Town Council Issues Safety Warning, Requests Relocation of Pre-Loved Items
SINGAPORE: A resident in Woodlands who established a “Blessing Booth” to give away pre-loved goods along the common HDB corridor is now required to reduce the volume of items and cease accepting donations. This came after Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council issued a safety notice, stating that the booth was obstructing the common property and posing potential safety risks.
Fitri Azura Selamat, 30, had been running the Blessing Booth on the 21st level of Block 185A Woodlands Street 13 since September 2021. The booth was intended to help those in need by providing free clothes, children’s toys, and dry food. In a Facebook post on April 26, Azura shared that she had received a letter from the town council instructing her to downsize her operations. The new arrangement will see her limit giveaways to only the area directly outside her flat and cease accepting additional items from donors.
Azura, a mother of two young children, shared her personal story of hardship, explaining that she had once struggled to afford basic necessities like diapers and milk powder. This experience led her to seek online donations, and she was overwhelmed by the generosity of others. In gratitude, Azura began her Blessing Booth initiative to pay it forward, helping those in need.
While the initiative was initially praised by Marsiling-Yew-Tee MP Zaqy Mohamad as a “wonderful initiative,” the town council highlighted safety concerns, as the large quantities of items were obstructing the corridor leading to the lift area. The council instructed Azura to clear the items by May 11, and she has since apologized to her neighbours, asking for their understanding as she adjusts the operation.
In response, the town council has been working with members of the Residents’ Network to find an alternative storage location for the items. A void deck store with CCTV surveillance has been proposed, but the move would require Azura to transport the items down from the corridor.
Azura’s post appeals to donors to stop sending additional items for redistribution, while the authorities assist in relocating the supplies to a new storage space.
