Adri, May and her friend joined this Milk Run and made it so easy and efficient. We met at the Bus Terminal (Eastern) station just before 7am and were in Rong Moo right on time.
We delivered baby diapers and 11 boxes of milk formula in Rong Moo and another 12 boxes in the Suan Ooy community.
Roland, Mila and I went shopping for the Jul 29th Rice Run and Aug 5th Milk Run events. We did it early because of my travel plans and two make sure the Rice and Milk Run events run uninterrupted.
All was purchased and delivered to Sister’s storage room where we left it for volunteers to pack and distribute.
Khun Art suggested and organized this meeting to mark the end of another successful semester for our School Run program.
All of our 7 recipients arrived for the meeting, even bringing baskets of gifts. May was not available to attend and Sister Cecilia was in Australia at the time so only I showed up to meet the students.
From left to right: Gam, Blue, Earn, me, Few, Platu and Art. All are posting excellent grades and participating in different programs that help other people. Few and Platu are completing their high school education while others are in their 3rd year of university.
I hope that next year we can register more students into the School Run program. Please let me know if you can help us with this program that pays tuition and book expenses for good students from the slum.
Shannon came to lead the effort on her birthday – what a wonderful way to spend part of it, while helping others! 🙏🏻
This was our first Rice Run since the annual registration and it went without a glitch thanks to the new check list produced by Sophie and two Thai people who come orderly and ready with their IDs to receive the assistance.
We gave out 64 packets of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce and dried pork. Here are more photos…
Sister Joan started the Rice Run project in the late 1990s, as a way to assist seniors with basic food items. Most of the recipients lived alone and we’re over 60 years old. That meant that they couldn’t work and usually went hungry until friends or neighbors offered some food.
In 2002, Sister reorganized the Rice Run to register recipients every year and provide consistent and regular help to needy seniors of Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities of Klong Toei slum.
Covid interrupted the rhythm of annual registrations but we finally had a chance to do another registration day on Jul 8th – more than 2 years since the last one in early 2020.
Janna and Sophie came to help and as has been the case for several past registrations, Khun Jim was kind enough to let us use her living room to interview people who came to apply for help.
The process went very fast as everyone came prepared with copies of their IDs and the last electric bill they had. We ended up registering 65 seniors for the next year of support and turned down about 15 people because their electric bills showed they could afford to buy food or because they were younger than 60 and with no real handicap that would make it hard to find work.
At the end of the registration, we visited 2 people’s homes because it wasn’t clear if they could afford to buy food but we approved them both.
Life in Klong Toei is hard but it is getting better. Even in times of Covid, Thais are showing resilience and ingenuity. We see it in how they dress, how many more scooters and cars are parked in the slum, how many people ask or come to claim help in Milk and Rice Run programs. It is a very positive sight and makes it easier to deliver help to the ones that really need it.
This was a rare Milk Run I did by myself. It doesn’t usually happen but all volunteers were busy elsewhere and I had the whole Klong Toei to myself.
That meant that after giving baby diapers and milk formula in Rong Moo, I had plenty of time to take Sister’s 18 year old truck to be washed before going to Suan Ooy community for the usual 2nd stop of a Milk Run Friday. This time, we gave out 7 packs of baby diapers and 19 packets of milk formula.
In the afternoon, I went back to Rong Moo to meet other volunteers and register Thai seniors for another year of Rice Run support.
Sapee came to help with shopping part of today’s Rice Run.
We finished at Makro and Klong Toei market and left Sister’s loaded car at Boss Mansion. In the afternoon, Shannon and the volunteers came to pack and deliver the food supplies.
They gave out 66 packages of rice, fish sauce, cooking oil and dried pork to our registered seniors. Trini and get daughter Beatrice were there to help as well. Here are more pictures, some taken by Beatrice…
Another very easy Milk Run with Willy. We gave out 19 packs in Rong Moo and another 17 packs of milk formula in Suan Ooy community. As usual, we also provided baby diapers to the neediest of moms. Here are more pictures from this Milk Run.
Willy came to help all day today. First with me at the shopping part of the day. We first went to Makro…
… and later to Klong Toei market. In the afternoon, Willy was there for the Rice Run distribution as well.
He, Servane and the volunteers gave the essential food supplies to our registered seniors of Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities.
This Friday was the last Rice Run for Servane and Josie and everyone was reminded of how impermanent expat life is in Bangkok….
Here are more pics from Friday, Jun 17th…
Adri, Willy & I had another good Milk Run on Friday, Jun 10th.
We registered another new baby and gave out 11 more bags of milk formula in Rong Moo neighborhood before moving to Suan Ooy.
There, we saw 7 moms come to get the milk formula and as usual we delivered 10 bags of it to registered seniors who use it to supplement their diet.
As always, we gave diapers to 6 babies that need them the most. Here are more pictures from Jun 10th Milk Run…
