Why these Singaporean siblings aim to put their food charity ‘out of business’
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Why these Singaporean siblings aim to put their food charity 'out of business'
The Nutrient Bank Singapore was started by Nichol and Nicholas Ng to tackle food waste product and food insecurity. Just the siblings hope that one day, there will be no demand for such an arrangement.
Nicholas and Nichol Ng, founders of The Food Bank Singapore. (Photo: The Food Bank Singapore)
17 Jul 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 03:11PM)
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough fourth dimension for many Singapore charities, many of which experienced a drop in donations and volunteer count. But information technology is during such challenging times when the piece of work of not-profit organisations become all the more crucial.
In the past few months, The Nutrient Bank Singapore had to step up its operations in gild to bring nutrient to the less privileged and vulnerable communities in the country, who accept been harder hitting by the pandemic.
The Food Bank Singapore was set upwards in 2022 past siblings Nichol and Nicholas Ng, third-generation business owners of nutrient distribution company, FoodXervices. The Food Bank acquires donated food from farms, manufacturers, distributors, stores, consumers and other sources, and distributes them to charities within its member network, who then deliver them to beneficiaries.
"Nosotros currently have 360 organisations in our network. It includes charities such as Willing Hearts, the Salvation Regular army and Family Service Centres (FSCs) as well," older sibling Nichol shared. "The premise of The Food Banking concern is that equally long as yous're a non-turn a profit with a related programme, y'all tin join our network. Nosotros consolidate large piles of food, then distribute information technology to charity organisations. Through our network, we achieve out to more than 250,000 people on the basis."
Amid circuit breaker measures, The Nutrient Bank found themselves having to ramp up their efforts. "Every day, for sure, in that location would be a scattering of people writing in to us direct asking for food aid. And this has never happened every bit rampantly in the past," Nichol revealed.
FEEDING THE City
The Food Banking concern, Nichol shared, is not well-known on the ground, as virtually of the food distribution is conducted through the organisation's member charities. But when FSCs were closed during the circuit breaker, people began writing in to The Food Bank directly.
"At get-go we idea it was maybe a handful of people. But information technology started condign regular. Every calendar week, at that place would exist someone telling the states that they haven't eaten," Nichol shared.
"Before COVID-19, nosotros would laissez passer the details over to an FSC in the area who would do some background checks beforehand. But now because of the pandemic, we accept it that no one is lying. Nosotros would simply send food down commencement, so they tin survive for at least a few days while nosotros exercise some background checks," Nicholas shared.
For the first fourth dimension, The Food Banking concern began distributing cooked meals to the less privileged. "Previously, we did zero cooked food donations or distribution. Then we started distributing nearly 1,000 to two,000 meals a day. Now, nosotros are donating almost 13,000 meals," Nicholas said.
Through the organisation'southward Feed The City programme, The Nutrient Bank partnered with local F&B businesses to deliver meals to the needy. The program was a 2-pronged approach – while providing meals to the underprivileged, it would also help heave the sales of local F&B businesses, including hawkers, who were badly hitting.
Every bit the programme began garnering attention, the founders were approached by Michelin Singapore. The visitor was peachy to partner with The Food Bank to provide food from its Michelin-starred, Bib Gourmand and Plate restaurants and hawkers.
"It was very heartening that these Michelin restaurants wanted to help. We told them that the budget was S$3.l, and even fine-dining restaurants like Odette managed to come up upwardly with something. We started getting feedback from beneficiaries that it was the all-time food they e'er had," Nicholas chirped.
More than just filling their bellies, the siblings believe that the nutrient delivered to the less privileged played a role in lifting their spirits during tough times.
"Past getting nutrient from these F&B businesses, we tin ensure that 90 per cent of the time, the nutrient our beneficiaries are getting are better than what they are used to. Just like ourselves, when nosotros eat things like chocolate, or desserts like cake and brownies, our spirits are lifted. People tend to forget that nutrient is nourishing non just for the tummy, only for the soul likewise," Nichol mused.
"People tend to forget that food is nourishing not just for the breadbasket, merely for the soul besides." – Nichol Ng
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TACKLING FOOD WASTE
When The Nutrient Bank first started ix years ago, information technology was the first of its kind to exist in Singapore. Although not new in other countries, the concept of a food bank was largely unheard of here. Aside from feeding the needy, setting upwardly a food bank where supermarkets, farms and other food producers can donate their excess nutrient – which will and so be redistributed to those in need – would permit the founders to tackle the effect of food wastage in the state.
