The Rice Run project serves the elderly, typically over 60 years old, often living alone. This program started in late 1990s as a donation of rice to the needy and evolved in early 2000s into a more substantial help to registered recipients. Every 2 weeks, they receive a 5kg bag of rice, dried pork, a bottle of fish sauce and a bottle of cooking oil. Often, we will add more items donated by different individuals or organizations.
Events in the Rice Run take place every 2nd Friday at 4pm in Rang Moo community of Klong Toei slum. This is a Google Maps link to where we meet: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RCYSXM2dBkjPBF1g6
Below are the posts and pictures from our past events…
Sapee and I went shopping this morning and packed the car to the brim.
We dropped the next Milk Run supplies at the Boss and then parked the car in Rong Moo.
In the afternoon, Martel, Sophie, Claire and Debbie arrived to distribute 56 good packets to our registered seniors. Refreshments followed!
Sooner or later most of us realize that living in Thailand is a privilege, something we got lucky to experience. Most foreigners living here remember the date they arrived as some sort of a milestone, if not accomplishment. I arrived on May 19th, 2010 and never miss to notice and celebrate the day.
Sapee joined me for this shopping trip and we went to wash Sister Joan’s truck before shopping.
We dtopped off Milk Run purchases at Boss Mansion and left the car parked in Rong Moo for Shannon and the team.
At 4pm Shannon, Claire, Martel and Willy came and delivered food to all 58 registered recipients. Great job!! 🌟 Here are more of Willy’s excellent photos…
I went shopping alone this time and finished everything by 12 noon.
At 4pm Shannon and the team of volunteers arrived and distributed 56 packs of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce and dried pork to our registered recipients.
Here are more great pics by Shannon 🌟
K Anju generously donated another 5000 baht for this Rice Run. Miron and I met at Makro and continued to Klong Toei market to collect all the ingredients.
Shannon and the rest of volunteers came at 4pm to distribute 56 sets of love and help. Went off April, still no rain. We have high air pollution and record seeing temperatures. Thank you all for showing up for the needy. 🙏🏻
Miron was kind enough to come help with shopping for Rice and Milk Run supplies and we were on fire! We finished everything in a bit over an hour!!
In the afternoon, Sophie, Claire, Janna and Irza came and delivered food to 56 of our 57 registered seniors.
Here are more pics…
Miron came to help again with the shopping part of today’s Rice Run. We meet at Makro, loaded up Sister Joann’s 19 year old truck with Rice and Milk Run items and drive to Klong Toei market where we bought the dried pork.
As usual, we spent about 10,000 baht on the Rice Run items and about 8,000 baht for the items for the next Milk Run. Servane’s friend Naha generously donated 8,000 baht to this Rice Run total. 🙏🏻❤️ Thank you very much!
In the afternoon, we had 6 volunteers come to deliver assistance to all 57 of our registered recipients.
Miron came to join us for the first time. He and I went shopping at Makro and the Klong Toei market, packed the car with 57 sets of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce and dried pork and let it parked in the usual parking spot for the afternoon delivery.
In the afternoon the volunteers came to give food to the 52 Thais that came to collect. Here are more pics by Shannon.
I was alone in this Friday for the shopping part of the day.
At 4pm, Servane, Sophie and others gathered in Rong Moo and delivered supplies to all 57 of our newly registered seniors. Sophie took these wonderful photos! ❤️
Sister Cecilia joined us on this Saturday asking with Claire, Adri and Adri’s friend from Indonesia.
As every year, we asked every person applying for food assistance to bring copies of their house registration along with their ID card and the last electric bill.
As every year, we invited Thai people from Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities to register foot Rice Run for 2023. These are the 2 communities Sister Joan served since 1991 when she moved to Bangkok. She started distributing basic food items to elderly from the beginning but the Rice Run as a program for registered seniors started in 2002.
Since then the criteria was simple: 60 years of age or older or a person with a Thai disability card. Over the years and was life became easier in the slum, Sister added other conditions that would eliminate people who didn’t go hungry – people who had family to rely on or had enough money that they could afford to buy their own food.
Since Sister Joan left Bangkok in October of 2016, we had to use their electric bills to bed able to tell who is likely to have enough money and doesn’t need assistance. The system is not fail proof but we that is someone can afford an air conditioner, they have enough money to buy food.
And if it is a border line situation, we decided to visit them at home to see if they qualify or the money we would spend on their food could be better used somewhere else. This year, as in the last several years, we reduced the number of people who receive help. 5wo years ago it was 72, last year we gave help to 65 people. This year we have recovered 57 seniors and disabled people for one year of assistance.
Reach will receive a good package every 2 weeks. Ever package is about 350 baht and it includes a 5kg bag of white rice, a bottle of cooking oil, a bottle of fish sauce and a bag of dried pork.
Sister Cecilia came to Bangkok to join us for both the shopping and distribution parts of this Rice Run.
After our shopping at Makro was complete, we stopped by the Sacred Heart Convent and had a great cup of coffee. The occasion was my 12 years of volunteering with Sister Joan Mission.
I dropped off the parked car in Rong Moo, as usual. Later in the afternoon, Shannon, Janna and others came to deliver the food to our registered seniors.
… another great Friday! 🙏🏻