SINGAPORE: A global movement to get customers to buy “suspended coffees” for the poor has reached Singapore’s shores, and it comes with a Singaporean spin.
Here, the way to do it is to "chope", or reserve meals, at hawker stalls.
A Facebook page for the movement was created on Tuesday.
The page, “CHOPE FOOD for the NEEDY - 'Suspended Food Revolution'”, has garnered more than 2,300 "likes" so far.
The people-led movement will see members of the public approach hawker stalls and pay for food in advance.
The onus is then on the stallholders to serve food to people they think are in need, or cannot afford a meal.
The movement’s Facebook page administrator Michelle Tan said on the page: "Unlike in NY (New York) where the onus lies with the needy to approach the shops to ask if there is any suspended food available, the system I envisage for this movement has the supplier approaching the needy."
According to the page, at least three hawker stalls are now on board.
The local movement comes on the heels of a similar “suspended coffees” ground-up online initiative, which has gained traction in Europe and the US.
- CNA/jc
pay first and wait for the (stupid) hawker to use discretion??
so u think it wun work here?
new york or singapore
it rely on honesty of the stall owner
i see some challenges
first there will be skeptical people like me who are not able to trust the hawkers
second you tell me how i can trust the hawkers when most of them are not operators/owners themselves
they are PRCs hired hands
their employers will let them collect these prepayments and let them decide who to dispense these food to?
let's say the employers do let the staff decide
u tell me will the food REALLY GO TO THE NEEDY???
or.....................................
lai lai lai, lai yi wan mien fei de, tong xiang
idea good
execution got problem
the 摊贩 shd oso 积德..................
Originally posted by TehJarVu:i see some challenges
first there will be skeptical people like me who are not able to trust the hawkers
second you tell me how i can trust the hawkers when most of them are not operators/owners themselves
they are PRCs hired hands
their employers will let them collect these prepayments and let them decide who to dispense these food to?
It's simple: If you have a good rapport with the stallholder and he isn't too busy, go on and suggest. If you don't trust him, then don't. No one is forcing you to join in.
my posts are responding to "so u think it wun work here"
not because i feel someone forcing me to join in
Actress Pam Oei, one of the Chope Food for the Needy pioneers, donated $15 to a chicken rice stall at Holland Village Market and Food Centre on Tuesday.
Chicken rice seller Teo Kwee Eng, 45, said that aside from Oei, one other person gave her $30 to “chope” food.
And Ms Teo has given away her first plate of chicken rice – to an elderly man living in the area.
But will this social movement take off?
“I find the idea good. The concern is monitoring and control. A lot depends on the store owner,” said Food From The Heart executive director Anson Quek.
Read the full report in The New Paper on Friday (April 5).
Why dont they launched a movement to buy lotsa packet food and walkaround the neighbourhood and give it to the needy(s) instead?
Tat way, they dun have to care abt monitoring and control... It's more efficient that way...
Unlike in the UK where the needy will go forward to ask for food in the store, additional work are now being supplied to hawker centre owner, whom mostly have to wake up super early to prepare food and despite their hertic lifestyle, they will also have to go around to source for the needy so that they can make donation...
To me, this isnt' efficient at all... I understand the need to be different to stand out, but being different in an in-efficient way does not cut it for me...
There are other better methods to promote care of the needy...