The Rotary Club of Pandan Valley raised more than $20,000 for Mushroom Buddies on Saturday (April 12).
70 participants from the club and Mushroom Buddies joined the fundraiser, which included a fun, 5km walk across the scenic Henderson Waves, Telok Blangah Hill and the Railway Corridor.
The participants, which consisted of volunteers, family members and friends of the club, were split up and each group comprised of a member of Mushroom Buddies, who led the trek. They ended the day with a group brunch and an exclusive pop-up market at the Mushroom Buddies farm.
Located in City Sprouts – Henderson, Mushroom Buddies is an initiative by the inclusive co-operative (co-op) Employment for People with Intellectual Disabilities (E4PID).
Operated by a tight group of 30 dedicated volunteers, Mushroom Buddies provides inclusive employment opportunities for youth with intellectual disabilities. Employees carry out operations tasks, such as harvesting, trimming and packaging Pearl Oysters and Lion’s Mane mushrooms, in the mushroom farm. They are also involved in the maintenance work and compost the mushroom waste and expired mushroom logs every morning.
According to the co-op, the meaningful collaboration between the two entities took eight months to plan and served a greater purpose of promoting inclusion, sustainability, and growth.
“There were some early concerns that a few of our staff might not complete the full 5km. But they proved otherwise. Every single one of them crossed the finish line,” the co-op’s social media post stated.
The funds raised will be used to streamline and improve farm operations, develop its business plans, and employ more youths who are differently-abled.
Beyond freshly harvested mushrooms, Mushroom Buddies is also offering Mushroom Pate and Mushroom Chips to date.
Follow Mushroom Buddies on Instagram (@mushroombuddies_sg).
By Sng Ler Jun
SCM Scoop delivers bite-sized co-operative news from the Singapore Co-operative Movement. Learn more about the Singapore Co-operative Movement’s Centennial Celebration here.
