Tag Archives: ONE (SINGAPORE)

2023 Annual General Meeting

February 9, 2023admin

ONE (SINGAPORE) will hold its 2023 Annual General Meeting on Saturday 25 February at 9:30AM

The Agenda for the meeting is:

1. Presentation of ONE (SINGAPORE)’s financial accounts for the year ending 31 December 2022

2. Election of ONE (SINGAPORE)’s 2023 Officers and Executive Committee

3. Election of 2023 Honorary Auditors

The Executive Committee sets the direction for ONE (SINGAPORE) and our local participation in the movement to raise public awareness and take concrete steps to Make Poverty History. Here are the Terms of Reference for Exco Members and Officers.

RSVP here.

We hope you can make it, but if you can’t be there, you can also name a proxy to vote for you on all matters arising from the above agenda. Just follow these simple steps to nominate a Proxy:

Download the ONE(S) - Proxy Letter - AGM 2023

Fill in all the fields, including your nominee. (If you do not know whom to name, you could select a member from our current Executive Committee).

Email the completed form to ONE (SINGAPORE)’s Secretary, Mrinalini, c/o the organisation's general account, at info AT onesingapore DOT org. Please write "AGM 2023 - Proxy Nomination" in the subject heading.

We would also like to remind you to renew your annual membership by the AGM.

Here are the details of the AGM:

Date: Saturday 25 February 2023
Venue: Xpace, 218 Pandan Loop, Singapore 128408
Time: 9:30 - 11:00 am

The AGM will be followed by a Volunteer Appreciation Lunch.

Sri Lanka floods – your action requested to help

May 31, 2016admin

Following a devastating flood in Sri Lanka that has displaced and impoverished hundreds of thousands of people, a ONE (SINGAPORE) member and her husband, a former ONE (SG) staffer, are taking action to assist affected families.

Iman Hameed and Imran Abdul Careem are raising funds to provide dry goods like rice, dhal and fish as well as hygienic packs and cleaning supplies for more than 160 families in the Puttalam district of Sri Lanka.

You can support their initiative here: https://chuffed.org/project/float-sri-lankan-flood-relief-collection-for-chilaw

Photo by ucanews.com Sri Lanka

“Almost all of the victims have returned to their homes,” notes Imran, “however most of them are not able to meet their daily livelihood needs, as their belongings have been washed away.”

They aim to raise S$10,000 by 8 June. The funds will provide three weeks worth of assistance to 163 families. The food and hygienic packs will be purchased in Sri Lanka, then delivered to the affected families. Purchase receipts, photos and follow-up reports will be posted online and shared with donors.

Imran and Iman are also setting up a non-profit organisation called FLOAT that will continue to work with these coastal communities to promote public health and education.

How can you help?
1. Donate to the campaign. S$50 will support 1 family (5 people) for 17 days.
2. Share this email or the link above with your friends.
3. Follow their campaign on Facebook.

While Cyclone Roanu provides a harsh reminder of the devastating intersection of climate change and poverty, Iman & Imran’s initiative highlights the role that each and every one of us can take to make the world a better place.

The ONE (SINGAPORE) Awards 2015 Winners

January 5, 2016admin

The ONE (SINGAPORE) Awards recognise individuals who share ONE (SINGAPORE)’s passion to “Make Poverty History and create The World We Want”.

“ONE Heroes often go about their work quietly,” says ONE (SINGAPORE) founder Michael Switow. “Natasha Lean and Elsie Oei are not household names, but their dedication, their service to the community and their work on issues of gender violence and poverty is extraordinary.”

Left to Right: Guest of Honour Vernetta Lopez, ONE (SINGAPORE) President Nichol Ng, Award Winners Elsie Oei and Natasha Lean, ONE (SINGAPORE) Co-Founder Michael Switow.

On a daily basis, Natasha Lean confronts issues of poverty and gender violence. Children in Tanjong Pagar say that Natasha is their hero because “she takes care of me when my mamma is at work” and “she helps my mamma when she is sad and pappa hurts her”. Natasha, who is employed as a Social Work Associate, can be a mentor, supporter and friend who understands the importance of listening and knows when to make someone laugh. Whether she is running programmes to prevent violence against women, stop bullying, promote financial literacy for children or raising resources for the families she works with, Natasha goes the extra mile to make the lives of women and children better.

