At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Emily Yap’s grandmother, who usually does the grocery shopping, was afraid to go to the supermarket and jostle with others in long queues.
Her grandmother’s fears made Emily realise needy families might be even worse off.
Having volunteered regularly at grassroots events for the past eight years, including some that involved children from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS), Emily knew how she could help.
Funded by the National Youth Council’s Young ChangeMakers Grant, she roped in friends and family to deliver groceries and essential items to 10 low-income families whose children are beneficiaries of MINDS.
These families, who live in rental flats, are on short-term ComCare assistance, which means they have a maximum household income of $1,900, or $650 a person, each month.
Each family could choose the items they needed within a $100 budget, and were given a Health Promotion Board pamphlet on healthy eating to help them select the items.
Ms Yap delivered the items in June and followed up by posting a note of encouragement to the students a week later.
She says: “During this period, some might feel isolated or lonely. I wanted to let them know that bad days don’t last forever.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 9 August 2020