On 19 December, a group of faithful FSS volunteers gathered at the EA Platinum Lounge at 9am to pack hampers for distribution amongst our FSS beneficiaries.

The volunteers included Christine Pereira and her daughter Dione Pereira, her granddaughter Elissa, and her grandson Aemilio, very much a family affair.  Also present to help were Carol Shepherdson, Nanette Morris, Geoff Morris, Leonard de Souza, David Fobrogo, and office staff members, Shareen, Marliya and FSS case-worker Ram, who was overall organiser.

The hamper packers were particularly touched to find Gopi, a good friend of Ram, turn up to help with the packing. What an excellent example of inter-community friendships.

They helped to pack large Christmas-decorated boxes of goodies to be distributed to 84 needy families around Singapore. Each hamper weighed 10kg on average and included seasonal favourites like sugee cake, fish and vegetable pickles, and pineapple tarts. There were also packs of coffee and tea and jams, and other items like tinned ham and corned beef. Everyone agreed that this year’s hamper was the best ever assembled, and the FSS is grateful to the group of dedicated FSS ladies, led by Martha Fernandez and Christine Pereira, who spent many afternoons going to the supermarkets to view items available and then recommending how to get the best bang for our buck.

FSS would like to thank the generous donors; Tan Chin Tuan Foundation and Mr Keith Minjoot, who sponsored the Christmas hampers; and other individual donors who contributed to the FSS Christmas party.

*Write-up contributed by Edmund Rodrigues, FSS Chairperson and EA MC member.