As part of the charity organisation founded with his ex-colleague Sally Ng, #SGStrong grantee Eric Koh has been packing and distributing food for the elderly since May 2019. The group known as Project 100 comes together on the last Sunday of each month to bring packet rice, biscuits, and fruits to the older folks that live alone.
The key focus of the group is to bring items that are useful to the beneficiaries. This means getting to know the elderly as personally as they can and switching the items up according to their needs. With the spread of COVID-19 within the community, Eric and his team decided to give out hand sanitisers and dried goods instead of the usual perishables. Their main aim for this period is to encourage the vulnerable folks to stay home as much as they can and to maintain hygiene when they have to go out.
Eric has been heartened by the many donations and sponsorships their group has received but finds most satisfaction in personal interactions with the elderly. “When you do the distribution, you interact with the old folks and this is a different experience. The best part is when they start to recognise you. That is something that money cannot buy.
However, there are challenges, especially when shopping for more than a hundred beneficiaries. The group remembers several occasions when they were misunderstood for hoarding food items. Nonetheless, most are gracious when they understand that the items are for distribution and Eric hopes to encourage Singaporeans to be more compassionate in every-day dealings. We hope that Eric’s project will inspire you to step out of our comfort zones and keep a look out for each other in the community. Together, we are stronger than COVID-19.