Newsletter
December 2021 Issue: Co-operator Newsletter Quarterly Issue
5 Last-Minute Christmas Gifts By Local Co-operatives & Social Enterprises
The festive season is finally upon us and with its arrival, there seems to be a tangible shift in the air. With the gorgeous Christmas floral decorations blooming along the famous shopping belt at Orchard Road or the various eye-catching exhibitions at Christmas Wonderland in Gardens by the Bay, things seem to take on a certain shine.
If you have yet to start your Christmas shopping for your friends and loved ones, we have got you covered. In this shopping list, we have curated an interesting gift selection from sustainable brands, local co-operatives and even social enterprises. In other words, you will be hitting three birds with one stone as gather your gifts, advocate for a good cause, and support locals too.
RED FESTIVE BUNDLE BY URBAN ORIGINS
Connecting Singapore residents to locally grown urban produce, Urban Origins is the one-stop online marketplace for the freshest local produce. The Red Festive Bundle comprises a slew of local products, such as chocolate bars from FOSSA Chocolate and sourdough crackers by Ardens Bake. As you shop with them, you are also supporting local producers and farmers, helping them scale their businesses.
Check out Urban Origins here.
OLD SCHOOL RADIO PATROL CAR COLLECTIBLE BY POLWEL GIFTS
Did you know that the Police Radio Division adopted the Volkswagen Beetle as patrol cars in our neighbourhoods and commercial districts back in 1970? If you have children who fancy car collectibles or friends who do, this school-school car model may be the perfect gift to spruce up their collection. For the uninitiated, POLWEL Co-operative society is the business arm of Police Central Welfare Fund comprising members from Central Narcotics Bureau and the Singapore Police Force.
Check out POLWEL Gifts here.
REKINDLE: BATIK SCARF & LINEN DRAWSTRING SET BY OUR BAREHANDS
View this post on Instagram
At Our Barehands, Singaporeans Chanel Goh, Germaine Lye and Mitchell Zachariah strive to create sustainable fashionable products that appeal to the masses, while empowering indigenous artisanal communities from around the world. Products curated on their shop run the gamut from resin jewellery made by artisans from Yogyakarta to apparels sewn together by refugees in Malaysia. Their Rekindle gift selection matches the best of various artisan communities and makes for the perfect Christmas gifts for the fashionable individuals.
Check out Our Barehands here.
FRESH BAKES FROM SASCO CAFÉ
Run by senior citizens, SASCO Café is located in Khatib and proffers quintessential café offerings—think cakes, tartlets and of course specialty coffee. According to Mothership, the café is part of a programme by SASCO@Khatib Senior Activity Centre, where seniors can get the opportunity to work and promote a sense of purpose. These seniors are paid an allowance and some of them have even been sent to undergo trainings, such as barista coffee making and food safety courses. While the café is not a co-operative but an independent business entity, it is heartwarming to see local co-operative—in this case, Singapore first service co-operative—partnering up local businesses to empower our seniors.View this post on Instagram
Check out SASCO Café here.
SCRUNCHIES AND OTHER DAINTY ACCESSORIES FROM MARVELOUS WORKS
Registered social enterprise Marvelous Works has dedicated itself to empowering women from single-parent households and the underprivileged with viable career skills. By providing them job opportunities from a work-from-home basis, these individuals have crafted and created many dainty trinkets, such as small pouches, scrunchies and decorated badge reels, by hand. Proceeds of the sales goes back to supporting the livelihood of their beneficiaries.View this post on Instagram
Check out Marvelous Works here.
By Sng Ler Jun
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