It’s heartening to see that even amidst such tumultuous times, there exist kind souls and kind deeds such as this one.
And though it may not seem like much to most, it can mean so much for some.
Woodlands Eatery is Giving Free Food for the Needy Between 5pm to 6pm Until 10 May 2021
On 2 May 2021, halal restaurant Mari Mari Seafood announced some great news on their Facebook page:
They’ll be giving away free food every day from 1 to 10 May!
Happening from 5:00 to 6:00pm time slot, those who are eligible will be able to take a hearty packet of dinner back home.
Because there are limited stocks available, each person can only retrieve one. So they can only collect their own share and not for their family members.
Nonetheless, one can’t deny that Mari Mari Seafood is doing society a great service.
As someone would say: “It warms the cockles of my heart.” (Get it?)
Surprise Guest
And as it turned out, Mari Mari Seafood would get a very special voluntary distributor: the Senior Minister of State himself, Mr Zaqy Mohamad!
Recognising the stall’s efforts, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC headed down to help out with the distribution.
Suffice to say, the food sold like hotcakes.
(Though then again, Singaporeans do seem to be enamoured with the word “free”.)
We just hope that the food actually went to those who really needed it.
Singapore’s Needy
The majority of Singapore’s population may be getting enough food, but it should be noted that a certain demographic may actually be slipping under the radar.
Worse still? They might not be getting help.
According to a 2018 study on food insecurity by researchers from the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, only 9% are getting help despite there being 125 food support organisations in Singapore.
This could be chalked up to a lack of data on who’s getting food and who’s not.
As such, it is common to find multiple households getting food from the various food charity organisations to the point that it is too much for them to consume, leading to a lot of food wastage. At the same time, there can be households in the same apartment block not receiving any help at all.
One Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) representative said, “Generally, areas with a sizeable and older cluster of rental flats tend to be more well-known, and thus better served by food support organisations. This may lead to wastage in some cases, and some households remain underserved, especially those who do not live in rental flats.”
And so, it’s beyond heartening to see that places like Mari Mari Seafood have decided to chip in during the pandemic.
Despite their own concerns, they’re willing to lend a helping hand. If good karma’s a real thing, they certainly deserve it.
Feature Image: Facebook (Mari Mari Seafood)