The Warmest Fridge

[Tianmo]

Will this happen here???.........   Restaurant owner installs fridge outside to feed the homeless

 

A restaurant owner who put a fridge laden with uneaten food on the street outside her business to help the needy has said she felt compelled to act.

“If I kept doing nothing then nothing would have happened,” she said.

Minu Pauline, owner of the Pappadavada restaurant, in Kochi, southern India, was moved to combat both food waste and hunger after seeing people scavanging waste food from bins.

The fridge – nicknamed nanma maram, meaning ‘tree of goodness’ –  began as a place people in need could pick up excess food from the restaurant.

It has now become a community hub, with people from across town donating to it.

Ms Pauline, 28, was inspired to install the fridge after seeing a woman searcing her rubbish bags for food late one night.

“It was very sad,” she told The Independent. 

Minu Pauline, left, as the fridge is opened for use (Minu Pauline/Facebook)

“Just imagine being in the situation where you should be asleep but you feel too hungry and you have to go out to find food.”

At the same time, she realised how much food is wasted by society, including in her own restaurant.

“Money is yours but resources belong to society,” Ms Pauline said.

“If you’re wasting your money, it’s your money, but you’re wasting the society’s resources. Don’t waste the resource, don’t waste the food.”

She came to a resolution to do something and hit upon the simple idea of installing a fridge and encouraging her customers to put in it whatever they didn’t eat.

The fridge is left unlocked and unsupervised for 24 hours a day, and anyone who needs to can utilise it.

It feeds dozens of people every night.

 

 

Critics, seeing the idea of a businesswoman installing an attraction deliberately drawing the homeless to outside her source of income as crazy, initially dismissed the idea.

“I know it’s risky,” she said.

“But it’s for the good of the community. Nothing has happened before because no one wanted to take a risk.  

“Nothing has happened yet, but I’ll take it out if I need to.”

“You should stand up for the change you wish to see. “I have so many smiling customers,” Ms Pauline said.

“I can feel the positivity in my shop.”

One of the best aspects of the project is that her example seems to be spreading.

“I recently saw two kids outside the fridge,” said Ms Pauline. 

“After they left, I went to see what they had been doing and in the fridge was some pomegranates and candy that they had donated.

“I’m so happy to see the message being spread to the next.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/restaurant-owner-installs-fridge-outside-to-feed-the-homeless-a6963861.html

 

 

[RadX]

pls lah..knowing singapore...the whole fridge will disappear

 

1.  food gone

 

2.  fridge disposed and $$$ reclaimed for scrap metal from fridge....

 

 

 

we have a long way to go

[Tianmo]

pls lah..knowing singapore...the whole fridge will disappear

 

1.  food gone

 

2.  fridge disposed and $$$ reclaimed for scrap metal from fridge....

 

 

 

we have a long way to go

 

 

worse part...........tio sue if ppl fall sick after eating the food............    

[Toothiewabbit]

Acts of kindness, do also kena.

 

Don't do and the poor has 1 less place to seek help.

[Mustank]

Like!

 

“Money is yours but resources belong to society,” Ms Pauline said.

“If you’re wasting your money, it’s your money, but you’re wasting the society’s resources.

[Tianmo]

just food for thought..........will we ever move towards that direction..........or have that kind of society............or need to do that......       

[Tianmo]

Acts of kindness, do also kena.

 

Don't do and the poor has 1 less place to seek help.

 

 

i know some temples offer free food..............but i was told alot of well to do ppl go eat for free..............without donating...........     

[Toothiewabbit]

i know some temples offer free food..............but i was told alot of well to do ppl go eat for free..............without donating...........     

 

 

probably part of the reason why they became well-to-do mah

[RadX]

i know some temples offer free food..............but i was told alot of well to do ppl go eat for free..............without donating...........     

 

 

exactly bro....lots ppl no heart wan.....bloody opportunists.

 

Sad really

 

[RH1667]

Like!

 

“Money is yours but resources belong to society,” Ms Pauline said.

“If you’re wasting your money, it’s your money, but you’re wasting the society’s resources.

 

Yes! this is also what i think everyone should consider.

[Tianmo]

probably part of the reason why they became well-to-do mah

 

all kind of souls................I know of ppl who can spend $20000 one night on a KTV session...............but refuse to pay employees wages of $1000...........like that will grow wealthy.............       

[Pinobii]

just food for thought..........will we ever move towards that direction..........or have that kind of society............or need to do that......

Personally think Singaporeans are a pretty kind and generous lot, just look at the number of charity events, drives we have and the amount donated, quite a fair bit but maybe more geared towards monetary donations

 

Don't think such acts will be well received in SG due to differences and hygiene concern, haven't seen many picking up waste food to consume here too

 

Providing free meals may be better for those needy

 

Think there were attempts to raise public awareness about the large amount of food waste in SG, not sure if anything can be done though

exactly bro....lots ppl no heart wan.....bloody opportunists.

 

Sad really

Every society got bad eggs de, dun be sad, nothing much we can do about it

[Toothiewabbit]

all kind of souls................I know of ppl who can spend $20000 one night on a KTV session...............but refuse to pay employees wages of $1000...........like that will grow wealthy.............       

 

 

this is terrible......so kiam siap......only blow $20,000 on 1 night   

[Xefera]

More likely to see people parking their big contis at the nearby MSCP carpark, and then head down to check out the "goodies".

 

will be interesting to install a live cam overlooking the fridge to see the type of people it attracts.

 

 

pls lah..knowing singapore...the whole fridge will disappear

 

1.  food gone

 

2.  fridge disposed and $$$ reclaimed for scrap metal from fridge....

 

 

 

we have a long way to go

 

[Staff69]

pls lah..knowing singapore...the whole fridge will disappear

 

1. food gone

 

2. fridge disposed and $$$ reclaimed for scrap metal from fridge....

 

 

 

we have a long way to go

 

 

 

 

my dear pundeek friend....you sound damn expert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

speaking from sexperience

[Vratenza]

pls lah..knowing singapore...the whole fridge will disappear

 

1.  food gone

 

2.  fridge disposed and $$$ reclaimed for scrap metal from fridge....

 

 

 

we have a long way to go

 

3. NEA officer comes to investigate the day before the fridge disappeared. You get summoned for "unhygienic" food handling practice and get downgraded to "C".

[Staff69]

all kind of souls................I know of ppl who can spend $20000 one night on a KTV session...............but refuse to pay employees wages of $1000...........like that will grow wealthy.............

 

 

perhaps the employee should start stroking the boss's tights

 

 

 

can get more than 1k increase.

[Tianmo]

Personally think Singaporeans are a pretty kind and generous lot, just look at the number of charity events, drives we have and the amount donated, quite a fair bit but maybe more geared towards monetary donations

 

Don't think such acts will be well received in SG due to differences and hygiene concern, haven't seen many picking up waste food to consume here too

 

Providing free meals may be better for those needy

 

Think there were attempts to raise public awareness about the large amount of food waste in SG, not sure if anything can be done though

 

Every society got bad eggs de, dun be sad, nothing much we can do about it

 

I remember years back..........there was a bakery whom wanted to deliver their left overs to some needy..........but later project was called off for some reason..........