Is the price of rice attracting freeloaders at free meals?

Is the price of rice... ATTRACTING FREELOADERS?
Some admit that they're there simply to save money, even if they can afford it
Crystal Chan, The New Paper 14 Apr 08;

THE rise in the price of rice and noodles seems to be bringing out opportunists hoping to score free meals meant for the needy.

Staff members at temples and charitable organisations which offer free vegetarian meals to the needy said that they have seen a spike in the number of people heading to their dining halls.

And many of them aren't as needy as they would have you believe.

Singapore Buddhist Lodge president Lee Bock Guan told The New Paper on Sunday that since the price increases, the Lodge has seen the number of people taking its free meals go up by 30 per cent.

The temple, at Kim Yam Road, now serves about 1,300 people a day, up from 1,000.

Mr Lee said: 'Some of these people have breakfast, lunch and dinner here every day. We see people from all walks of life, including foreign workers, security guards and even rich businessmen.

'One reason is that rice and noodles are more expensive, so these people are saving money by eating here.'

When The New Paper on Sunday visited the temple on Thursday afternoon, both the first and second storeys were packed with people tucking into the array of vegetarian food.

SAVING MONEY

One of them, cabby John Ng, 54, said: 'If I were to have rice or noodles in a coffee shop in this area, it would cost me at least $5. But if I eat here, it's free. Since I happened to drive a passenger here, it's convenient to eat here.

'Meat isn't served but I'm used to the taste of vegetarian food.'

There were other visitors who admitted to living off the organisation's charity.

A 48-year-old unemployed man, who asked to be known only as Mr Tan, said: 'I've not been able to get a job so I fill my stomach here. I spend my time at the temple's library in between meals before walking back to my flat in Havelock Road after dinner.'

The temple, which has been providing free meals since 1974, also gives the needy free rations of rice, vegetables and oil.

Over at the Central Sikh Gurdwara at Jalan Bukit Merah, also known as the Silat Road Sikh Temple, the demand for its free daily meals has also gone up.

A devotee who volunteers at the temple said: 'Previously, we had about 300 people coming here for lunch. Now, it's more like 500, probably because food is more expensive.

'The lunch crowd is heavier than at dinner times because office workers also come here to eat. We have staff members from SGH (Singapore General Hospital) too.'

The devotee, who declined to be named, added that the temple buys its food using money donated by the Sikh community, and that a free kitchen is a basic tenet of the religion.

The Central Sikh Gurdwara's president declined comment.

ENOUGH SUPPLY

How are such groups able to bear the strain of rising prices?

Charitable organisations such as the Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society said that they have no choice.

The voluntary welfare group, which has meal centres in MacPherson, Toa Payoh and Telok Blangah, serves free vegetarian lunches to the needy. It relies on its own funds and people donating rice and vermicelli to help its needy.

Its chairman, Mr Lee Kim Siang, said the MacPherson centre sees more people than the other outlets because there are more needy residents in the area.

He said: 'The MacPherson centre gets about 70 people a day compared to 45 for the others, but the increase in demand is only about two more persons a day. For now, we're coping with the price increments of rice and vermicelli.

'Our intention is to provide free meals to the needy and we'll continue absorbing the costs.'

At the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Mr Lee said that his temple does not need to worry because most of its food supply is from donations.

Every week, gunny sacks of rice and packets of vermicelli are donated by devotees to the temple. And despite the recent price spikes, the amount of food donated has remained constant, Mr Lee said.

He added that the additional number of people taking its free meals has not overwhelmed the temple's workers because they have enough volunteers to cook.

Visitors are not obliged to donate to eat there.

Mr Lee said: 'It's up to these people to donate. Some may be genuinely poor. Providing free meals is a way of helping them.'