If you are a Singaporean aged 21 and above, you probably would have received the one-off Solidarity Payment of $600 in your bank account on 14 Apr, as part of the Government’s plan to help people tide through this Covid-19 period.
This $600 payout has drawn queues at ATMs islandwide, as citizens whose jobs and income have been affected by the ongoing pandemic need the money urgently to buy groceries and daily essentials.
However, there are some of us who need this sum less than others. In a Facebook post, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh appealed to Singaporeans who do not need the $600 handout to consider donating it to a charity or NGO.
In another Facebook post, netizen Esna Ong encouraged fellow Singaporeans to #donatethe600 and give it to a cause they believe in.
She wrote: “Spread some love and help this crazy period be a bit more bearable for someone else… It’s not a solidarity payment, if we’re not in solidarity with one another.”
Currently, many charities and NGOs are collecting donations for migrant workers, low-income families, children and the elderly; some of those who have been hit hardest by this pandemic.
Here is a list of charities and causes you can donate to.
1. Covid Migrant Support Coalition
Established on 6 Apr, The Covid Migrant Support Coalition is a collaborative effort between Geylang Adventures, ItsRainingRaincoats, Singapore Migrant Friends and Migrant x Me, to raise funds and organise resources to facilitate the provision of basic needs and essentials to our migrant friends in dormitories across Singapore during the circuit breaker period. This includes providing them with meals & basic necessities as well as equipping them with new knowledge and self-care skills.
Donate at: https://rayofhope.sg/campaign/covid-19-migrant-support-coalition/
2. Migrants We Care
In response to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases within the migrant worker community, Migrant Workers’ Centre has started the Migrants We Care fundraising campaign. Donations will go towards suspended workers who are unable to recover their salary, and providing affected migrant workers with food and accommodation, as well as daily necessities like toiletries.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/mwaf/migrantswecare
3. Project Belanja
Project Belanja by Blossom World Society, a charity with IPC status, is raising funds to cater meals for migrant workers supported by ItsRainingRaincoats. They are working closely with the Restaurant Association of Singapore’s restaurateurs and food chains to bring cheer and nutritious catered meals to migrant workers. Project Belanja will last till the end of the year.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/blossom-world-society/project_belanja_start_a_food_chain_of_good
4. The Food Bank Singapore
The Food Bank Singapore, founded in 2012, acquires donated food from farms, manufacturers, distributors, retail stores, consumers and other sources and distributes it to almost 200,000 beneficiaries.
The charity’s Feed the City (Take-away Edition), launched on Apr 3, will deliver 50,000 meals to needy families. Under the programme, donors pay for the meals provided by restaurant partners at special rates, while volunteers distribute the meals to senior citizens from the charity’s beneficiary centres who face problems getting food. Members of the public can purchase a pay-it-forward meal to support the local F&B businesses and those who are in need.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/the-food-bank-singapore-ltd/covid-19_relief_feed_the_city_take-away_edition_
5. Food From The Heart
Food from the Heart is another non-profit organisation that feeds the needy through its food distribution programme. As an essential service, its programmes are ongoing with volunteers and workers practising good hygiene and safe distancing measures. Your donations will go towards funding operations and supporting Food from the Heart’s beneficiaries with safe-to-eat food, delivered in a timely and sustained manner.
Donate at: https://www.foodfromtheheart.sg/donate/
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6. The Sayang Sayang Fund
The Sayang Sayang Fund by Community Foundation of Singapore has provided frontline workers in hospitals and polyclinics with transportation vouchers and it is now looking to support vulnerable communities hit by Covid-19. The Sayang Sayang Fund aims to help make sure no one falls by the wayside during this challenging period.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/community-foundation-of-singapore/sayang_sayang_fund
7. Children’s Wishing Well
As the need for home-based learning increases, Children’s Wishing Well, a non-profit organisation and registered charity founded in 2002, is raising funds to help children get laptops and broadband access so that they can learn safely and remotely in their homes during the circuit breaker period.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/childrens-wishing-well/laptops_and_broadband_access_sgunited
8. Homeless Hearts of Singapore
Homeless Hearts of Singapore helps those who are displaced and isolated re-integrate into community via community-building, temporary aid, advocacy, and local partnerships. Donations go towards clothing, food and necessities (toiletries, SIM card prepayment, EZ-link top-ups), masks, laundromat services and medical expenses for the homeless community.
Donate at: https://homeless.sg/support-financially/
9. Club Rainbow
Club Rainbow Singapore provides support services for the families of children who suffer from life-threatening illnesses. Children suffering from chronic and potentially terminal illnesses are one of the most vulnerable within our community during this time as their immune systems are weaker. Donations will go towards providing daily necessities for families of these children.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/club-rainbow-singapore/Support_our_children_in_time_of_need_SGunited
10. Care for the Elderly Foundation
Care for the Elderly Foundation provides home medical and home nursing services to the needy homebound elderly. Your donation will support home care for the elderly so that they can avoid being hospitalised or sent to a home prematurely. During Covid-19, home care services have become even more crucial as hospitals and healthcare institutions undergo further restrictions.
Donate at: https://www.giving.sg/cefsg/covid-19
11. The Courage Fund
The Courage Fund was established in 2003 during the SARS outbreak in Singapore. In this same spirit of uniting the community to support one another through difficult times, Community Chest is rallying Singaporeans to help those affected by the current Covid-19 situation. Donations will go towards supporting vulnerable individuals and families, including those in healthcare and on the frontline.
Donate at: https://www.comchest.sg/TheCouragefund
The Solidarity Payment is eligible for all Singaporeans aged 21 and above this year. This includes $300 brought forward from the earlier announced enhanced Care and Support package, with the Government topping up an additional $300.
Singaporeans who do not have government-linked bank accounts will receive their payment by cheque, issued in stages from 30 Apr.
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