• With this donation, NTUC FairPrice Foundation has contributed a total of S$15 million to the community since 2008

Singapore, 1 August 2009 – At the first National Day grassroots gathering of the season, NTUC FairPrice Foundation, a registered charity wholly funded by NTUC FairPrice, reached out to the community with a presentation of S$1.5 million worth of FairPrice vouchers. The presentation is part of the FairPrice Million Dollar Food Voucher Scheme 2009, aimed at helping needy families all across Singapore to cope with the current economic downturn.

Mr Ng Ser Miang, Chairman of NTUC FairPrice and also Chairman of NTUC FairPrice Foundation, presented a S$1.5 million FairPrice cheque for the vouchers to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who was a special guest at the Braddell Heights 44th National Day Dinner Celebrations today. The event was also graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Seah Kian Peng, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC and Advisor to Marine Parade GRC Grassroots Organisations.

“FairPrice Foundation aims to provide a better life for the community. By contributing to the FairPrice Million Dollar Food Voucher Scheme, we are able to reach out to the community through the GROs and welfare organisations. I am glad that NTUC FairPrice has played and is playing a key role in providing essential needs to many needy families across the nation,” Mr Ng said.

The FairPrice food vouchers will be distributed to needy residents mainly through the advisors of the grassroots organisations (GROs), with some vouchers being set aside for selected welfare organisations. FairPrice will be writing to advisors of all GROs to inform them of the collection of vouchers.

The FairPrice Million Dollar Food Voucher Scheme is one of the many initiatives that FairPrice Foundation has undertaken to help the poor and needy in Singapore. With this donation, the Foundation has contributed a total of S$15 million to various beneficiaries such as the NTUC U Care Fund, Community Chest of Singapore and Food from the Heart, since it was launched in 2008. With more help expected in this economic downturn, the Foundation will contribute 20 per cent more to the community this year compared to last year.

FairPrice Foundation is wholly funded by NTUC FairPrice to help achieve its mission to provide a better life for the community. NTUC FairPrice has pledged to donate S$50 million to FairPrice Foundation by 2018. Since the inception of the Foundation, FairPrice has donated S$19 million to the Foundation to boost its funds.

The Foundation’s continued support to the community through this scheme has enabled grassroots and welfare organisations to meet increasing requests from residents for financial aid especially in current challenging times.

The first batch of FairPrice food vouchers was presented to Braddell Heights constituency. Mr Seah Kian Peng, who is the MP of that division, said, “We are grateful to NTUC FairPrice’s unwavering support and contribution to the community over the years. This donation is most timely and a big help to us in meeting the increasing requests for aid from low-income families who are hardest hit by the recession.”