Frustrated by people signing up to volunteer and then not showing up on the day, members of Krishna Free Meals, a soup kitchen in Little India, decided to voice their concerns in a TikTok video.
“Nobody tells us. We are at the kitchen in the morning expecting a whole crew”, a caption in the video reads.
This spurred the members of the Little India Shopkeepers & Heritage Association (LISHA) Women’s Wing to team up and offer their assistance.
Thirteen volunteers from LISHA gathered at the shophouse-turned soup kitchen in Veerasamy Road last Saturday to distribute food to about 1,500 people, including migrant workers.
Run by volunteers, Krishna’s Free Meals provides vegetarian breakfast (6.30am to 9.30am) and lunch (noon to 2.30pm) daily, serving meals such as pongal (rice and milk), sambar rice, potato fry and tamarind curry, to name a few.
To date, the charity organisation has distributed over 400,000 meals since it started in April 2018.
On Saturday, the 13 volunteers helped the soup kitchen staff wash and cut vegetables, and pack food items such as mee goreng and pongal for distribution.
It was the first time the LISHA women’s wing was collaborating with Krishna’s Free Meals.
“Despite the early start and physical work, the overwhelming feeling was one of contentment and happiness, knowing we made a difference,” said Ms Elysha Vani Perumal, 40, chairperson of LISHA Women’s Wing.
“Through our volunteer efforts in Little India, we strive to uplift lives. This meal service was facing a shortage of volunteers and as such we felt we should help them.
“It’s a good initiative. The soup kitchen’s aim is to ensure that no one in Little India goes hungry, offering nourishment and hope to those in need.”
Ms Latha Govindasamy, 55, co-founder of Krishna Free Meals, said the assistance from LISHA was a timely one.
“It was a great help from the volunteers, especially amid this volunteer issue that we’ve been facing,” she said.
“The 13 ladies also brought their kids along to help, so we had more than enough hands.
“For us, we are now coordinating with corporate groups and official volunteer groups – and not solely depending on individuals anymore.”
On their end, the LISHA Women’s Wing is planning to expand their volunteer reach.
“We are planning to focus on interest-based befriending programmes for women in Little India. Our focal point will be on Little India first before expanding to other regions of Singapore,” said Ms Elysha.
“In order to encourage people to volunteer, more awareness is needed – social media, collaboration with schools and organisations, and word of mouth are ways we can use to garner volunteers.”
