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…
Shannon is in Australia and we didn’t have any volunteers who could drive Sister Joan’s truck so today we had to get creative. Sa and I did the shopping starting at 7am instead of 10 so we could have time to bring all supplies to Boss and pack the Rice Run food items into individual bags too.
Then we parked the loaded truck at the distribution point in Rong Moo so Janna, Martel & Claire could deliver the food without driving.
They gave away 62 bags too our registered recipients. Here are more photos from today…
Sapee and Rolland joined this Rice Run shopping leg and we were on fire – less than 2 hours from meeting in Klong Toei, shipping at Makro and Klong Toei market and delivering everything back to boss Mansion.
In the afternoon, May, Martel, Janna and others delivered the food supplies to our registered needy in Klong Toei slum. David came to help with driving Sister’s truck. Another successful Rice Run…
The Thai Mother’s Day Rice Run was a special one! Sister Cecilia surprised us with her presence and so did SJ – one of the three people responsible for our continuing effort with Sister Joan’s Mission.
It was (from left to right) me, SJ and Shannon that agreed to continue Sister Joan’s work when Sister Joan left in October of 2016.
On Aug 12th, Sister Cecilia, Shannon, SJ and other volunteers delivered 62 bags of food supplies to our registered recipients. Here are more pictures from that day….
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.
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…
I was lucky today to be able to do the shopping and delivery for the Rice Run, just like I used to do when Sister Joan lived in Bangkok.
Trini was also in Bangkok so she joined Servane and the usual suspects in the afternoon distribution of items. We delivered 69 food packages to our registered Thai recipients. Here are more pics…
