A helping hand for needy families in Woodlands

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin (centre) helping to give out food bags at Woodlands Community Club yesterday. Volunteers at the event included members of 23 motorcycle groups.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin (centre) helping to give out food bags at Woodlands Community Club yesterday. Volunteers at the event included members of 23 motorcycle groups. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Every December is a trying time for Madam Flora Yong.

The mother of three teenagers has to make sure the $2,000 that her husband earns lasts the month, with all her three children, aged 11 to 15, spending most of their school holidays at home.

"Most of our money is spent on food. We are thrifty. And we don't spend on anything else," said the 47-year-old housewife, whose husband works at a supermarket.

Yesterday, 150 families, including Madam Yong's, received bags containing essential items such as eggs, rice and sugar during a community food distribution event at Woodlands Community Club.

Said Madam Yong: "The groceries will be very helpful for us. It will lighten our load."

Organised by Woodlands Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC), the Agih Kasih II food distribution event saw various community groups coming together to lend a helping hand to low-income families in Woodlands.

They included members of 23 motorcycle groups, who joined forces to buy some of the food items and helped to distribute them. Also at the event were volunteers from An-Nur Mosque's community group, called Qaryah, and from MAEC.

The North West Community Development Council also conducted a SkillsFuture talk for the residents on upgrading their skills.

About 150 volunteers turned up, most of them from biker groups.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin, who was the guest of honour and helped distribute the food bags, pointed out that it was important for different community groups to come together to help one another.

Mr Amrin said: "At a time when multiculturalism is retreating in many places, we are moving forward in Singapore. A good example is informal groups such as the biker groups coming together, raising their own funds, wanting to contribute to the community... especially during this festive season, so that (families) can end the year with some comfort and ease," he said.

"It's not how much we earn, or how much we give that matters, but how much love we put into giving," he said, echoing the words of Mother Teresa.

One of the bikers, Mr Mohamad Kamal Abdul Karim, 47, volunteered for the event because he wanted to help make a difference.

The SIA Engineering Company technician, who has been a part of the Redop II Bikers Singapore group for the past 11 years, said: "We have done cleaning and painting work at residents' homes as well as played games with patients at hospitals... Every small action makes a difference."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 23, 2019, with the headline A helping hand for needy families in Woodlands. Subscribe