Singapore – Necessities distributed in anticipation of Eid

More than 250 Standard Chartered Bank staff and 120 NorthLight students and staff spent their Friday and Saturday (3 & 4 September) packing and distributing food rations to more than 700 needy families across different parts of Singapore in anticipation of the Eid celebration.

Volunteers from Standard Chartered and NorthLight gathered at Henderson Community Club on 3 Sep to pack the hand-outs, which consisted of necessities such as rice, cooking oil, canned food, coffee, biscuits and noodles, donated by philanthropists for distribution to needy families as identified by 15 Voluntary Welfare Organisations for more than 1,500 families. All beneficiaries were also given red packets donated by the philanthropists for the festive season.

On 4 September, Standard Chartered staff along with their friends and families came in more than 70 cars to load the food rations and distribute the food to 700 needy families (out of the 1,500 families) who are registered with the following not-for-profit organisations:

• Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)
• HCA Hospice Care (HCA)
• Metta Welfare Association (MWA)
• Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped (SAVH)
• Pathlight School (PS)
• St Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC)
• Eden School (ES)

Susan Burrell, Global Head of Client Insight, Wholesale Banking at Standard Chartered Bank, distributed the food packages with her two children aged 8 and 11. She said:

We feel very humbled by the experience, and both children said that they would do this again. We managed to distribute all our packages and we got the chance to visit many families living very simply, but all very happy to see us and very grateful to receive the goodies we had for them. It made both my children realise how lucky they are.

Jimmy Lim, who accompanied his wife, a Standard Chartered Bank staff said:

These are really simple food necessities, food items that I may have taken for granted, but as we handed the package to the beneficiaries; their faces lit up with smiles and remarked that the rations can last their family for a month. The children were really excited as they discovered treats such as candies and biscuits in their packs.

Lilian Kong, Chief Financial Officer of Personal Banking and Branches, Standard Chartered Bank Singapore shared her experience:

The activity brings out teamwork. Different people have different responsibilities and everyone just got down to doing their assigned roles. This is definitely in line with the Bank’s culture and the spirit of volunteerism. It is very tiring but very fun and rewarding. We hope that the food rations will bring a smile to the beneficiaries. They won’t get to see the efforts that has been put behind this but as long as it makes them happy, we are happy.

This is the third large-scale food rations packing and distribution exercise that the Bank has participated since 2009. In January this year, the Bank partnered three voluntary welfare organisations – Hospice Care Association, Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore and Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped to help 400 needy families.

As part of Standard Chartered Bank’s sustainability agenda to encourage volunteerism, employees are given three days of volunteering leave annually to participate in community work. As of July 2010, Standard Chartered employees in Singapore have spent almost 1,000 days volunteering with various welfare organisations such as the Patient Care Centre, Beyond Social Services, Club Rainbow, Habitat for Humanity, Singapore Environment Council, Movement for the Intellectually Disabled, Metta Welfare Association and more.