Support for the low income a focus of President's Challenge

When chef Vally Amay Satippan's left leg was amputated following diabetic complications, she quit her job at Seletar army camp and sank into depression.

The 63-year-old keeps herself busy with cooking and visits to a temple, in the hope that these activities would help lift her spirits.

Madam Vally, who lives alone in a one-room flat in Lengkok Bahru, gets food rations from charity organisation Food from the Heart.

The divorcee, who is estranged from her two adult children, both of whom are married and living on their own, is among beneficiaries from 81 agencies getting support from this year's President's Challenge fund-raising campaign, which is focusing on supporting lower-income families disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Halimah Yacob announced this yesterday when she launched the President's Challenge 2022 at the newly opened Food from the Heart Community Shop @ Lengkok Bahru, which is funded by the campaign.

Madam Vally and other Food from the Heart beneficiaries got to shop for free in the charity's third shop-for-free-concept minimart at the launch event.

Two other outlets are in Boon Lay and Mountbatten. A fourth is due to open in Punggol West in the second quarter of this year.

Madam Halimah said she heard about the challenges faced by lower-income families during the pandemic when she visited family service centres last year. "Over the past two years, lower-income families have been the most susceptible to the negative impacts of the pandemic, such as job displacement and social isolation," she added.

The President noted that during the pandemic, lower-income families with young children have been the hardest-hit group, with 20 per cent of households in rental flats having someone who lost a job - twice as high as the overall average for all households.

"The family unit is the bedrock of society and the first line of support we turn to in times of hardship," she said. "To build a resilient society, we must support families so we can nurture individuals who can contribute meaningfully and lead fulfilling lives."

Madam Halimah said the President's Challenge 2022 will help lower-income families in three key ways: by empowering lower-income families, by caring for families that may need additional support in meeting immediate needs and by rallying the community to render help.

She also cited how the Food from the Heart community shops enable beneficiaries to choose what they want, compared with being given food rations.

"Beneficiaries are accorded the dignity of choice, and with this assurance of food assistance, they can focus their energy towards improving their circumstances post-pandemic."

She commended the charity's Project Belanja!, which works with coffee shop hawkers to provide cooked food to beneficiaries. "This is useful because some may not be able to cook, especially the elderly who are unwell."

Other beneficiaries of the President's Challenge 2022 include cancer charity Ain Society, non-profit organisation Association of Muslim Professionals and youth social service agency CampusImpact.

Correction note: This article has been edited for clarity.