A healthy snack or a special gift: treat yourself and do good by supporting these social enterprises

During these Covid-19 times, F&B and retail businesses find their sales impacted, with local enterprises being no exception. For some, the need to adapt and thrive is even more pressing. They not only need to meet their bottom line, but also sustain the social missions their businesses are built on, to continue supporting those in need.

In these two-part series, we feature some businesses you can consider supporting. By doing so, you also support their larger social mission to do good!

For that healthy midday treat

WhatIF Foods

WhatIF Foods carries a range of soups, shakes and instant noodles that are nutritious and sustainable.

Craving for instant noodles or a hearty soup? Here’s an un-sinful treat for both you and the environment.

What makes them so are their ingredients. WhatIF’s noodles and soups are made with moringa and Bambara groundnut, known to be able to withstand harsh climates, require little water to grow, and be cultivated on degraded land. Their instant noodles are not fried, but made with a proprietary technology that involves steaming and drying at high-velocity. The end result is a meal that has 70% less fat than other similar products.

Purchase meals here

Boxgreen

Boxgreen curates and delivers healthy and natural snacks. A portion of its proceeds goes towards empowering ex-offenders through training programmes and employment opportunities.

Feeling the urge to snack while on a Netflix marathon at home? Turn to some healthier options by stocking up on Boxgreen’s nutritious snacks.

The social enterprise’s catalogue consists of healthy alternatives to junk food, such as its plant-based Crunchies series which boasts of delicious snacks like honey mustard soy crisps and umami shiitake mushroom chips. Or, there’s its variety of snack boxes like the Superfood Box, all packed full of proteins, nutrients and tasty goodness.

Select your snacks here.

“We see an increasing number of consumers/companies writing in to ask for healthier snacks and juices that have ingredients that are known to boost immunity,” said co-founder Walter Oh, adding that the company has put together care packages for these requests.

“We have also pushed out gift vouchers for businesses who would like to send some snacks to their employees at home to encourage them during these tough times.”

Did you know?

Social enterprises Bettr Barista, Foreword Coffee and Boxgreen had earlier in March partnered DBS to offer free drinks and snacks to healthcare workers, our frontline heroes in the fight against Covid-19.

Oh My Goodness!

Oh My Goodness! seeks to make delicious gluten-free and dairy-free baked goods accessible and affordable. Today, its operations team is made up exclusively of ex-offenders and persons with intellectual disabilities.

The Oh My Goodness! website hosts its entire grocery-friendly range of gluten-free and vegan goodness (dark chocolate cake, lemon-raspberry cake, pumpkin spice bread ... the list goes on!). Can’t decide what to get? You can order a range of individual slices too! Check out its menu here.

A gift for yourself and others

Bloomback

Bloomback seeks to empowers marginalised communities with skills training and employment. It also re-purposes flowers into bouquets for beneficiary organisations, such as elderly homes and hospices.

Know someone in need of cheering up? Send them Bloomback’s unique and beautifully preserved roses, which look and feel just like fresh flowers but can last longer and are more sustainable. From birthdays to anniversaries, this social enterprise has a variety of floral arrangement styles for you to choose from, so that you can always make that special someone feel loved.

Browse their collections here.

EDEN+ELIE

EDEN+ELIE is a design-based enterprise that seeks to bring work to those unable to enter the regular job market due to circumstances, such as poverty, disability or care-giving responsibilities. It trains individuals to become artisans in the craft of beadweaving.

Feeling a tad down from being cooped up at home? Cheer yourself up with a little treat. Shop guilt-free knowing your purchase helps the jewelry brand continue supporting its artisans, who are adults with autism.

Check them out here.

“Eden+Elie supports 10 artisans who are adults with autism, who have been steadily, meticulously and faithfully producing our jewelry for the past few years,” says founder Stephanie Choo.

“We hoped to keep them working in order not to break their routines. But given the enhanced restrictions (and being considered a non-essential business), we had to eventually shut the workspace down,” said Stephanie. During the earlier weeks of the Covid-19 outbreak, the artisans were shifted to staggered shifts and workspaces were rearranged for greater social distancing.

DBS Foundation supports social enterprises through various ways, including grant funding and capacity building, so as to help bring about positive social and environmental impact in the community.