Elsie Oei may be retired, but you wouldn’t know it. Every day, for the past ten years, Elsie arrives by public transportation at Willing Hearts, a local soup kitchen, at 5 in the morning to organise packing and logistics, before helping deliver hundreds of meals, sometimes going door-to-door to assist those who are not well enough to collect their packets at the void deck. Elsie, who often works past midnight, is a familiar figure in Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, where she accompanies the elderly and infirm on visits to the doctor, assists them with their household needs and has even been known to administer injections to diabetics.

The photo of Elsie Oei and the group photo at the top of the page were taken at The ONE Ball 2015, where the ONE (SINGAPORE) Awards were presented.

See the winners of the 2013 ONE (SINGAPORE) awards here.

Passion for the Community Drives Winners of 2015 ONE Hero Awards

October 31, 2015admin

Two Singaporean women – Natasha Lean, a dedicated social worker who assists abused women and their families, and Elsie Oei, a 69-year old volunteer who rises early every morning to help prepare meals for the nation’s less fortunate – have been named the “2015 ONE Heroes” by the anti-poverty charity ONE (SINGAPORE).

The ONE (SINGAPORE) Awards recognise individuals who share ONE (SINGAPORE)’s passion to “Make Poverty History and create The World We Want”. Lean and Oei were honoured at The ONE Ball 2015, an event at Hotel Fort Canning that commemorated ONE (SINGAPORE)’s 10th anniversary and the nation’s golden jubilee. The biannual award was first presented in 2013 to the migrant rights activist Jolovan Wham, who is currently the Executive Director of H.O.M.E.

On a daily basis, Natasha Lean confronts issues of poverty and gender violence. Children in Tanjong Pagar say that Natasha is their hero because “she takes care of me when my mamma is at work” and “she helps my mamma when she is sad and pappa hurts her”. Natasha, ulen who is employed as a Social Work Associate, can be a mentor, supporter and friend who understands the importance of listening and 15c knows when to make someone laugh. Whether she is running programmes to prevent violence against women, stop bullying, promote financial literacy for children or raising resources for the families she works with, Natasha goes the extra mile to make the lives of women and children better.

“Elsie’s active community work demonstrates the essence of The ONE Hero – a truly selfless character who is thoroughly committed to making a positive impact on the world around her,” says ONE (SINGAPORE) President Nichol Ng. “We hope her story can encourage more volunteerism and more supporters to come forward to help Elsie organise events that bring joy to the elderly and less fortunate in our community.”

ONE (SINGAPORE), which is dedicated server to raising public awareness and taking concrete actions to Make Poverty History, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. At the The ONE Ball, supporters from business and social sectors, as well as past and present volunteers, celebrated Singapore’s only charity organization that is dedicated to addressing local and global issues to Make Poverty History.

In addition to the award announcements, nearly 200 guests enjoyed an exciting night filled with an educational line-up of programmes demonstrating ONE (SINGAPORE)’s deep-rooted core values to foster a just world where no one lives in poverty. Celebrated actress and DJ Vernetta Lopez, who is also ONE (SINGAPORE)’s longest-serving president, was the Guest of Honour. bigbluebutton Singapore Literature Prize winner Josephine Chia read an excerpt from her book “Kampong Spirit – Gotong Royong” about life in Potong Pasir prior to independence. World Toilet Organisation founder Jack Sim designed three bronze busts of Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew for auction.

Additional information:

Selling Cardboard for a Living: A Morning at Collection Point

December 26, 2014admin

A peek into the work of Singapore’s elderly cardboard box collectors by Joy Liu

Even before the heat settles in, the corner stalls of Toa Payoh Industrial Park — tucked between the highway overhead and residential apartments across the street — are filled with the whirling and beeping of vehicles and forklifts moving back and forth. The lined rows of long buildings are sectioned into storefronts, denoted by open garages spilling metal rods or parked trucks onto the narrow streets.

