Caring for our at-risk kids during their school holidays with meals and craft packs
About 250 children from 6 to 12, mostly from low-resourced families, with parents who are essential-work employees and do not have the resources to take care of their children, will receive surprise craft packs and tasty meals twice a week throughout the June holidays.
Together with Zhenghua Community, TRCL Delivers Craft Packs, Help
Occupy Children in School Holidays
- About 250 children under the age of 12, mostly from low-resourced families, with parents who are essential-work employees and do not have the resources to take care of their children, to receive surprise craft packs and tasty meals twice a week throughout the June holidays
- The main donor of this initiative, called #Engage 3.0, is Sea Limited, for the purchase and distribution of more than 250 surprise craft-food packages
- In partnership with Zhenghua Citizens’ Consultative Committee (Zhenghua CCC) and five schools at Bukit Panjang Town
SINGAPORE 31 May 2021 — With the arrival of the June school holidays, children, especially those from low-resourced families, may face difficulties keeping themselves occupied and staying well emotionally, mentally, and physically throughout the holidays.
In line with its mission of providing for the underserved through arts activities, charity arts organisation TRCL is partnering with the Zhenghua community to give out surprise craft packs and tasty meals to more than 250 children. They are from low-resourced families, have parents who are essential-work employees, and who may need help to care for their children. The first delivery to student care centres in five primary schools in the Bukit Panjang Town starts tomorrow, and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday until Thursday, 24 June.
The student care centres are in Beacon Primary, Greenridge Primary, West Spring Primary, West View Primary and Zhenghua Primary Schools.
The goal of this initiative, called Engage 3.0, is to provide positive activities and inspire children between the ages of 6 and 12 to develop self-confidence, discover a new skill and instill a sense of achievement during periods of long hours spent indoors. This initiative seeks to engage children by providing them with craft-snack packs which come with an element of something unexpected inside.
#Engage is TRCL’s initiative started just a year ago during the Circuit Breaker to help at-risk children. It engaged Singapore’s vulnerable children and youth through arts, culture, and lifestyle activities through programmes held in school. #Engage 1.0 and #Engage 2.0 served close to 1000 school children who had to go back to school because they did not have digital resources at home, or needed face-to-face support [see related links below].
#Engage 3.0 is our ongoing initiative to help low-resourced children keep well during the long school holidays.
Ms Lynne Kok, a spokesperson for TRCL said: “We want to give the children something to look forward to during the school holidays when they are not encouraged to go outdoors. On two days a week, they can anticipate getting and opening these tasty meals like pizza and chicken sliders with French fries, together with craft items. Each pack gives them something to do with materials such as coloured markers, ice-cream sticks, and colouring mats.”
Mr Edward Chia, Adviser to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC GROs (Zhenghua) commented: “With the school holidays upon us, we are delighted to partner the good people at TRCL to bless our children from low resource families. It can be challenging to keep our kids meaningfully engaged during this period. The launch of #Engage 3.0 not only provides nutritious meals but will offer specially curated craft packs for our kids. Together as a Zhenghua family, we hope our children will stay creative, resilient and resourceful! This is our way of caring and nurturing as a community.”
The children’s craft works will be posted on social media to showcase their efforts and creativity.