• Through the campaign, FairPrice Foundation will donate $5 for every loaf of FairPrice housebrand bread sold. 
• Community initiative aims to rally customers to show their appreciation and support to breadwinners for providing for the family.

NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) and NTUC-U Care Fund today launched “Breadwinners – We Care, U Care” campaign, a two-week campaign to encourage FairPrice customers and members in the labour movement to show their appreciation and support to help low-income workers cope with the rising cost of living, through the purchase of FairPrice housebrand bread. With every loaf of FairPrice housebrand bread sold, FairPrice Foundation will donate $5 to the NTUC-U Care Fund.

The launch of the campaign held at FairPrice Xtra@nex was jointly officiated by Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO (Singapore) of NTUC FairPrice and Mr Zainudin Nordin, Director of NTUC Care and Share. Mr Seah and Mr Zainudin also purchased the first two loaves of bread at the launch to kick-start the campaign.

Rallying Customer Support

Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO (Singapore), NTUC FairPrice said, “We understand that with the rising cost of living, breadwinners, especially those of low income families, will need more support in providing for their families. As part of the NTUC family, we want to help low income workers cope with the rising cost of living. Through the Breadwinners – We Care, U Care Campaign, FairPrice hopes to spread the spirit of compassion by involving our customers to be part of the journey in building a better community. FairPrice has been able to give back to the community, thanks to the strong patronage of our customers over the past 38 years. This is another campaign that we hope to involve our customers in appreciating and supporting breadwinners that have been working hard to provide for their families”.

The “Breadwinners – We Care, U Care” campaign will be held from 22 June 2011 to 5 July 2011. FairPrice Foundation has pledged to donate $1 million to the NTUC-U Care Fund through this initiative. The five participating FairPrice housebrand breads are the FairPrice enriched white bread, FairPrice wholemeal bread, FairPrice high-fibre white bread, FairPrice California raisin bread and FairPrice multigrain wholemeal bread. Customers can purchase these breads at all FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets, Cheers convenience stores and FairPrice Xpress located at Esso petrol stations.

Creating a Bigger Social Impact with the NTUC Family

As part of the NTUC family, FairPrice works closely with other social enterprises and Workers’ Unions to help create a bigger impact for the community. The contributions from the Breadwinners Campaign will bring the NTUC-U Care Fund closer to its $10 million fund-raising target for 2011. It has currently garnered over $8.3 million in donations and sponsorships.

Mr Zainudin Nordin, Director of NTUC Care and Share, said, “Through NTUC FairPrice, with its large network of stores, we hope to raise greater awareness of NTUC-U Care Fund and be one step closer to reaching our $10 million fundraising target this year. The funds will go a long way in helping our low-income members and their families cope with the rising cost of living.”

Since the Labour Movement’s U Care Fund was set up in 2009, FairPrice Foundation has donated a total of $12.15 million to the Fund.

Winners of the Breadwinners Photo Competition

During the event, FairPrice also announced the three winners of the Breadwinners Photo Competition which was hosted on the FairPrice Online and “That’s My FairPrice” Facebook page held earlier from 3 – 12 June 2011 to generate awareness for this initiative. Participants were required to express their creativity and send in a picture based on the theme “Breadwinners – We Care, We Share”. Each winner received $200 in FairPrice vouchers.

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About Labour Movement’s U Care Fund

The NTUC U Care Fund was established in 2009 to consolidate the Labour Movement’s fundraising efforts to better the welfare of low-income union members and their families. Through the collective efforts of the NTUC-affiliated unions, association and social enterprises, together with management and tripartite partners, $23.2 million was raised in 2009 to help workers affected by the economic downturn. With the improved economy in 2010, the U Care Fund disbursed over $8.3 million to provide relief to low-income members and their families. For 2011, U Care Fund has set aside $11.7 million in assistance programmes to help low-income members cope with the rising cost of living.

U Care Fund extends its reach to the low-income union members and families through assistance programmes such as discount vouchers for groceries, back-to-school vouchers, funding support for bursaries and scholarships and family recreational packages. It also contributes to Bright Horizons Fund and NTUC Eldercare Trust to support needy children and the elderly respectively.