegetarian, halal or non-halal options, while the type of food support allows users to choose between cooked meals, food rations and food vouchers.

Users can also get in touch with organisations that deliver to their homes, or collect from a distribution point.

Food support groups said the directory will help to eliminate the stigma many families face when asking for help.

Mr Nicholas Lai, executive director of Yong-en Care Centre in Chinatown, said food support initiatives also have a positive psychological impact on beneficiaries, who may feel that befrienders are a reliable source to turn to in times of need.

Yong-en's food support initiative, started in 2009, caters to about 150 applicants, two-thirds of whom are seniors older than 60.

The charity sources dry food items like rice, vermicelli or canned foods from supermarkets before volunteers pack them and distribute them to beneficiaries.

Mr Lai said: "One of the benefits of the FoodConnect directory is it helps persons with the need for food aid to quickly access information of who may help them. It is also helpful to those who may be initially embarrassed of their situation to go around to seek info on who can help them."

 

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Mr Mohamad Faiz Selamat, board director of ground-up charity Free Food For All, which is also a member of the Charity Food Workgroup, said the directory was an opportunity for different charities to collaborate.

"The directory gives beneficiaries and social service agencies access to information. It helps to minimise wastage of supplies and identify where food support activities are regularly conducted and where more help is needed," he said.

Free Food For All provides ready-to-eat meals to families across the island. It also has eight distribution zones where it provides other items, such as fresh vegetables and cooked meals. In Yishun, it operates a community fridge that distributes fresh vegetables and proteins on a weekly basis.

In 2020, the charity set up an online channel for food aid applications and received up to 1,000 applications at its peak. The initiative now handles about 150 new applications per month.

Noting that the directory is a step towards better food security in Singapore, Mr Faiz said more can be done to help families on the ground.

He said: "Food support initiatives opened doors for volunteers to establish long-term relationships with households and find ways to tackle the root of the problem, such as linking them with income or employment assistance. This is the next aspect that we need to work on."

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