Our Technical Moderator Victor Yeo rewards himself with a hearty meal after participating in the Ju Eng Home for Senior Citizens Walkathon, graced by our founder Mrs Christine Laimer.

The Ju Eng Home for Senior Citizens, a home served by FFTH’s bread runs, organised a walkathon on 9 October 2004 and invited FFTH founder Christine Laimer to be the Guest of Honour. My family joined in for the walk along with FFTH staffers Jasmine, Carol, and several other FFTH volunteers. I took it upon myself to be the "official" photographer for FFTH and went about taking pictures the pictures you see here. A camera in hand provides many great "passports" to get nearer to any subject!

The walkathon attracted a crowd of more than 400 people. The Ju Eng staff were quite an international group, probably the most colourfully dressed, each in his/her own national costumes! One Army group which had adopted the Home since 1998 was there to serve as road marshals and also donated money to the Home. There was another big group of people from the Singapore Flying Club and interestingly, I met two old friends from the Goethe Institut! What a small world!

There was also a group of cheerleaders who did a catchy number and a group of the home’s residents presented a punchy a rendition with "dumb bells". Everyone was in good spirits. With blue skies and fresh air, we were all were raring to go. Christine flagged off the walk with a resounding push of the air-horn. It was a pleasant walk along Seletar East Farmway 4, passing the Animal Resort and a Chinese temple before returning to Farmway 4. Except for a few stray dogs which the Army boys kept them a bay, it was a pleasant walk. There were birds and butterflies flying around and I spotted some durians waiting to ripen.

The whole contingent probably stretched almost one and a half kilometres as we walked and caught up with old friends, while making some new ones. The Chairman of the Ju Eng Home, Mr Lawrence Ang, was most friendly, and chatted with everyone. All too soon, we were back to where we had begun and each of us exchanged our participant number for a goody bag. Then the lucky draw began. It was almost like a 1 in 2 chance of getting prizes as there were so many!

Most of the residents of the Ju Eng Home are bed-ridden. The more active ones joined in the singing, performing for all of us, and enjoying the din. In his speech, Mr Ang thanked FFTH for its generous contributions to the home, citing how everyday without fail, FFTH brings bread to the home. As for all of us at FFTH, I think the satisfaction lies in having our hard work recognised and appreciated. So, folks, well done for your tireless work each morning and evening, bringing food to the people who need it most.

Keep it up! As the Japanese say, Ganbatte! (^^)

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On 9th November, Siti Nurharnani Nahar had the pleasure of seeing the generosity of children, and the selfless act of giving away their precious toys – truly, gifts from the heart.

“This event shows we can each help in our small way [to] do something for someone else.”
Minister for Education, Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Minister for Education Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam was at Fengshan Primary School to launch a toy drive. This was no ordinary toy drive but an event so special that it received overwhelming support from the local media with TV coverage from ChannelNewsAsia and Channel U as well as reporters covering the event for all major newspapers.

Food from the Heart has initiated a special project called A Present to My Friend, which involves the giving and receiving of toys from students to students. There are two types of schools involved - ‘giving’ and ‘receiving’ schools. The programme requires the ‘giving’ children to give away a toy from their own collection, wrap it up, attach a card with a personalized message for an ‘unknown’ friend and bring it to school. A new concept was also incorporated where rather than merely giving a toy to each kid, each ‘receiving school’ will mock up a ‘toy room’ for the less privileged children. Each child then has a choice of two out of four toys. In all, 4000 toys were collected from the ‘giving’ schools.

Fengshan Primary School was one of the chosen ‘receiving’ schools. Their vice-principal, Mrs. Jenny Lai said that her students were very excited. The photographers from the local media were in full force to capture the smiles of delight seen across the AVA room that has been ‘dolled up’ (pun intended) to be a ‘toy room’.

Student ambassadors from Rosyth School, one of the ‘giving’ schools were also present to grace the event. Lim Zi En, Alicia Yong and Song Yen Ling mentioned that they had taken two days to wrap the gifts. According to Mrs. May Soh, their teacher in-charge, some parents had also kindly assisted in the wrapping of the presents.

What struck me the most was what Mrs. Christine Laimer, our founder had said, “ Toys are the least priority for families in financial need – yet it can be the source of so much joy for kids”. For me, this says it all.