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It’s no secret that Singaporeans have come together across multiple social media platforms to show support for our local hawker culture in the midst of COVID-19’s turbulence. Joining the frontrunners such as @wheretodapao on Instagram is @fromhawkertohome, an initiative launched to help both hawkers and the needy by purchasing food from the stalls and delivering them to low-income estates.
This account focuses on aiding our community’s most vulnerable—elderly or disabled people who may experience challenges with going out to purchase food, or are struggling financially as a result of the pandemic. @fromhawkertohome started by supporting the Jalan Kukoh Estate, a neighbourhood located between Outram Park and Chinatown. They have partnered up with the owners of the Fish Soup stall located at Jalan Kukoh Food Centre, who prepare 25 packs of food that are distributed to residents of the rental flats nearby every Tuesday and Thursday.
Since the beginning of their initiative in June, @fromhawkertohome has engaged more stalls selling healthy food, including mee sua, kway teow, and porridge, with an emphasis on food that is suitable for elderly consumption. Their account has since experienced exponential growth, with more than 130 residents benefitting from the programme, and more than S$6.2K raised.
This initiative has since caught the attention of netizens islandwide, many of whom have offered to make donations to show their support for hawkers, and the needy. @fromhawkertohome has managed to support residents twice a week, and they look forward to expanding their team in order to prolong this initiative.
In an effort to reach out to Muslim residents, @fromhawkertohome is now sourcing for a Halal-certified hawker stall to partner up with, and hopes to touch a greater number of lives by helping needy residents save a bit of money every week. They do not have a screening process, but rather focus on providing as many meals as they can in an effort to brighten their day, and aim to carry out this initiative for at least six months.
@fromhawkertohome is currently accepting donations and looking for volunteers to help distribute food to the needy to help sustain their initiative.
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Adapting to stay afloat — elderly hawkers’ struggle to embrace a digital lifestyle