One of these is a collection point. There is no storefront label, just a sweat-soaked man behind a large scale balanced by a dangling metal disk. It is his job to weigh everything.

Photo credit: The Kapturist

Most of what he weighs are cardboard boxes — brown, of various sizes, some collapsed, most still labeled with names of the products they once carried. The man buys them for 10 to 12 cents per kg. He scribbles a few numbers on a notepad as a receipt, digs out a few bills (or more often, a few coins) from two tin containers, and hands them to his seller.

Mr. Ong* has forgotten to collect his money. His bow-legged gait limits his effort to unload the boxes and few metal rods that he is selling in halting, jolted movements. He has already turned away before he is followed and given the $4.10 that he is owed. He looks at the money and points to his chest questioningly. Then, a toothless smile spreads across his face as he takes it in comprehension.

He is in his eighties. He wears a cap, shorts, and printed button-down shirt. As he returns up the road pushing his now empty cart except for cloth bags dangling from the handle, he talks about chiding his unmarried daughter with a smile.

ONE (SINGAPORE), in collaboration with J’s Restaurant and Happy People Helping People Foundation is organising a Feast of Giving, an end-year celebration for some 200 low-income elderly and cardboard collectors on Sunday 28 December.

There are no statistics for the number of cardboard collectors in Singapore, however one merchant who buys their stock says he sees 20 different elderly vendors every day. “They come here multiple times a day,” the man at the collection point says, nodding after Mr. Ong. He says most of the sellers are men and women in their sixties to eighties, who spend a majority of their day collecting, transporting and selling boxes.

Ms. Jaen* estimates that she is one of “sometimes twenty, no more than thirty,” in Toa Payoh. At sixty-five, she has a diminutive but stocky stature enlarged by an oversized faded T-shirt and maroon sweat pants. She has been collecting boxes in Singapore for over a decade, not being able to find any other work. While she has no family, she answers a ringing phone in a bulky fanny pack tied around her waist with exclamations that carry halfway across the street. “My friend,” she explains in a softer voice, after pulling out her upper dentures, picking off a speck, and replacing them in her mouth with attentive precision.

Unlike Mr. Ong, Ms. Jaen’s cart does not have metal scraps, which fetch over a dollar per kg. She has only boxes collected from stores in the area. While the stores give her their unneeded boxes, it is not always generosity that she faces. Ms. Jaen says people have also stolen boxes from her cart when she wasn’t looking.

Photo credit: Daniel Seidel

Her visit to the collection point around noon with a mostly full cart of some collapsed and stacked boxes earns her $2.30. This is a morning’s work.

She stops to chat with another woman coming to sell boxes. When she isn’t in conversation, she stands silently. Her brown eyes, ringed with grey around the pupils, trains onto a fixed spot. She waits. Behind her, the boxes she just sold are tossed into a rusting cage. When the cage is full, a forklift hoists and empties it into two large freight crates jutting onto the road. They are going to be shipped off, re-purposed, made useful again.

On her third sell of the day, Ms. Jaen earns four coins for a stack of boxes that reaches her shoulder. They total to a dollar. She shakes her head as she jangles the coins in her hands. A moment later, she lets out a questioning gasp when she discovers she’s only holding three coins. The next second, she stoops in front of the scale, face centimeters from the ground, retrieving the lost coin and tucking it into her fanny pack.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of those interviewed.

Related article

Feast of Giving – Happening Sunday 28 December from 4pm to 7pm at Kembangan-Chai Chee Senior Activity Centre
Feast of Giving – A recap

Hakim at the World Gourmet Summit’s Inaugural Junior Pastry Chef Workshop 3 April 2014

April 23, 2014admin

The inaugural Junior Chefs’ Pastry Workshop saw a dream come alive for 13-year old Hakim who, through the sponsorship of the World Gourmet Summit, was given the opportunity to work alongside Chef Escribà.

