‘Kindness supply chain’ for Singaporeans to give gifts to migrant workers

Singapore — While many foreign workers may be spending the holiday season away from their families and friends back home, one particular group has sought to bring cheer to them by making them recipients of its generosity and kindness.

This organisation, Itsrainingraincoats, calls itself “a simple initiative to spread kindness to migrant workers in Singapore” and is now on its second year of a Christmas donation drive.

This season, the group has collected and distributed thousands of Christmas gifts to migrant workers all over Singapore in an initiative that started on Nov 16.

And while many people may have gone on holiday abroad or started preparing for their own celebrations with friends and family, Itsrainingraincoats is still going strong, with gift distribution up to Christmas Eve.

It serves as a channel for members of the public who want to give specifically to migrant workers, setting up collection points in different areas where people can conveniently drop off their donations. And it’s not only individuals or families who have shared in this effort, schools, businesses and other groups have also participated.

As a post on the group’s page says: “The gifts are pouring in! We visualise 1000s of residents selecting gifts, packing them, writing thoughtful notes and dropping them off. Meantime our collection point volunteers have opened up their homes all across the island, while our distribution team arranges sites to distribute them at where more volunteers join in to hand out the presents! It’s a kindness supply chain and we thank every single member of it!”

Among other donations, the group encourages people to give Tiger Balm, toiletries, chocolate and other goodies, umbrellas, raincoats, sunglasses, backpacks, caps, water bottles, vouchers, data cards and headphones, i.e. items that would make life easier and better for migrant workers.

From Dec 19 through the 23rd, the group has organized gift-giving activities at the following places: 10 Claymore Rd construction site, Upper Boon Keng Road, Punggol Northshore, Haus on Handy Mt Sophia site, Kranji Loop, Clementi Peaks Site, Great World Station site, Singapore General Hospital, Pandan Crescent, Ang Mo Kio St 64, and Laguna Green.

Its Facebook page says that its next gift donation will be on Christmas Eve, at 11.15 am, at a Jalan Teck Whye site.

The Straits Times quotes Ms Dipa Swaminathan, the group’s founder, as saying: “What we managed to do successfully is to allow the public to reach out to migrant workers in an easy and meaningful way. We want to show workers how much we appreciate what they do to build Singapore.” -/TISG

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