Hockey

1.Introduction about Our Partner

Food From the Heart (FFTH) is an independent non-profit organisation which distributes food to less-privileged families through its various food distribution programmes that reach out to different beneficiaries.

FFTH also spearheads these pogrammes:

1. Project Belanja! where beneficiaries can redeem hot meals from their local hawker centres, as they might not be able to cook their own meals.

2. Bread Run where community partners and volunteers deliver surplus bread to the needy.

3. Toys from the Heart which runs on the donations of both new and used toys alike, which are given to underprivileged children to spread the message of hope and love.

4. Community Food Pack which helps the less-fortunate put food on their table, as well as to offset their living expenses.

5. School Goodie Bag which provides underprivileged primary and secondary school students and their families with food rations, reducing their financial burden.

6. Market Place which reduces food waste while feeding the needy by channeling food that is still good for consumption but not kept on shelves by retailers to those who need it.

2. What Our VIA Experience Was Like

3. Learning Points

Through this project, we understood the importance of being more mindful of those heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has put further financial strain and pressure on the less-privileged.

As most of us are fortunate enough to still be able to live our life as per normal, we are blinded by our own blessings, and the pandemic further blurs our exposure towards the less-privileged in society since it reduces the chances of us reaching out to them physically. This physical barrier erected by today’s circumstances has hindered us from coming into contact with them as frequently, which might cause us to turn an unintentional blind eye towards those who are bearing the brunt of the pandemic.

As we could not go down to the organisation’s warehouse to directly assist the volunteers with packing and sorting the food rations, our project was rendered much less immersive and interactive. Moreover, we could not have a first-hand experience of going door to door to deliver the food to the beneficiaries ourselves, which causes our project to lack the essence of personal touch, making it seem mechanical and superficial.

Despite these challenges, we are made privy to the compassion of the student body, which continues to radiate even in these difficult times. Many students have contributed to our food donation drive silently without expecting anything in return, and without feeling the need to be commended for their act.

Overall, though the pandemic has dimmed the potential of our CCA coming up with a more active and immersive VIA project, we were heartened by the contributions of those in school. This goes to show that empathy and awareness can transcend the physical schism between the less and more fortunate in society.

CCA VIA Ambassador

AMANDEL SEOW YEE SHAN (20-I4)