Happy People Helping People (HPHP) Foundation has opened April Meal Funds Collection for box collectors, the foundation announced on its Facebook.
In recent years, the foundation has seen an increase in the number of elderly box collectors in Singapore. Most of them, in their 70s and 80s, do not have other means of earning and have resorted to collecting cardboard boxes to make a living in order to support themselves.
There are those among them that are childless and there are some whom are not financially supported by their own children. “Collecting and selling boxes is not exactly the kind of job that an elderly should do,” HPHP said.
These box collectors start their day early, going through dumpsters, looking for cardboard boxes to be sold for mere 8 – 10 cents for every kilogram of cardboard boxes. For their effort, many only earn just $2-$3 at the end of a rough day. “That’s barely enough for a plate of rice in Singapore,” the foundation said.
With the help of its meal sponsors, HPHP has paid-forward meals for 100 box collectors for the past months. “That’s a total of close to 3,000 meals every month thanks to all the meals sponsors that contributed to this meal fund,” HPHP said.
“We hope to extend our help to other box collectors from other estates as well. However your support is really crucial to us,” HPHP wrote. HPHP calls for help to sponsor the meals of these box collectors, so as to give them the opportunity to have more rest and some allowance for other expenditures. It also asks if the public know any locations with box collectors around, to inform them.
The April Meal Funds Collection for box collectors will be open till the end of April 2017.
HPHP stated in their website that photo proof of receipts can be shown upon requests via PM on its Facebook page. They are also periodically uploaded on HPHP Happy Sunday albums.
“We have also paid for NTUC vouchers for each of the box collector. Extra funds are used for outings and lunch/dinner outings,” HPHP said.
The list of the coffee shops where the box collectors collect their meals is also posted on HPHP website.
