Moves under way to customise help for needy families: MSF

We agree with Mr Sim Dian Chye (“Rethink what food security means for needy families”; Sept 2) that more can be done to customise support for households in need, including access to nutritious and healthy food.

Households on the ComCare scheme receive cash assistance for daily living expenses, including food costs. This provides them with choice in food items.

Where they need more customised support, such as delivery of meals, our Social Service Offices will link them up with relevant community and government partners.

To encourage healthier eating habits, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) works with donors to include healthier products in food-donation packs, so as to improve the nutritional quality under HPB’s Healthier Food-Donation Recommendation guidelines.

Mr Sim made an important point about improving co-ordination of help efforts and understanding of each family’s needs among organisations and volunteers.

To this end, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s SG Cares Office organise annual SG Cares Community Network sessions in all towns. These co-ordinating platforms bring together community and government partners to discuss and understand better the needs of their community, share information on what each is doing to reduce the duplication of services, and collaborate to support families in need better.

To provide targeted support for families with children who live in rental housing, MSF is setting up Community Link (ComLink), starting with four sites in Jalan Kukoh, Marsiling, Kembangan-Chai Chee and Boon Lay. Government, corporate and community partners as well as residents will be involved in curating and running programmes and services at the ComLink sites, to ensure that the activities offered meet residents’ needs. Over the past few months, the Social Service Offices, community partners and volunteers have been going door to door to engage these families and find out more about their needs, aspirations and interests.

We thank all partners and volunteers who invest time and effort in helping those in need. Individuals keen to volunteer in their community, including helping in volunteer co-ordination efforts, can download the SG Cares mobile application to get details of available volunteering opportunities.

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