It has come to our attention that Facebook Posts have been posted involving FCCVi and its staff on 31 January 2023 and 22 February 2023 that are not true.

The Facebook Post dated 22 February 2023 made claims against FCCVi and its Staff that are false. We would like to set the record on some of the allegations made in the Facebook Post dated 22 February 2023.

Claims that FCCVi is running the Community Pantry through a Government Grant are not true.

FCCVi’s food distribution program first started as a result of a grant that FCCVi was awarded at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the Grant funding has now been exhausted.

As the FCCVi Executive Community and Management did not want to disappoint our community elderlies, the FCCVi Executive Committee & Management have decided to allocate its own funds to sustain this service as the community grapples with the continuing cost of living and interest rates rises.

Thus, at the beginning of February 2023, we launched our Community Pantry and to date, we have served over 389 families, and packed over 778 of bags containing assorted groceries, fruits & vegetables and have distributed them for FREE.

We managed to do this despite the fact that all COVID-related grants have been exhausted since the end of 2022 as we have resumed our normal lives. Any claims of funding received by FCCVI amounting to $76,000.00 to run the Community Pantry are false and not true.

We issue this statement not to highlight our efforts but to set the record straight regarding false reports passed on and circulated online.

📅 What happened on 20 February 2023

We wish to assure everyone that we never discriminate with our distribution - everybody is welcome until supplies last for the day. Groceries, fruits & vegetables are all distributed for FREE.

Due to false reports circulating in the Community, we wish to set the record straight regarding the events surrounding our pantry distribution last Monday, the 20th of February 2023. Our pantry opens at 1:00 pm since the Foodbank truck delivers our goods in the morning and our staff & volunteers segregate the items and pack the goods. We normally distribute two bags - groceries + fruits & vegs.

We purposely set the opening of the community pantry at 1:00 pm as this allows us time to pack and, before distribution resumes, provide our staff & volunteers much-needed time to recharge, rest and have lunch so they can regain their energy for the distribution of bags and the clean-up afterward. The opening time of the Community Pantry is advertised on FCCVi’s Facebook Page and is well-known in the Community.

On 20 February 2023, a van full of elderlies arrived at 11:00 am. After their arrival, they were politely advised that the pantry is still closed and will open at 1:00 pm.

For some unknown reason, elderlies appeared to have been offloaded and were seen sitting in front of FCCVi’s doorway. Further, the Van carrying the elderlies was illegally parked in front of the FCCVi building for over two hours.

Whilst, we would have loved to be able to provide the elderlies with goods sooner, we were still in the process of packing the goods and were not in a position to make a distribution then. We also note that opening the Community Pantry earlier would have been unfair to other Community Members who would have travelled to FCCVi premises and arrived on time, but would have missed out on the goods.

FCCVi is responsible for the Community Pantry which FCCVi made clear will open on that day at 1:00 pm, not 11:00 am or 12 Noon. Someone else is responsible for getting the timing of the opening of the Community Pantry wrong. Someone else is responsible for the health & well-being of the elderlies under their care. Whoever decided to make the elderlies wait outside of FCCVi’s premises for two hours after being made aware that the Community Pantry does not open until 1:00 pm instead of bringing them elsewhere where they can wait in comfort should be held responsible, not FCCVi.

🕑 Claims of earlier distribution

As the FCCVi Staff and Volunteers finished our packing early, and in consideration of the people waiting outside, FCCVI decided to open the panty at 12:45 pm, still ahead of our scheduled opening. We started distributing the bags of goods and by 1:45 pm our supplies for the day were all gone.

⚖️ Legal Advice

We have sought legal advice and the Executive Community will vote in the coming days on what we intend to do in relation to this false narrative circulating in our community against FCCVi, the Executive Committee, its Staff and Volunteers.

❤️ Continued Service to the Community 🌸

Our Community Pantry is now fully funded by FCCVi and our private benefactors. We will continue to run this program for as long as we can despite any false claims made FCCVi.

We thank you for your continued support and faith in our mission to serve. We promise the community that we will continue to do despite all the “noise” and false claims made against the Community Pantry.

🇵🇭 To our volunteers, friends and the Community -
Mabuhay po tayong lahat at taus pusong pasasalamat po sa inyong patuloy na suporta at pag-unawa.💖