NBS Inflammaré, an orientation programme in Nanyang Business School (NBS), organised a donation drive for Free Food for All (FFFA), a charity that addresses issues related to food insecurity and waste. The organising team of NBS Inflammaré later partnered with Rotaract Club of NTU to distribute the items collected to the beneficiaries served by FFFA. This donation drive (lasting from May to October 2021) was motivated by the fact that income inequality is on the rise in Singapore, and this was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Realising the potentially devastating effects of this decrease in income, the team wanted to do their part to relieve the economic burden on lower-income households by securing access to basic necessities, such as food and hygiene products. The team worked with FFFA to ensure that all food was Halal, catered to various health concerns, and easy to consume (for example, ready-to-eat meals in pouches).

 

The Highlights

Motivating freshmen to connect with their community.

The team successfully directed the dynamic energy of their freshmen towards serving a purpose greater than themselves. They were able to cultivate a freshmen cohort that understood and valued the importance of service learning and giving back to society.

Successfully sourced high quality donations.

A drive to collect donated food and hygiene products from NBS students was organised, with prizes being awarded to the 3 orientation groups who donated the most number of items. The team also successfully sourced donations from companies such as Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Whealthfields Lohman, and the NBS community.

Efficiently distributed donated items.

The team, together with volunteers from FFFA and Rotract Club of NTU packed and distributed bags of donations to a total of 100 low-income households in the Boon Lay area.

The Memories

Staff from FFFA receiving donated items from a few organising team members of NBS Inflammaré.
Drivers delivering the donations and dropping it off for the staff from FFFA to collect.
Volunteers from NBS Inflammaré and Rotaract NTU posing for a photo with the donations packed into bags.
Volunteers from Rotaract NTU preparing to distribute the donations to residents identified by FFFA.
Residents showing their appreciation to FFFA staff who also participated in distributing the donated items.

Reflection #1 – The Challenges

Adapting to COVID-19 safe management measures.

As COVID-19 was still a major concern, the team had to adapt to the evolving safe management measures (SMMs) that affected the collection and distribution drives.

Changing timelines and an uncertain situation.

Related to the COVID-19 SMMs, the team faced constant disruptions to their timeline, which they had to resolve and adapt too. They initially planned to organise their donation drive in the first 2 weeks of the semester, when students would be relatively free. However, as classes were online at the time, they had to shift collection to the third week of the semester. In the end, the team managed to work within the SMMs, rework their timeline on the fly, and get the necessary green lights for the drive and distribution to go on safely.

Reflection #2 – The Takeaways

Learned the importance of contributing to the community.

Participants reported that they were reminded through the donation drive the importance of connecting with one another, and supporting the people within their community, particularly during trying times. The fact that the drive was organised during the COVID-19 period took on new meaning, as the team and volunteers saw first hand on how a little help can go a long way during trying times.

Stoked a passion for altruism.

Seeing the joy and thankfulness on the beneficiaries faces was a fulfilling and heartwarming experience for the volunteers. This positive experience reinforced a passion for serving their community in the participants, as some participants hoped to be able to work towards supporting their community in the future.