5,000 migrant workers were celebrated and thanked with clothes, haircuts and potluck spread by volunteers

Migrant workers are one of the more overlooked communities in most places. They face discrimination and injustice for choosing to leave their country for another country in hopes of providing a better future for their families.

One non-profit organization from Singapore decided that they deserved to be appreciated and celebrated.

ItsRainingRaincoats threw a massive potluck party that saw the participation of 5,000 foreign workers and volunteers in June last month as reported by Mothership.

The first-of-its-kind event was initiated by Dipa Swaminathan, a lawyer and the founder of the local social enterprise initiative that mainly focuses on issues pertaining to migrant workers.

She posted a call for volunteers on her Facebook page expressing her intention and received an overwhelming response.

A month of planning and preparing ensued and they pulled off the biggest feast spread.

Most of the food was either cooked by the volunteers, sponsored or subsidized by the kind public who genuinely wanted to help. 

“That’s the beauty of this event, everything was ground-up. Other than the money for the food I cooked, I put in zero dollars,” she said to The Straits Times.

The food ranged from local staples such as chicken rice and prata to pizzas, pastries and cakes.

Besides that, the migrant workers had some fun too enjoying free haircuts and photo booth sessions.

A lot of pre-loved items such as water bottles, clothes, backpack, footwear, and other necessities were up for grabs as well.

Contended with how the event had turned out, Ms Dipa expressed that it all seemed like a pipe dream when she first put up the post online. Now that the reality is unfolding before her very eyes, she is truly delighted and grateful for everyone that has contributed to the event’s success.

“Every time I put out a call for help, someone responded,” she said.