Food From The Heart holds second Drive-Thru Food Donation Drive amid increasing food prices

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Gracia Yap

SINGAPORE - Local food charity Food From The Heart (FFTH) is holding its second Heart On Wheels donation drive this weekend, where people can drive by to drop off food for those in need as a donation option.

The donation drive, held on March 2 and 3 from 9am to 6pm, will take place at Wearnes Automotive, 45 Leng Kee Road. The food donation drive aims to collect 25,000 food items. Last year, the charity event collected 22,246 food items and raised over $52,000 in funds.

Part of the food collected from Heart On Wheels will go to FFTH's community shop in Lengkok Bahru with the aim of filling it up with about 5,000 food items, while the rest will go back to FFTH's warehouse to be packed into Community Food Packs which are distributed to lower income families and individuals.

When The Straits Times visited the Drive-Thru Food Donation Drive on March 2 at 9am, the first car had just driven through after dropping off donations. The second donor, Mr Mike Chia, said he heard about Heart On Wheels from his brother, who volunteers with FFTH. The 54-year-old, who works in IT, told ST he donated items such as biscuits, rice and coffee.

Of the five donors ST spoke to, three took their children along.

One such couple was business development manager Michael Heah and his wife, research officer Maureen Chia, who took their two-year-old son Maxillus Heah to donate items such as rice, oats, peanut butter and canned food. The couple, aged 34 and 32 respectively, heard about Heart On Wheels through a text message from Volvo Car Singapore.

Mr Heah told ST: "We thought that this is a good initiative to bring our child along as it raises awareness that there are people who need help.

"It is a very simple gesture that we can do to share and donating these items can feed a whole family so why not share with people who need it."

He added: "I want my child to experience this and in future, have the mindset to be kind to people and expect nothing in return."

Mr Uday Joshi was at the food donation drive with his three-year-old son Devan Joshi and donated items such as noodles, coffee, tea and a $100 cash donation. He placed the bag of donations on the ground next to his son, who carried some of the items and placed them in the donation box.

The 54-year-old who works in finance, told ST: "I wanted to donate to expose my son to the less fortunate and people who are in need of food.

"I want to educate him that not everyone is as fortunate as us and some people rely on the goodwill of others."

Mr Robin C. Lee, chief executive of FFTH, told ST at the drive on March 2 that he felt very touched seeing people of all ages coming to donate as it shows that people still care. "There are so many people out there who need help and this (food donation drive) inculcates the spirit of giving, sharing and togetherness in the kids," he said.

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Eric Chua also visited the food donation drive on March 2 with Queenstown grassroots volunteers to donate items such as rice, cooking oil and canned food.

Mr Chua, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development, told ST that he is very passionate about food security in Singapore, adding that in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, food is among the basic physiological needs that must first be met. He said: "Social issues are not just for government agencies and food charities (to resolve).