SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - Sep 8, 2014) - For 10 years now, Singapore's Food from the Heart (FFTH), has been collecting bread and assorted groceries from markets, bakeries and hotels on a daily basis to redistribute them to families in need and called out to the public for further support. From now until the end of December 2014, every dollar donated to Food from the Heart will be matched by the charitable group Care & Share, thus doubling the power of each donation. Leah Selakovic, author and art expert, has given her support to FFTH and encourages everyone to help as much as they can.
"Singapore has been our home for many years," said Leah Selakovic. "We love the people and the culture here and we want to do our part to contribute goodness to it. I encourage everyone to visit the Food from the Heart website, to read about their mission and to see how easy it is to contribute -- be it through money, time or food donations."
The charitable foundation was founded in 2002 by an Austrian couple, Henry & Christine Laimer and is now led by Anson Quek, who was on the foundation's board right from its start. The idea came after Mrs. Laimer read an article in the Straits Times that reported on the vast quantity of edible, unsold bread that bakeries discard daily. With her husband's work in the logistic field, creating a system of pickup and distribution was a natural. And while the Laimer family had to return to their native city of Vienna to take care of the family business, they are leaving behind a legacy in form of an organization that has continued to thrive and to impact the lives of thousands of families every day.
"One of the innovative and touching services that Food from the Heart provides are throwing birthday parties for underprivileged children, their 'Toys from the Heart' program," Leah Selakovic explains. "As a mother of two kids, it's especially touching to know that FFTH is paying attention to the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community. It's so important to feed the emotional side as well as the physical side of life."
Looking at the statistics it becomes apparent just how much of an impact the organization has: Through their various programs, FFTH supplies meals to over 23,400 beneficiaries in over 170 locations throughout Singapore every month. Food rations include unsold bread and non-perishable food items like canned food, rice, oil, noodles, beverages, as well as toiletries and household goods. There are 28 centers located across Singapore supporting 4,900 individuals. Over 2,000 volunteers work to pick up, pack and distribute the food bags as well as to help with toy collection and help host the monthly birthday parties. Every month, 4,000 underprivileged children in 20 schools receive goodie bags, selected by their teachers. Corporations are encouraged to participate in the "Adopt a School" program.