Jampacked@ Bukit Batok is a One-Stop Integrated Community Service Centre that focuses on providing food ration assistance and bringing community services to the doorstep of those in need at Bukit Batok Constituency. The objective is to have a holistic intervention approach in reaching out to the community.
Since the early 1970s, Jamiyah Singapore has been providing food assistance to about 300 needy families. In 2016, Jamiyah Singapore expanded its food ration distribution programme when it opened the first Muslim-owned Food Bank, called Jamiyah Foodbank, at Tannery Lane.
The 4-storey warehouse Jamiyah Foodbank collects, sorts, stores, and distributes donated food to its’ beneficiaries: the elderly, aged-sick, people with disabilities, low-income and needy families, and the unemployed. The beneficiaries receive a standard package of monthly food items every two months and these items include rice, cooking oil, sugar, instant noodles and other staple food items.
For Jampacked@Bukit Batok, the concept will be different from Jamiyah Foodbank. Jampacked@Bukit Batok houses a Community Minimart, providing donated food and essential items from Jamiyah Singapore’s and Bukit Batok GRO’s community, corporate partners and donations from the public.
Low-income families in the Bukit Batok Constituency will be provided with credits every month, which they can use to ‘purchase’ items from the minimart. Items available at the minimart include fresh food like fruits and vegetables, food staples like rice and noodles, and others like milo, biscuits and also toiletries items.
So, unlike the monthly food ration assistance provided by Jamiyah Foodbank, where beneficiaries receive a standard package of monthly food items every two months, Jampacked@Bukit Batok empowers the beneficiaries to choose and ‘purchase’ items they need from the minimart. Jampacked@BukitBatok recognises that every family is unique with different needs. With this approach, Jampacked@BukitBatok is best able to meet the needs of the families.
Jampacked@Bukit Batok will also be outlining several community engagement programmes such as family development, information, and referral services through Jamiyah Singapore’s headquarters.
Jamiyah Singapore, in collaboration with Bukit Batok Grassroots Organisations (GROs), launched Jampacked@Bukit Batok on Saturday, 11th September 2021.
The launch was officiated by Special Guest Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies together with Mr Murali Pillai, Advisor to Bukit Batok Grassroots Organisations, Mr Peter Yeo, Chairman of Bukit Batok CCC Community Development & Welfare Fund; and Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of Jamiyah Singapore. Officials from Bukit Batok Grassroots Organisations and Jamiyah Singapore; Treasured Donors of Jampacked@Bukit Batok; Community Partners; Friends from the Media and others were also present at the launch.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam said: “The start (of a project) can be (a chance encounter), but it carries on because of the motivation, empathy and the sense that we are all better off when we are feeling that we are part of one community. (I would like to thank Jamiyah Singapore, Bukit Batok GROs and community partners) for making sure that no one ever feels left out in Singapore.”
While Mr Murali Pillai said in his speech : “The set-up of the food bank through Jampacked@Bukit Batok cements the food and grocery assistance programmes to low-income families at Bukit Batok. We have had a long tradition of support for our Bukit Batok residents, but through a food bank, we are able to involve our residents (at Bukit Batok), which also builds a caring community and allow (both Jamiyah Singapore and Bukit Batok GROs) to help one another…so that we can emerge out of the Covid-19 pandemic stronger together.”
In his address during the launch of the centre, Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of Jamiyah Singapore said: “This new enterprise, Jampacked@BukitBatok, a collaborative venture with Bukit Batok Grassroots Organization, is a way of reaching out more effectively to the beneficiaries who reside in this constituency. Together with the Bukit Batok Grassroots Organisations and other existing Social Agencies, we shall maintain our approach of helping the beneficiaries as holistically as possible to eventually enable them to help themselves, and be less reliant on the support of others. In this regard, we plan to roll out programs that our beneficiaries here – both the parents and their school-going children – will benefit from, not merely collecting their regular food rations.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mdm Saliana bte Salleh, 38 year old housewife with 10 children was there with her son to pick out the items for her family. She said: “I was referred by Yayasan Mendaki to Jamiyah Singapore in Oct 2020, for assistance. I have been receiving bi-monthly food rations from Jamiyah from the West Coast Centre. Now I do not have to travel all the way to West Coast to receive the food ration. My house at Bukti Batok is a mere 15-minutes walk to Jampacked@Bukit Batok. And I can choose whatever I need monthly. I also look forward to attending the development programmes with my husband and I will also encourage my schooling children to attend the workshops for them to be academically motivated.”
Blk 188 Bukit Batok West Ave 6 #01-07
Singapore 650188
Tel: 6993 1538/6993 1539
Email: jampacked-bukitbatok@jamiyah.org.sg
Monday – Thursday: 9:30 AM – 6:30 PM, Friday: 9:30 AM – 6:00 PM & Saturday: 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Closed on Sundays & Public Holidays.