Here’s my self-portrait during my time in the SPED workshop, before which I never got my chance to do some serious DSLR photography. Here is my first time writing a blog entry for Foreword Coffee. Let me start first with my life story. I was an odd silent child when I have my autism diagnosis. I define all the odds to go to a mainstream school thrice. In finding employment, I went from 300+ applications to finding an employment program that told me that I cannot be in open employment. Of course, it did not work out for...
This blogpost goes out to those who want to make a difference in the lives of others by joining a social enterprise startup and to create impact larger than what can be done by themselves. I’m not talking to the founders of the startup as the founders usually have the most compelling reasons to stick around their company with or without an end in sight and toiling the most nights to work things out. Employees, on the other hand, may have fewer reasons to commit to the same level as the founders, but there are gems who would take the...
Temasek Shophouse, aka. TSH, on a Saturday during Foreword Coffee’s appreciation lunch last Saturday. Photo credits: Keith Goh. Tomorrow I will be working at Temasek Shophouse (TSH) for the first time. I can’t believe it’s already been six months since I joined the company. You never know what life has prepared for you. Before November 2018, I never knew that Foreword Coffee existed, and never thought that I would be working with people with special needs, and having worked with (and still is) some of them, I realize that I am more than just a perfect fit for the...
The Foreword Team after a Chinese New Year Reunion As I venture into the corporate world, I wonder how different the community there will be. Would it be as warm, kind, friendly, honest and inclusive as this place was? Goodbyes have never been easy. But this isn’t goodbye, it’s a see you again. Initially, when I first started working at Foreword Coffee, my sole intention was to learn everything I can about coffee. As with many of my endeavors, my initial intention was just a spark to an amazing journey that I could not have foreseen. What started out...
In the short two years running Foreword Coffee, I’ve met with many job coaches and feel that they play a very important role to help persons with disabilities and special needs find a place in our society. My first contact with a job coach was when the company partnered Cerebral Palsy Alliance School Singapore (CPASS) to provide work attachment for two of their students at our cafe. Foreword Coffee was situated within National University of Singapore (NUS) University Town (UTown) back then, and our cafe was just a humble space with alfresco seating. One of the last few...
#BiteWeekly is a new initiative by Foreword Coffee to raise awareness for voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs), social enterprises, independent bakehouses, and home bakers with compelling stories and meaningful causes that we support. Search for our hashtag on Instagram to find out more. I would remember my first encounter with Bakery Hearts — a warm and happy feeling I got from my first bite into their freshly baked chocolate brownie. It was love at first bite, during the last session of an entrepreneurship module I was studying during my University days, and I’ve always hoped to learn more about what they do...