Hakim is a beneficiary of Project FRENS, which is a programme that provides mentoring and financial assistance to at-risk students from low-income families. 4PM, a grassroots charity, runs the programme along with support from ONE (SINGAPORE). During one of the monthly cash disbursement ceremonies, Hakim shared his passion for baking that he inherited from his grandmother. ONE (SINGAPORE) wrote to the World Gourmet Summit about Hakim’s love of the art of pastry, noting that it would be a fantastic opportunity for the youth if he could join the workshop; his application was accepted and given the opportunity of shadowing the masterchef Christian Escribà and Patricia Schimdt at the Junior pastry workshop.

Project FRENS is supported through ONE (SINGAPORE)’s Concrete Actions Programme that matches companies, groups and individuals with organisations working to assist and empower impoverished communities. To date, ONE (SINGAPORE) has sponsored 16 students with Project FRENS, with the help of Corporate donors and individual benefactors.

World Gourmet Summit 2014
Chefs teach kids pastry-making

Broadcast Media Coverage
Channel NewsAsia

7 April 2014

Click on the image above to watch the video.

Pastry-loving youth sponsored
at international chefs’ workshop

Print Media Coverage
Berita Harian

13 April 2014

Interview with WGS founder
Peter Knipp

The Living Room
938LIVE

25 March 2014

Hear about the interview with WGS founder Peter Knipp on 938LIVE’s ‘The Living Room’.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Download the media release of the Inaugural Junior Pastry Chefs’ Workshop (.pdf)

Food bloggers, Daniel & Esther, experience at the 14th World Gourmet Series Awards of Excellence Finalists conference

Chef’s from the World Gourmet Summit Volunteer at Willing Hearts

Chefs from the World Gourmet Summit Volunteer at Willing Hearts

March 27, 2014admin

Three chefs from the annual World Gourmet Summit – Australia’s Ian Curley, Lucas Glanville of the Grand Hyatt Singapore and Dallas Cuddy of Prime Society — have volunteered their time at Willing Hearts to help cook-up over 3500 meals for the underprivileged, following an introduction by ONE (SINGAPORE).

27 March 2014 (SINGAPORE) – Non-profit community organisation Willing Hearts had extra hands today as world-renowned Chef Ian Curley spent the morning in their soup kitchen, helping the team of dedicated volunteers prepare close to 3,500 meals for the underprivileged in Singapore. Chef Curley was joined by Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Executive Chef Lucas Glanville and the Head Chef from premium Australian Steakhouse Prime Society,Dallas Cuddy. All three Chefs are taking part in this year’s 18th World Gourmet Summit. Chef Curley, a champion of similar initiatives in Melbourne, Australia, and a close friend of both Chef Glanville and Chef Cuddy rallied the gentlemen to take part in this charitable cause close to his heart.

[L-R] Chef Lucas Glanville (Grand Hyatt), Chef Ian Curley, Willing Hearts Vice President Charles Liew and Chef Dallas Cuddy (The Prime Society)

Speaking after his morning at Willing Hearts, Chef Curley said, “It’s a privilege to be able to volunteer here at this incredible organisation and support this amazing team of volunteers, day-in, day-out. As an advocate for similar initiatives in Australia, I wanted to spend my time wisely when in Singapore for the World Gourmet Summit, not only with the events lined up over the next week but also getting in touch with the community at all levels and helping out wherever I can. It was even more special with Chef Glanville and Chef Cuddy joining me and sparing their time for this incredible cause.”

Chef Ian Curley (Left), The Prime Society Head Chef Dallas Cuddy (Centre) and Grand Hyatt Executive Chef Lucas Glanville

Chefs Curly, Glanville and Cuddy were introduced to Willing Hearts by a partner organisation, ONE (SINGAPORE), which works to raise awareness of social issues and eliminate poverty both locally and overseas. “This partnership between the World Gourmet Summit and Willing Hearts is a great example of how companies can apply their core competencies to make a positive contribution to the community,” says ONE (SINGAPORE) President Nichol Ng. “Food issues are close to our heart and we take our hats off to Chefs Curly, Glanville and Cuddy for taking time to volunteer and share their expertise, despite very hectic schedules.”

