Pop-up food market for the needy to ‘shop’ for fresh produce
Food from the Heart's chief executive officer Sim Bee Hia (third from left) picking fresh produce with the charity's beneficiaries in a pop-up market outside Teck Ghee Community Centre.
SINGAPORE — Mr Eng Ah Tee, who works as a cleaner, was part of a 100-strong crowd that had gathered outside the Teck Ghee Community Centre on Wednesday morning (March 20), to get their hands on free fresh produce at a pop-up food market.
An initiative from charity food distributor Food from the Heart (FFTH), the market allows beneficiaries from low-income families and seniors to “shop” for food items. There were 22 produce options — including fruits, vegetables, seafood and noodles — available at the makeshift stalls set up by volunteers.
Each person was able to choose 12 food items worth up to S$50 and paid with a redemption ticket.
“This is good. We have fresh food to cook and it can last quite long, too,” Mr Eng said in Mandarin.
The 76-year-old, who lives alone in a one-room flat in Toa Payoh, was looking forward to cooking the produce and sharing it with his neighbour, Madam Tai Suan Sim, who was also at the market.
Mr Robert Tan, 71, who lives alone in Teck Ghee, said that he was thankful for the initiative, which helped him to save “a lot of money”.
“(Fresh produce) is expensive. I hope this (pop-up market) can happen once a month,” the retiree said.
In total, more than 500 beneficiaries — who arrived on buses — patronised the pop-up market on Wednesday. They included members of FFTH’s community food pack programme who were from 11 of its self-collection centres in the area such as Teck Ghee, Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio.
FFTH's chief executive officer Sim Bee Hia said that the market allowed beneficiaries to pick food items that were “truly relevant to their needs”.
“They (the beneficiaries) are not getting food that people don’t want… They (can) make a choice, get what they want, what type of vegetables, what type of seafood.”
Ms Sim said that the food distributed was bought from wholesalers. While she would only say that the charity spent a “five-figure” sum on the food, the 500 people who turned up on Wednesday were each given food worth up to S$50, putting the cost at about S$25,000.
The bag of fresh produce would complement the monthly community food pack given out to beneficiaries and provide more nutrition for their meals, Ms Sim added. The monthly pack, valued at between S$30 and S$40, includes food products such as canned food and rice, while bread and eggs may be distributed on separate weeks within the month.
Started in 2003, the programme gets donated food items, and works with partners such as FairPrice supermarket.
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Households with per capita income of S$690 or less would qualify for the programme, and beneficiaries included low-income families with young children, elders who live on their own and older couples. FFTH also accepts recommendations from partner family services centres or community centres to include households that do not meet the criteria.
Ms Sim stressed that it is time for charities to move away from the “donor-centric perception to what is beneficiary-centric” because they at times received “less desirable items” as donations. She cited the example of three-in-one Milo, a chocolate malt drink that might not be suitable for seniors who are diabetic.
“Some things that work for you may not work for the seniors… I think it’s time that the way we give (to the needy) should also change.”
More than 100 volunteers were involved in the pop-up event on Wednesday, including 20 students from River Valley High School.
The next pop-up market is scheduled for May would be for beneficiaries who live in the eastern part of Singapore, Ms Sim said, adding that FFTH will review the initiative after running similar events in other locations.
Logistics are a “real challenge” for FFTH because it needs to ensure that food is delivered in a timely manner and that food quantity is managed well to prevent wastage, she said.
“We hope more suppliers can come onboard and we hope logistics companies can help us in carrying out this mission, to help the needy to have a hearty meal.”
