Food from the Heart 2011

Food from the Heart

By Gabriel Gan 3SA

Food from the Heart

“It’s better to give than to receive.” How often do we hear of this phrase but sadly, most of the time, we do not take heed of it? Somehow as I grow older and become more aware and concerned about the things around me, this phrase is beginning to have a special meaning in my heart. Often we read and learn of people all over the world dying of starvation and suffering in poverty. Even in our own country, we hear of families not having the financial means to make ends meet; we read of families needing to turn to social assistance for their daily necessities. Sometimes, we tend to forget that there are fellow citizens who do not even have a roof over their heads and do not know of how or when their next meal will come. Hence, it is important that we take stock of what we are blessed with and spare a thought for those in need around us. We may be blessed with material belongings and have more than enough to put on our plate at every meal, but at the same time, I think it is also rightful of us to really spare a thought for these unfortunate people too.

The ‘St Andrew’s Village Food Drive’project organised by the Saints family is certainly an important and essential milestone to show that we are a caring and compassionate community. The teachers and our principal, Mrs. Lucy Toh, encouraged the students to give as much as possible and elaborated on the point that if everyone brought an item, there would be more than a thousand foodstuffs and this would definitely benefit the needy to a huge extent. Parents were notified of this special drive and the response was indeed overwhelming and encouraging. Over the few weeks that the project got underway, we saw scores and scores of students bringing canned food and other non-perishable foodstuffs like rice, instant noodles, cooking oil etc, to the collection point in the school compound. It is indeed heartwarming to note that the Saints community cares and that we are a school that will lift a finger to help out whenever there is a calling.

Boys from the Normal Technical stream were tasked to pack these collections and organise them into proper categories. I am pretty sure all of them went that extra mile to lend their helping hands. The skit specially put up by these students during one of the morning assemblies clearly depicted their caring spirit and unceasing enthusiasm to ensure that this project be met with great success. Kudos to you guys!

The project may have ended but the spirit of giving must not end too. Let us continue to develop that caring attitude towards our friends in need. Nothing beats the sight of seeing these people putting on that smile when they receive these gifts. I am sure it will go a long way in their lives and one day, when they look back at this depressing episode of their lives, they will remember that when they were bitterly down, the Saints family was there to help them pull through those difficult times.

‘No one is a stranger, they are just friends we have not met’. This is another statement that lingers in my mind when the ‘Food from the Heart’ campaign was going on. I thought to myself as I pondered over the whole matter. We came with nothing in our mother’s womb and we will leave with nothing to be with God in eternity. Whatever we are blessed with on earth, shouldn’t we share with our fellow brothers who need them even more?

Surely, it is better to give than to receive….