Charles Liew, Vice President of Willing Hearts, said, “We consider every volunteer a blessing, and were very happy to hear that an international chef such as Chef Curley and his friend, the renowned Executive Chef of the Grand Hyatt, Lucas Glanville, were making time to spend with us here at Willing Hearts to help in our mission to help prepare daily meals to the underprivileged, needy, and marginalised members of our society. Chefs Curley, Glanville and Cuddy have been an incredible help here today, and more importantly, we hope that their time with us this morning will help to spread the word of what we are doing and to inspire others in Singapore and beyond to volunteer their time for those less fortunate, even if it is just a few hours a week.”

WGS International Masterchef Ian Curley (Front) and Grand Hyatt Executive Chef Lucas Glanville (Back) help cook meals at Willing Hearts

Mr. Peter Knipp, CEO of Peter Knipp Holdings, parent company of World Gourmet Summit organisers A La Carte Productions, said, “Food and water are perhaps the most critical elements in our existence. As a former Chef, I absolutely loved preparing meals for my diners, be it for their special evening or a simple night out. When I prepare a meal now, I still know it makes a difference and means a lot to those close to me.”

“But it goes beyond my kitchen – the work done by Charles and his team at Willing Hearts is simply incredible. Charity is a big part of what we do, specifically our annual World Gourmet Summit Charity Dinner which has raised over S$5 million over the years. But what Chef Curley, Chef Glanville and Chef Cuddy have done today is simply incredible. We are proud of the three Chefs and their dedication to helping the community,” said Mr. Knipp.

Chef Curley was full of praise for the Willing Hearts volunteers. “I’ve only been able to spend a morning here, but together with Chefs Glanville and Cuddy, we were just blown away by these wonderful folks at this kitchen, led by Charles. It was incredibly heart-warming for all of us to see people giving up their own time for those around them, and I would encourage everyone to find the time to spend even just a few hours here whenever they can,” said Chef Curley.

Related Resources

Download the Media Release (.pdf)
“Celebrity chef cooks for the needy” (Kash Cheong, The Strait Times, 28 March 2014)

For media enquiries please contact:

Ananya Singhania
Fulford Public Relations
E: asinghania@fulfordpr.com
D: +65 6327 2284
M: +65 9847 5306

Alex Jafarzadeh
Fulford Public Relations
E: ajafarzadeh@fulfordpr.com
D: +65 6324 5286
M: +65 9698 2472

About Willing Hearts

Willing Hearts is a 100% volunteer-based non-profit organisation, registered as a society, with a vision of improving the lives of the underprivileged and marginalised by providing them with daily meals, and helping them to become useful members of society. Founded in 2005, the organisation operates a soup kitchen, preparing, cooking and distributing 3,500 meals across Singapore everyday.

Would-be volunteers can visit the Willing Hearts website at www.willinghearts.org.sg/volunteer to find out more on how they can help.

About the World Gourmet Summit
The World Gourmet Summit is an international gastronomic extravaganza organised by À La Carte Productions (a division of Peter Knipp Holdings Pte Ltd), supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and presented by Citibank. The World Gourmet Summit will celebrate its 18th anniversary in 2014.

An annual epicurean festival that showcases the intricate craftsmanship of prestigious chefs; it is also an exposition of internationally acclaimed vintners. Encompassing a series of dazzling events like the vintner dinners and celebrity dinners, it is a gourmet spectacular specially crafted for discerning individuals who appreciate fine wines and gourmet cuisine.

Since 2000, the World Gourmet Summit has been raising funds through its annual Charity Dinners in support of the Community Chest, the fund-raising arm of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The charity dinners have raised over S$5 million (approximately U$3.9 million) with the generosity of its distinguished guests through table sales, charity auctions as well as donations.

www.worldgourmetsummit.com

The ONE Ball 2013 – The Stars & Entertainment

August 19, 2013admin

Thank you to our Entertainers

Hosted by The Legendary Duo

The Flying Dutchman

Vernetta Lopez

Performances by

Rob Collins

The Trisno Trio

Ishtar Bee

Clifford ThePartyman

ONE (SINGAPORE) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising public awareness and taking concrete actions to Make Poverty History and create The World We Want, a just world where no one is poor. Our initiatives include public forums, film screenings, food aid projects and ‘Concrete Action Programmes’ that link individuals and companies with organisations working to assist and empower impoverished communities.

