Volunteers assemble Hari Raya care packs

Singapore

STANDARD Chartered employees on Saturday pulled together to distribute food packs and green packets to more than 750 low-income families ahead of Hari Raya.

The food packs comprised rice, canned food and cookies for these families, who are registered with 15 non-profit organisations.

On an average, about 700 of the bank's employees would volunteer to do the packing and distribution of these gifts, but the safety precautions this year brought the number of participants down to 200.

The pandemic has significantly changed the way such events are organised; safety measures such as social-distancing and the donning of masks were adhered to.

Patrick Lee, chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank Singapore, said: "Covid-19 has had an adverse and profound impact on our businesses and communities. This is precisely a time for all of us do more, as the needs of the community have become more varied and extreme. I am very proud of our colleagues who are volunteering to support the Singapore community in this challenging time."

Volunteer Celes Kweng, said she was happy to be giving back to the community, especially during the circuit-breaker period.

The 40-year-old, who has been with Standard Chartered for seven years, said: "I had read a quote online which best describes why I volunteer. 'Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections every few years, but when you volunteer, you vote every day for the kind of community you want to live in'."