Sister Joan Mission Project

Category: Rice Run

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…

  • Rice Run Jan 27, 2023

    Rice Run Jan 27, 2023

    This was an unusual Rice Run as we had to use my truck while Sister Joan’s car was away for service. This meant that we had to adjust our schedules because my truck’s loading area can not be locked (we couldn’t leave the loaded truck unattended in Klong Toei for several hours).

    So Sa and I went shopping to Makro and loaded the truck before buying pork in Klong Toei market.

    I delivered it all to Rong Moo in the afternoon, just as Janna and Claire arrived. Shannon is back in Bangkok and she joined them a bit later.

    This time we had 12 bags of rice left over so it means 53 people came to collect.

    Here’s a pic of leftovers… We will do another annual Rice Run registration soon to keep delivering help only to the most needy seniors of Rong Moo and Susan Ooy communities.

  • Rice Run Jan 13, 2023

    This Rice Run was a first in at least 11 years – we were seriously understaffed! Many of our volunteers were out of Bangkok for the School Winter Break and many have moved away from Thailand over the course of Covid pandemic. In all, I went alone to shop for Rice and Milk Run supplies.

    Loading it all into Sister’s truck is a multi step process of placing rice bags at the opening, before climbing in and moving each bag to the back of the space….

    In the afternoon, Janna and Irza came to distribute the rice, fish sauce, cooking oil and dried pork to our registered Thai seniors. Unfortunately, they made no pictures – they were too busy working!

  • Rice Run Dec 30, 2022

    Rice Run Dec 30, 2022

    And here we are – the last event of another busy year. As usual (except briefly for the Summer of 2021), we didn’t skip a week, delivering food every 2nd Friday to senior citizens of Klong Toei and milk formula on other Fridays to new born babies. As you probably know by now, all of our recipients are registered to make sure people who receive help are the people who really need it.

    We delivered more than 1600 food packages this year to 65 seniors from Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities of Klong Toei slum. These are people who can not work (either over 60 years old or handicapped) and many live alone with minimal assistance. Sister Joan started supporting this part of Klong Toei population in the mid 90s and then set up the Rice Run as a ongoing project for registered recipients in 2002.

    Over the years, each person”s help package includes 5kg of white rice, a bottle of cooking oil, bottle of fish sauce and a measure of protein – either canned sardines or a bag of dried pork. This Friday we added a bar of soap – the usual end-of-the-year item.

    Willy, Sa and Adri joined me for the shopping part of the day. We visited Makro and Klong Toei market, prepared the car for the distribution and left it parked and loaded in Rong Moo.

    In the afternoon, Sophie, Claire, Willie, Adri and Irza met in Rong Moo and delivered help to 63 of our registered recipients.

    Happy New Year and thank you for any and all support for Sister Joan Mission Project.

  • Rice Run Dec 16, 2022

    Rice Run Dec 16, 2022

    Another year is coming to an end and we celebrated this December by giving extra food to our registered seniors. In addition to the standard large bag of rice, bottles of fish sauce and cooking oil and dried pork, each person received 5 cans of sardines and a packet of instant coffee. 64 out of 65 came to collect this fortnight.

  • Rice Run Dec 2, 2022

    Rice Run Dec 2, 2022

    Sister Cecilia came to join us this time.

    In the afternoon, she led a group of 6 volunteers in giving food assistance to 62 of our registered Thai senior citizens.

    Here are some beautiful photos by May.

  • Rice Run Nov 18, 2022

    Rice Run Nov 18, 2022

    Yesterday’s Rice Run saw Trini back in action!

    Yes, she’s back in town and ready to bring joy to everyone she meets! I am sure that our “oldies” were so happy to see her.

    As usual, Sa and I did the morning shopping trip to Makro and Klong Toei market, dropped off the Milk Run supplies at Boss before leaving the car loaded and ready to go at Rong Moo.

    Sister Joan’s volunteers arrived there after 3 to open the truck and start delivering the food supplies to our registered recipients. Here are more pics from yesterday…

  • Rice Run Nov 4, 2022

    Rice Run Nov 4, 2022

    Today Sa and I went shopping for Rice Run and Milk Run supplies at Makro and Klong Toei market. The weather was spectacular, cool in the shade and with bright blue skies above. We unloaded the Milk Run supplies at Sister Joan’s storage room before parking the full truck at the distribution point in Klong Toei slum.

    Vicky, Karen and Sophie came to Rong Moo in the afternoon to pack and distribute the food supplies to our registered Thai senior citizens. They gave out 61 packages of rice, cooking oil, fish sauce and dried pork. The Rice Run, as started by Sister Joan in 2002 and designed for efficiency over the years, is still going on…

  • Rice Run Oct 21, 2022 sponsored by K Anju

    Rice Run Oct 21, 2022 sponsored by K Anju

    Yesterday was Divali – a major Indian holiday and K Anju contributed money for the rice and dried pork we deliver to Klong Toei.

    Sapee and I did the shopping at Makro and Klong Toei Market for rice, fish sauce, cooking oil, milk formula, baby and adult diapers and dried pork.

    We left Sister’s truck packed to the brim parked in Rong Moo community of the slum. In the afternoon, our volunteers arrived and distributed the donations to 59 of our 65 registered Thai seniors.

    This was the first Rice Run in more than two years that we could stop using plastic bags and asked Thais to bring their own bags to carry the supplies we give them. Another small step in trying to reduce the damage to our Earth.

  • Rice Run Oct 10, 2022

    Rice Run Oct 10, 2022

    Unlike every other, this Rice Run had to be postponed to a Monday because of my Immigration appointment.

    Mila and I went shopping for supplies on the Monday morning at Makro and later, at Klong Toei market.

    We packed the bags of supplies at Boss.

    Martel and Claire came to distribute the assistance to Thai people at 4pm and we were done in record time.

    We gave out 59 bags of supplies to our registered seniors of Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities. Here are more pics…

  • Rice Run Sep 23, 2022 sponsored by K. Anju

    Rice Run Sep 23, 2022 sponsored by K. Anju

    K. Anju sponsored a Milk Run event in Mar and this time bought rice for our registered seniors. We gave out 61 bags of rice, fish sauce, cooking oil and pork to seniors of Rong Moo and Suan Ooy communities.