NTUC-U Care Fund has raised $10 million this year, bringing the total amount raised to $140 million over the last 10 years. The fund was started in 2009 to help lower-income union members and their families.
The figure was announced at the annual U Care Charity Dinner on 5 July 2019.
The dinner was held in conjunction with NTUC-U Care Fund’s 10th Anniversary celebration. Singapore President Halimah Yacob was guest-of-honour at the event.
The money raised this year will go to 26,000 beneficiaries through various assistance programmes such as the U Stretch Vouchers and U Care Back to School Vouchers.
A total of 110 donors contributed to the fund this year, with unions and associations contributing more than $920,000.
The Singapore Labour Foundation contributed $3.5 million, while other top corporate donors included ComfortDelGro and Singtel.
“Our utmost appreciation goes to all our esteemed donors for the past 10 years, whose kind gestures have helped to improve and make a real difference in the lives of our lower-income union members and their families.
“It is with their support that our members and their families continue to have hope and are motivated to better their lives and secure a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones,” said NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and NTUC Care and Share Department Director Zainal Sapari.
This year, there will be a new programme to help low-to-medium income union members who are impacted by a sudden loss of income.
Called the Capitaland–U Care Resilience and Enablement Fund (CAP+Ure), the programme was sponsored by CapitaLand Hope Foundation with $500,000. NTUC-affiliated unions also helped to partially match the amount sponsored.
Eligible members will get a one-time disbursement of NTUC FairPrice vouchers worth $250 per child. The aim is to help them tide over their children’s basic nutritional and educational needs during unforeseen circumstances such as retrenchment or illness in the family.
About 2,500 children are expected to benefit from the programme.
The programme will run for two years, starting from the fourth quarter of 2019. Members can apply for the programme through their unions.
“Workers always share with us about how their families are their main source of inspiration, and that it takes a village to raise a child. This new programme is thus especially meaningful, as it targets the needs of children.
“The unions are glad to do our part to provide the much-needed financial boost for our union members who are in unfortunate times of need so that they can continue to do their best for their children,” said NTUC Central Committee member Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab, who co-chairs the NTUC Care and Share Committee.
