How much for such a substantial meal? How about nothing at all? And that goes for the labour too.
Every day, including weekends and public holidays, Willing Hearts supply close to 2,500 free meals for the needy in 25 locations. Volunteers from as far as Woodlands travel to the Geylang kitchen, and begin preparing and cooking at 5am in the morning. Delivery begins at 7.30am and takes at least 3 hours to complete. The food is sent out to distribution sites in five vans and other volunteers' vehicles which journey to and from the soup kitchen till the mountainous stacks of packed meals are completely delivered to those in need.
The next day, the same arduous routine begins all over again.
Rather than fatigue however, treasurer Charles Liew goes back feeling "rejuvenated". He developed an interest in helping at Willing Hearts when 65-year-old neighbour and fishing buddy Tony Tay, also the founder of Willing Hearts, approached him to help with an urgent donation. Charles had had a vague idea of Tony's involvement in charity till then, but it was that request that led him to visit and eventually join Willing Hearts. "Your heart melts ( when you see the work being done) and you want to do something too," he explained.
As we had our quick chat nearby, I could not help stealing glances at the bustling kitchen beside us, a humble canteen space come alive with volunteers amidst massive and steaming pots - assembling, cutting, cleaning and frying. The amount of food handled was awe-inspiring, as was the volunteers' energy, which did not show signs of waning as they went through their respective chores in a concordant hum of activities and sounds.
Willing Hearts was founded in 2003 when Tony Tay, while going through his late mother's belongings, came across a large collection of cooking utensils. These were left over from her work as a household helper. Remembering his mother's penchant for giving food to the poor, Tony decided to take on the task himself, in memory of her. Starting by giving out bread, he slowly began preparing cooked meals from his home at Jalan Taman. He was able to serve 300 to 400 people each day. It has grown to today's proportions, for both the number of volunteers and recipients alike, mainly through word of mouth.
Besides the soup kitchen, Willing Hearts also provides non-denominational bereavement services and has set up a tuition centre that caters to low income families. The centre currently has 30 students under its wings and Charles was proud to share that the students have all improved in their studies since enrolling in the centre.
The charity also has an "Adopt An Elderly" program which aims at easing the financial burden of maintaining the soup kitchen. While it receives a fair amount of food donations that keep the operations going, its supply of vegetables come from vendors with leftovers from the day's sales. Willing Hearts often finds itself severely short of less perishable items like meat, fish, eggs and condiments; volunteers dipping into their own pockets and buying what is needed is not uncommon. For just a dollar each time, the adopted elderly is ensured a varied and balanced meal.
Volunteers range from retired school teachers to doctors to SIA pilots. Willing Hearts is also a popular charity with the schools’ Community Involvement Programme (CIP) and with parents, who send the children to the soup kitchen to help out. Corporate donors also assist by recommending the charity to their employees, many of whom have become regular volunteers as well.
I followed Meiling, a veteran volunteer, to her designated distribution point at Whampoa. She is in charge of the cutting of vegetables, a responsibility that appears simple but is anything but. She makes sure that the pieces are bite-sized (to avoid becoming a choking hazard for the elderly) and that every salvageable part of the vegetable is used. She mulls over the needs of the operation constantly, right down to the canvas bags with plywood bases for ease of transportation. It was rare to see someone enthuse about such hard work. The only returns seem to be the sense of fulfilment in knowing that the recipients have a decent meal, and by all counts, it seems that that's all that matters.
Arriving at Jalan Bahagia in Whampoa, a small line was already forming, way ahead of the scheduled collection time. It was a predominantly elderly crowd. The collection process is kept orderly by the group of resident volunteers in that block, mostly middle-aged to elderly housewives and individuals, who meticulously go about their work distributing and taking note of attendance. Food is also delivered to homes of recipients who are unable to make it to the distribution points on their own.
It is no mean feat for such an undertaking to last 8 years and counting, and not without its challenges. Even though the meals they provide are free, the charity has never lost sight of the quality and variety of food it dispatches, creating dishes out of what is available, rushing out to the markets to buy whatever ingredients that are essential in certain recipes. This is what Tony did earlier that morning in fact, buying six heads of cabbage because it simply won't do to have fried noodles without it. It is a difficult standard to uphold, and it may get even harder when their lease at the current premise expires in six months.
Willing Hearts is currently looking for new kitchen space to continue its work. But the search is proving to be harder than thought. Rental for even the most basic factory space will add substantially to the charity’s already heavy expenses.
Where is a non-profit driven endeavour such as this to go? What are the alternatives? Why is it left to compete in the private sector rental market, especially when it has built up such a network and standards in providing care for the needy in Singapore?
Mention "charity" and often the image that comes to mind is a sombre one of victims and the incapacitated. Yet there is another side to it that is often unnoticed. It is the spirit which offering help can inculcate in those who are able to give. "Willing Hearts mean you come on your own, willing to help," Charles explained when asked about the name. In many ways, it embodies the nature of volunteerism. The sense of duty and responsibility among this team of volunteers and especially Tony, who is always there at 5am sharp, rain or shine, is deeply held. Certainly no one sets out to commit 8 years and more of their lives to slogging in the wee hours of the morning and to pay out of their own pockets for it. Yet these "willing hearts" and many more like them continue to turn up and do it with a smile, eager to share their experiences with others.
Such is the true nature of charity - it is something as basic as a heart that is willing to give.
You can learn more about Willing Hearts and their various services on its website here.
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More pictures by Biddy:
