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Published: 24 March 2025, Monday
More than handing out food to our beneficiaries, we here at Food from the Heart are committed to continually improving our programmes and initiatives, to feed the community better. Starting with Bread Run in 2003, our programmes and initiatives have grown to give better, with food distribution programmes like our Community Food Pack programme, and initiatives like our Clean Plate Campaign. Over the years, we have only grown more committed to the way we provide and redistribute food to the less-fortunate in Singapore. Among our impactful efforts, our Community Shop is a core initiative designed to empower lower-income families with a dignity of choice and improve their access to nutritious food.
Our Community Shop is a innovative shop-for-free concept which operates much like a mini-mart where beneficiaries are welcome to select essential food items in a dignified, supermarket-like setting. This approach not only meets immediate dietary needs but also restores a sense of normalcy and choice in their lives, offering a stark contract to traditional food aid programmes where food is pre-packed.
It represents a pivotal evolution in our mission - turning the act of receiving into an experience of giving better, by empowering our beneficiaries to choose rather than merely accept.
Our Community Shop initiative embodies the philosphy of #GivingBetter, where we prioritise dignity and choice for those we serve. This concept allows beneficiaries to choose their necessities freely, fostering independence and restoring a sense of dignity often lost in standard aid distribution models.
While nutritious options are a key priority, recent surverys indicate that many families prioritise longer shelf life groceries due to rising food costs. This is often at the expense of fresh, nutritious options. To ease this balance between non-perishables and nutritional balance, we have teamed up with Resorts World Sentosa in 2023 to launch the RWS Eat Well @ Community Shop initiative. Through this, the integrated resort helps fund supplies of high quality local produce to our Community Shop for three years. By empowering beneficiaries to select their own food items and providing two fresh produce items each month, we help them meet their immediate needs while supporting a nutritious diet.
A visit at our Community Shop extends beyond mere sustenance. It uplifts spirits and mental well-being. In a survey conducted last year, nine in 10 beneficiaries prefer food support through the Community Shop. Beneficiaries get the freedom to select food that suit their dietary preferences and needs, mirroring the experience of shopping at a regular grocery store. This empowerment helps bridge the gap in living standards, as they actively participate in a key aspect of daily life.
By allowing beneficiaries to physically visit a store, the Community Shop fosters social interactions within the community, nurturing a supportive network that celebrates the spirit of giving and solidarity. Beyond collecting essentials, they have more opportunities to interact, fostering a sense of connection and community support. In this way, the Shop not only meets practical needs but also helps strengthen social ties.
This personalised approach also leads to a significant reduction in food waste as beneficiaries select only what they need and will consume. More than 80% of beneficiaries surveyed indicated that they do not have unopened or unconsumed food from the Shop a month after collection. A positive indicator that beneficiaries are able to redeem what is needed when it is needed, reducing the amount of food wasted.
Food items are redeemed through the beneficiaries' Food from the Heart card, via a QR code-scanning checkout system. This system helps us track consumption patterns and preferences, and informs our stocking and distribution stratgies to ensure efficiency and reduce excess. More than 70% of beneficiaries found this system convenient, as they only needed to bring their card for checkout.
All of our Community Shop's have a food drop box located along the Shops' entrance, a feature that reinforces the local 'kampong spirit'. By enabling donors to contribute directly to the Shop's inventory, we foster a sense of communal support and responsibility, ensuring that every donation directly benefits those who need it most and supports our mission to combat food insecurity wihle minimising waste.
At the heart of our initiative, the Community Shop allows beneficiaries to actively select up to 14 different food items monthly, depending on their needs and preferences. Each visit to the Community Shop is an opportunity for beneficiaries to choose from a range of nutritious food items, including essential staples, condiments and bread spreads. This assortment not only caters to dietary needs but also encourages a balanced diet. The food donations that we receive across all food drop points are a part of a carefully curated food wish list that helps ensure that the food items available are nutritious and impactful, fostering not just food security but also promoting healthy living amongst the beneficiaries.
For those interested in direct contributions to our Community Shop, our food wish list can be found on our website, tailored to meet the most urgent needs of our beneficiaries. You can donate food items at the food drop box located at each Community Shop:
Beyond food donations, there are many ways to support our Community Shop. Individuals can sign up as volunteers, while corporate teams can also contribute through skill-based volunteering initiatives. One such initiative was a financial literacy and scam awareness session by the Swiss Re Foundation at our Community Shop @ Lengkok Bahru in 2024. Using publicly available resources from trusted government websites and SPF collaterals, they helped beneficiaries learn about SMS scams and money-saving tips, equipping low-income families with essential financial knowledge.
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More than just providing food, our Community Shop expands the impact of our #GivingBetter philosophy, finding new ways to provide beneficiaries with holistic support.
Whether it is donating food items, providing tax-deductible donations to financially stock our shelves, or providing corporate sponsorships, your support directly empowers our Community Shop. Every contribution helps sustain this innovative initiative, ensuring families in need have to access to nutritious food in a dignified and impactful way. Contact us today to discover how you or your organisation can make a difference.
Let's continue to stand in solidarity and take meaningful steps towards a future where no one has to face food insecurity alone. Become a part of our mission at Food from the Heart and help us make a lasting impact.
