SINGAPORE: About 6,000 vulnerable seniors in Singapore’s 12 ageing towns will benefit over two years from a S$7.3 million programme launched by the DBS Foundation on Saturday (March 29) as part of SG60.
According to The Business Times, starting in June this year, seniors will get two nutritious meals every week along with tips on healthier eating. Every month, 14,000 DBS staff will spend time with seniors through activities like games and cook-offs. They will also hold workshops on financial and digital literacy, as well as mental wellness. In addition, volunteers will take seniors on supermarket trips every three months to buy S$60 worth of groceries.
โMany vulnerable seniors struggle with nutrition and social connectedness โ basic needs that are essential to oneโs well-being, yet extremely complex to tackle and not something a quick fix can change,โ said Karen Ngui, head of DBS Foundation and DBS Group Strategic Marketing and Communications.
She added that through this programme, they hope to create changes that go โbeyond short-term reliefโ, as Singapore will become a super-aged society by next yearโ a country where 21 per cent of the population is aged 65 and older, according to the United Nations.
The programme was announced at the 38th and final edition of the DBS Foundation Community Pop-Up Market at MPC@Khatib on Saturday, with Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam as the guest of honour.
DBS Foundation committed S$3.8 million and assigned 2,000 staff volunteers to run these pop-up markets around 24 towns in Singapore during the past seven months, helping over 30,000 beneficiaries manage rising living costs.
The markets allowed lower-income households to choose S$100 worth of groceries and essential items, such as toilet paper and oats, for free.
Booths were also set up to educate the public on anti-scam awareness, healthy eating, and financial literacy.
Mr Shanmugam said the initiative was particularly important because residents could choose what they wanted from the market.
DBS Foundation works with community partners such as Lion Befrienders to engage beneficiaries. Karen Wee, executive director of Lion Befrienders, said the community pop-up market โhas been a vital platform for connecting vulnerable seniors with essential resources and social support.โ
On March 26, not-for-profit (NPO) organisation Blossom Seeds thanked DBS Foundation on Facebook for its โmeaningful initiativeโ, mentioning that 120 seniors from its Active Ageing Centre at East Canberra will benefit from learning about food and nutrition while shopping for essentials at Sheng Siong Supermarket Blk 105 Canberra Street during the DBS Foundation community pop-up market on March 26 and 28.
Meanwhile, one netizen called the initiative an โelite club eventโ, while another called it a โband-aid measureโ. The commenter said, โBasically, they know that people are struggling to afford a living but are only willing to come up with band-aid measures instead of actively bringing the cost of living back down.โ
Another noted how the move was โnothing newโ, adding, โBecause GE is coming, lah. After that, just increase two or three cents in everything, and the problem settles lah. All these tricks we know. Nothing new.โ /TISGย