Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mayor of North East District,
Ms Koh Ching Ching, Head of Group Brand and Communications, OCBC,
Volunteers, Families,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Opening
1. Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you today for the launch of the Warm Meals @ North East programme.
Why a Warm Meal Matters
2. For many of us, a warm meal at the end of the day is something we may take for granted. But for some families, it can be one more worry – on top of the many demands of daily life. Sometimes, a warm meal is not just about food. As a parent and now a grandparent, I know how these moments around the table bring families together. It is these simple, everyday moments that we will miss if we do not have it.
3. That is why this initiative matters.
A Practical Response, Built Around Families
4. Through Warm Meals @ North East, around 1,000 households across Tampines, Pasir Ris, and Punggol towns will receive $500 in meal credits to get warm and nutritious meals - and gather as a family to eat these - over the next 12 months.
5. This complements the support families already receive through ComLink+ and Comcare, in addition to the CDC Vouchers, Assurance Package and Cost of Living Special Payment. It offers practical help which will make their lives better and encourage memorable family moments to be cherished as their children grow up
Partners Who Stand with Families
6. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to OCBC for your generous contribution of $250,000, and to North East CDC for matching this dollar-for-dollar, bringing the total commitment to $500,000. But more than the funding, I want to acknowledge and appreciate the heart behind this partnership – the desire for all of us to make a difference in the lives of our families.
7. I would also like to acknowledge our Family Coaches who took the time to truly listen and observe how families are coping with daily challenges. You understood that when time and energy run thin, warm meals can quietly become one of the things families give up. You understood that it is about reducing stress, creating stability, and helping families find moments to connect with one another.
8. This is the spirit of “Better Starts with Us”. And it is what I see reflected here today. Families, who have agency and make things better for themselves, partners who contribute their time and effort, volunteers, all gathered with one shared purpose: to care for one another, because we achieve better outcomes when we all come together. I hope this inspires more to join us.
Closing
9. To our families, let me say this: we believe in your resilience, we know you have made sacrifices and we know you are determined. We hope the meals provided will help you as you build a better future for yourself and your children. Behind every meal is a community that believes in you and walks alongside you.
10. What we see here today is Better Starts with Us in action. When we come together to support one another, hope grows, families thrive and better futures for everyone in Singapore become possible.
11. Thank you.