Here’s how you can pay meals forward to the underprivileged at a Pasir Ris hawker centre

Over the weekend, NTUC Foodfare celebrated the official opening of Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre with a carnival and the usual appearances by Very Important People (like Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean).

The “hipster” hawker centre has actually been operational since January, with 20 stalls offering local dishes on the first level, and another 22 selling modern creations on the top floor. However, business must be rather slow, because according to Channel NewsAsia, four stalls have already shuttered over the past seven months.

But beyond the fanfare, a new Gift-A-Meal programme was also launched to inspire the public to get involved in a little pay-it-forward kindness. Similar to the community project in Bukit Batok that garnered quite a bit of attention earlier this year, this initiative works by donations in the form of $3.50 meals for needy and underprivileged Pasir Ris residents.

You can either contribute through the NTUC Foodfare app or purchase the meals directly from participating hawkers, and the money raised will go through the Community Development & Welfare Fund to about 30 families who are beneficiaries.