News

Food Bank S’pore Launching 24-Hr Vending Machines In Toa Payoh With Food Sold At $2

2019-09-30 , 10:00 pm

Most of us eat every day.

Most.

Sometimes we take things for granted. And it’s no one’s fault. We don’t realise the privilege that we have until we see that our necessities are seen as a privilege to the less fortunate.

In fact, 1 in 10 Singaporeans are food insecure– meaning that they can’t be sure that there will be food on the table the next day.

However, organisations in Singapore are doing their best to counter the issue in Singapore.

And Food Bank Singapore (FBSG) is one of the many.

In fact, Chief Food Officer of FBSG Nichol Ng believes that their new initiative- The Food Pantry 2.0 will help fill the gap in food security.

Food Bank Singapore To Launch Vending Machines

Food Bank Singapore (FBSG) is an organisation that centralizes food donations.

The vending machines that they are going to launch on 16 October are not the typical vending machines you find in school or see at the bottom of some HDB flat.

I mean, they might look the same but they serve a different purpose.

For starters, food items will be priced at $2 each and the vending machines will be located in Creamier’s Toa Payoh branch.

Fully Automated Pantry 2.0

At just $2, the Food Bank Singapore aims to provide canned food, rice, stables and cereals for the needy.

Singaporeans can also easily provide food aid for the less fortunate by donating food.

The fully automated pantry will see 24-hour vending machines stocked with food that has a shelf life of 4 weeks or less. Food services will be open any time, because “hunger can strike anytime”.

More Than Just Food

Family service centres and other social service agencies will operate alongside The Food Pantry.

Families-in-need will receive RFID tags so they can get free food from the vending machines.

The business also plans to provide emergency food aid to the less privileged members of our communities, according to Mustsharenews.

Collaboration With Cremier

The Food Pantry 2.0 is the baby of FBSG and Cremier.

Cremier is a lifestyle café that sells handcrafted ice cream and coffee. They will sponsor the space and utilities necessary to operate the vending machines while FBSG will oversee the operation of the food pantry.

Co-founder of Cremier Khoh Wan Chin hopes that the project can be the start of a new eco-system where businesses co-work with social enterprises.

You Can Help Too!

The Food Pantry is set to open on World Food Day on 16 October 2019.

FBSG is accepting unused and unwanted food which will be distributed through charities, welfare organisations and soup kitchens.

Look through your kitchen cabinets and see if there are any food items lying around that you would like to donate before pulling out your wallet to specially purchase food for donation!

Click here to find out where you can drop off your excess food into their Bank Boxes located islandwide.

Let’s all lend a helping hand and make Singapore a better place!