"One of the issues Singapore has created for itself, which is a good thing, is that nosotros are a very clean city with one of the world's best incineration programmes. Considering the cost of incineration is and then inexpensive, many people would rather dump than recycle or donate their food items. Subsequently knowing how the supermarkets work, how food importers work, Nicholas and I just felt that we should tackle all this backlog food first, before request for donations from the public," Nichol explained.
Despite playing a crucial office in tackling food waste and food insecurity in Singapore, Nicholas shared that one of the siblings' goals for the organisation is to be "out of concern", for a valid reason, of course. "We don't know when that will be, but we always proceed reminding ourselves that if nosotros go out of business, it means that there'south no food wastage and no more than needy people in Singapore," Nicholas said.
"We don't know when that will be, merely we always keep reminding ourselves that if we go out of concern, it means that there'due south no food wastage and no more needy people in Singapore." – Nicholas Ng
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DIGITISING THE ECOSYSTEM
In June 2020, The Food Bank announced a partnership with DBS Depository financial institution to launch a virtual nutrient banking app that could put them closer to their goal. Expected to launch past end-2020, the app aims to streamline the food donation procedure by connecting donors, social service agencies, food support organisations and logistics providers via a single platform.
On the app, F&B businesses, or corporations that provide food support, can share the type and quantity of food they have on hand, enabling charities to have real-time visibility of the items available. "What nosotros wanted to do was permit donors to match directly with charities so that the fourth dimension required to get food to beneficiaries would be shortened," Nichol explained.
"If someone has two baskets of apples in the Due north, they tin see who needs information technology. Everything is in real time and very transparent. Then what happens is that it will literally put The Food Banking company out of business, putting us closer to our goal of ending food insecurity in Singapore."
An issue still plaguing the manufacture is pocket-size amounts of backlog food that are constantly thrown away. "If at that place are huge quantities of donations, it is very like shooting fish in a barrel for u.s. to pick-up," said Nichol. "Merely what about smaller amounts food? For example, how many cakes do [cafes] throw away a twenty-four hours? Honestly, I can tell you, information technology'due south a lot."
"There volition be people who will get downward to pick up the nutrient. And nosotros can only do this if we successfully digitise the entire landscape."
PASSING Downward THE VALUES OF GIVING BACK
With lots on their plate, 1 wonders simply how much the of the siblings' time is split betwixt running the non-profit and the main nutrient distribution business. "I think information technology's 50/50," said Nicholas. "When nosotros launched The Food Banking company, we but wanted to do something to give back to gild. To play a part, no affair how small it was. In a manner, it was also for the states to think of something exterior of work. Sometimes information technology helps to clear the heed a little bit."
"But to shed some calorie-free, The Food Banking company has go our sixth subsidiary. Which doesn't give us a salary!" Nichol joked. "And if you lot want to know just how easily-on nosotros are, we are literally the ones looking at the enquiry emails. We don't miss a single email that comes in."
"When we launched The Food Banking concern, nosotros only wanted to do something to give back to society. To play a part, no matter how small-scale it was." – Nicholas Ng
Beingness recognised for their clemency work is something that the siblings accept pride in. In 2017, the pair was featured in Forbes'southward Heroes of Philanthropy list. "We were looking at the remainder of the people on the list. Many were billionaires. And the two of us were like 'small fries', you know? But it felt good to be recognised. We were putting Singapore on the map in a way," Nichol said.
But the biggest reward is the ability to pass on the values of giving dorsum to their children. "I recollect it's heartening that when our kids see The Food Bank in the media, whether it'due south in the papers or on Goggle box, they say 'oh look, this is Daddy'south, or Mummy'southward organisation'," Nicholas, who has 2 kids, mused.
Whether their children will take over the charity in the future, is entirely up to them, the siblings said. "It's more of a sense of values that we tin can hand down," Nichol, a mum of four, added. "The biggest legacy that our father left united states was the understanding that it'due south never near money, or having your name on the wall. It's about the impact y'all can bring to club, in the smallest of ways."
"The biggest legacy that our male parent left usa was the understanding that information technology's never virtually money, or having your name on the wall. It'south well-nigh the impact you tin bring to club, in the smallest of means." – Nichol Ng
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/people/the-food-bank-singapore-nichol-nicholas-ng-237526
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