ONE (SINGAPORE) is currently funded by the ad-hoc generosity and goodwill of our supporters. You can help us have a greater impact.

Come dressed as a Legend, enjoy dazzling performances and dance the night away! Prizes for the Best Dressed, amazing celebrity memorabilia and holidays on auction, plus meet the winners of the inaugural ONE (SINGAPORE) Awards for community and corporate heroes. All in ONE Legendary Evening!

With a stronger foundation and your kind support, we can do more to achieve our goals of raising awareness and taking concrete action to Make Poverty History.

Additional Information:

The ONE Ball 2013 – Background Information

The ONE Ball – Thank You to Our Sponsors

August 19, 2013admin

Thank you to our Sponsors

The ONE Official Sponsor

Official Venue Partner

Official Events Management

Norbreeze

LASplash Cosmetics

The Fabulous Baker Boy

Fitness Buffet

Zardoze

Bread5 Studio

Kim Robinson

LAMC Production

Frame316

GroXers

The Studio Loft

Daughters Of Tomorrow

ONE (SINGAPORE) is currently funded by the ad-hoc generosity and goodwill of our supporters. You can help us have a greater impact. Please click here for more information and details on sponsorship packages.

Please click here for more details on sponsorship packages.
With a stronger foundation and your kind support, we can do more to achieve our goals of raising awareness and taking concrete action to Make Poverty History.

For more information on Sponsorships, please contact Cynthia at cynthia@onesingapore.org.

Additional Information:

The ONE Ball 2013 – Background Information

EU Nations urged to implement Robin Hood tax

August 5, 2013admin

By Melissa Chong

ONE (SINGAPORE) has joined hands with more than 350 civil society organisations from around the world, urging the heads of 11 European countries to implement a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT).

This comes after the European Commission announced plans to severely scale back the FTT, amid opposition on the economic damage it could cause.

But civil society groups continue to argue that a Global tax of just 0.05% on financial transactions could raise up to US$650 billion a year, channeling much-needed funds to fight global poverty and climate change.

They urge that the tax could also dis-incentivize risky speculation and short-term trading, which poses high risks to economic stability. A Europe-wide FTT could set the precedent for reforming the financial sector, which has so far been exempted from the contributing to the common good.

The 355 signatories to the letter include Oxfam International, Greenpeace, WWF International and the World AIDS Campaign. A copy of the letter was sent to Algirdas Šemeta, the European Commissioner in charge of tax policy, who said she was impressed with the level of international support for the FTT. The special advisor of French President, Francois Hollande, has also agreed to pass the letter on to Hollande.

Seven months ago, Germany and France led nine other countries – Italy, Spain, Austria, Portugal, Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Slovakia and Slovenia – to press ahead with the levy, having failed to persuade all 27 EU members to sign up.

The financial lobby continues to attack the levy, raising alarm bells about the economic damage it could cause to industry, jobs and finances. Britain remains fiercely in opposition, believing the levy would drive business from London to New York instead. Sir Mervyn King, Bank of England Governor, said he “could not find anyone within the central banking community who thinks it is a good idea.”

Amid the criticisms, the European Commission announced in July 2013 that it is prepared to consider a redesign of the original proposal. It may now be rolled out six months later than the intended start date of January 2014. The levy could also be reduced by up to 90%, raising just a fraction of the amount hoped.

As the debate in Europe continues, it is likely that anti-poverty campaigners will continue to lobby relentlessly for the Robin Hood Tax to be implemented in full. David Hillman, a spokesman for the Robin Hood Tax campaign, said: “There remains a firm intention to agree to a strong FTT that will be popular with the public and raise tens of billions from the banking industry.”

This article was edited by Michael Switow

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ONE Singapore

Make Poverty History