Official Opening of Disability and NTUC Eldercare ... - MINDS

Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore
800 Margaret Drive,
Singapore 149310
NEWS RELEASE
Embargo till: 29 September 2012
MINDS’ OFFICIAL OPENING OF DISABILITY AND ELDERCARE
COLLABORATIVE THRIFT SHOP
SINGAPORE, 29 SEPTEMBER 2012 – Almost three months since its soft launch in
May, the collaborative thrift shop between The Movement for the Intellectually
Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and NTUC Eldercare has been making good progress
in sales and reach amongst the Redhill residents and community.
The official opening of the shop on 29 September saw Minister-of-State for the Ministry
of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Madam Halimah Yacob grace
the occasion to conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as to unveil a storefront
plaque. The collaborative thrift shop - MINDS Shop Plus, is manned by persons with
intellectual disability (PWID) from MINDS but is exclusively supervised by senior
citizens; paving the way for future cross-sector collaborations in the community.
Director for Social Enterprises at MINDS, Mr Chao Ye Peng describes the support
given by the Redhill community, “The shop is doing fairly well as the residents in the
neighborhood are supporting us. Also, the sales revenue is in accordance with our
target.” It was further elaborated that regular customers include elderly residents in the
community as well as a growing number of middle-aged customers who patronize the
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adjacent hawker centre during lunch hours. Collection of second-hand items has also
increased due to igrowing awareness of the shop’s presence.
MINDS is encouraged by the favorable response of the Redhill community and hopes
that more elderly citizens would approach NTDC Eldercare to volunteer at the shop.
Apart from providing employment opportunities, the by-products of the enterprise
hopes to ground break more collaborative, cross-sector opportunities, encourage
volunteerism amongst retired or elderly citizens and to create a more inclusive and
embracing community culture in the heartlands.
- End -
About MINDS:
Movement for the Intellectually Disabled was founded in May 1962 by a group of
philanthropists who saw the need to provide equal opportunities for children with
intellectual disabilities to receive education and later, to be integrated as contributing
and responsible citizensbo in Singapore.
MINDS is one of Singapore’s oldest and largest voluntary welfare organizations, and
has 11 facilities - 4 Special Education Schools, 3 Employment Development Centres,
3 Training and Development Centres, 1 Multi-purpose Residential Services- catering
to the needs of persons with moderate to severe intellectual disability in Singapore.
To know more, visit http://www.minds.org.sg/
For further information, pls contact:
Brenda Lee
Corporate Communciations Executive
DID: 6479 5655 Ext: 240
Mobile: 9730 1044
Email: brendalee.hq@minds.org.sg
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