SINGAPORE - Needy families have received a helping hand in the form of used textbooks, discounted school essentials, vouchers and groceries at Our Tampines Hub on Saturday (Dec 7).
About 25,000 needy students from low-income families were selected to choose donated textbooks at the annual FairPrice Share-A-Textbook initiative.
There were 550,000 donated books available for collection - highest amount received in the project's 37-year history.
Apart from obtaining free textbooks, 30,000 NTUC-U Care Fund beneficiaries comprising NTUC union members and their school-going children were also able to buy school essentials at discounted rates as part of the NTUC Back to School initiative.
Beneficiaries could use their Back to School vouchers at the fair, which offered exclusive deals and special promotions on products like school bags and shoes.
FairPrice Share-A-Textbook and the NTUC Back to School initiative will be open to the public on Sunday.
NTUC FairPrice chief executive Seah Kian Peng said: "We are encouraged by the community's continued support, which has helped us achieve our target of 550,000 textbooks this year.
"This result would not have been possible without the generosity of the community and our volunteers, who have given so much of their time and effort to this project. Together with NTUC-U Care's Back to School initiative, we are better able to reach out to the less fortunate among us to help defray the cost of school expenses."
Elsewhere at Our Tampines Hub, 300 low-income families received grocery and meal vouchers each worth around $170 in a collaboration between North East Community Development Council and New Creation Church (Singapore).
Community partners also lent their support to the collaboration, with NTUC FairPrice Foundation donating a $30 "Festive Bag" of groceries with items like kaya and oatmeal.
North East District mayor Desmond Choo said: "We know this is the season where some families would appreciate some load off their shoulders.
"The families have a lot to fulfil, including making sure their children have enough supplies for the new school year. We are heartened with the various generous contributions from all our partners.
"In line with our Singapore Together movement, we want to encourage more Singaporeans to come forward to support our communities in need."
