Hand-baked Cookies by nEbO Youths to Warm Hearts During This Season of Giving

Life has thrown 23-year-old Nazri Arshad with a series of curveballs. He was diagnosed with leukemia at 16, and had to take on two jobs to help make ends meet as both his parents lost their jobs earlier this year due to Covid-19. Yet, that has not stopped him from finding time to give back to the community. The nEbO Leader led this Bake for Good initiative to bake cookies for beneficiaries of NTUC Health for the year-end Season’s Greetings.

Nazri was joined by ten other nEbO youths who worked in shifts to bake the cookies on 19 December 2020 from 1pm to 5pm, with strict adherence to safe management measures. nEbO partnered with Downtown East’s newest tenant, REDMAN by Phoon Huat, which sponsored the ingredients and provided a chef down to guide the youths during the baking process.

Currently a Pastry & Baking Student at ITE College West, Nazri led a similar initiative earlier this year where he baked and sent cookies during Hari Raya to families who were affected by Covid-19. He even helped his delivery rider friends earn extra income by getting them to assist with the delivery.

Nazri shares, “Volunteerism is something I hold dear to my heart, and I’m glad that nEbO provided me this opportunity to spearhead projects to give back to the community through my interest in baking. Everyone goes through their own struggles, and I am simply doing what I can to help others feel better, especially during these times.”

Giving Together as part of the NTUC Family

These batch of 300 cookies will be delivered to various eldercare facilities and beneficiaries of NTUC Health. On 21 December 2020, Ms Indranee Rajah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar GRC and Second Minister for Finance and Education, joined NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng and the nEbO youths in delivering a batch of cookies to NTUC Health Senior Activity Centre (Bukit Merah).

“Although there are fewer volunteering events this year due to Covid-19, most of the youths I spoke to are still keen to continue volunteering, through indirect or other creative means. I’m glad to witness the care within this big family of NTUC – that in addition to inculcating the Do Good spirit among our youth community, we are also spreading the love by giving to the needy and elderlies at our senior activity centers. I hope that they can feel the warmth of our gesture during this year-end season,” said Mr Ng.

Bake for Good is a youth-led initiative by nEbO, supported by Phoon Huat Pte Ltd. REDMAN by Phoon Huat, newly opened at Downtown East on 19 December 2020, serves residents in Pasir Ris and surrounding areas, as well as holiday-makers at D’Resort. The one-stop store carries not only a full suite of baking ingredients and tools, gourmet food, but also ready packed meats and grocery, from local and internationally renowned brands. It is next to a baking studio, jointly run with NTUC Club, where shoppers can be greeted by whiffs of freshly-baked goods.