'Tis the season to give

"FROM a supermarket to shopping outfits, the desire to bring joy to the less privileged during the festive season is palpable. Some companies are chipping in to help the needy, and are roping in their customers to make Christmas a meaningful time for everyone.

Take household name NTUC FairPrice. Every November and December, it rallies its customers to join them in its two signature corporate social responsibility events.

In its flagship Share-A-Textbook programme, which started in 1983, FairPrice invites the public to donate their old textbooks to needy students.

Ms Angela Soo, director for corporate communications at NTUC FairPrice, says: "We know that providing for children's educational needs are as important as providing for their meals.

We hope that through the FairPrice Share-ATextbook project, students from needy families will not be denied education."

To date, more than two million textbooks have been collected, helping nearly 153,000 needy students.

The local supermarket chain also works hand in hand with the Boys' Brigade on the latter's annual Share-A-Gift Programme.

Says Ms Soo: "Our participation in this initiative for the past 11 years is part of our commitment towards helping the poor and needy as well as to promote community bonding and nation building."

From now to Dec 20, the public can donate gifts and essential household items, such as rice and oil, to needy families at 14 FairPrice stores.

Three of the stores - Ang Mo Kio HUB, Jurong Point and nex Mall - will also host wish trees containing specific wishes of children, the elderly, families, and special needs individuals.

An online donation platform is also available at www.FairPrice.com.sg, where donors can buy hampers containing a variety of basic necessities, to contribute to the project.

FairPrice will provide free delivery of these items to the Boys Brigade, which aims to bring cheer to some 29,000 beneficiaries. It is also donating yet another $50,000 towards the charity campaign this year.

Meanwhile, Swedish home furnishings store Ikea Singapore is helping less fortunate children in other parts of the world.

Since 2009, it has been participating in the Soft Toy Campaign organised by the Ikea Foundation, which funds education programmes supported by Unicef and Save the Children.

In this year's campaign, which ends on Dec 24, about $1.76 for every soft toy or chicken nuggets kids' meal bought will be donated to the charitable organisations.

Last year, Ikea Singapore sold nearly 47,000 soft toys at the Ikea Tampines and Alexandra stores, garnering about $133,552 from the total campaign sales.

Ms Irene Lau, Ikea's regional marketing manager, says: "Ikea believes that all children should have access to a quality basic education.

With funds collected from the Soft Toy Campaign, Ikea aims to better the lives of children in disadvantaged communities in Asia, Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe."

Ikea Singapore also supports the campaign through its own initiative known as Smales.

It is a programme for kids aged four to 10, in which they can earn småles points through activities. The children can do their bit for the Soft Toy Campaign by using their points to redeem a soft toy. For every toy redeemed, $2 will be donated to Unicef Malaysia."

Notícia do dia 16-12-2011, pode ser consultada em http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20111216-316602.html

A época Natalícia traz, à maioria das pessoas, o desejo de dar, de ajudar os mais necessitados. O mesmo acontece com as empresas. Se é apenas uma estratégia de marketing ou vontade de contribuir para um mundo mais equitativo nunca se sabe muito bem, mas, se o resultado forem crianças mais felizes, parece-me que o saldo final é bastante positivo.

Postado por Filipa Lelé