UAE summer: How to volunteer to hand out cold juices and frozen treats to workers

UAE residents have the opportunity to bring a smile to the face of blue-collar workers this summer. As part of the Al Freej Fridge campaign that aims to distribute ice creams and drinks among workers, the general public is being offered the chance to volunteer their services.

Volunteering in the UAE is highly encouraged, with some even being offered the Golden Visa for their selfless service. 

“We put out a call for volunteers just two days ago and we already have more than 80 people signing up,” said Alia Al Shamlan, Director of Ferjan Dubai. “To ensure that we give everyone a chance, we will consider one volunteer sign up for a single chance. Only if we are unable to find other volunteers will we give anyone a repeat chance.”

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Supported by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Ferjan Dubai, in collaboration with the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) and the UAE Food Bank, launched the second edition of the Al Freej Fridge campaign on June 23. The initiative, which aims to distribute 2 million bottles of cold water, juices, and frozen treats, will run for 58 days at various locations around the city.

Volunteering options

According to Alia, there are different ways in which the public can volunteer for the initiative. “We have six ice cream trucks which will travel around the city,” she said. “Residents can volunteer to travel on these and hand out items to the workers. In addition to that, residents can also come forward to drive around in their own private vehicle to distribute these juices and frozen treats. We will provide them with a cooler and the items to be handed out.”

Apart from this, residents can also volunteer for the Freej Fridge programme and buy refreshments on their own to distribute. “We want to make sure that the programme reaches all parts of Dubai where workers are there,” she said. “Opening the programme out to the community will help do that.”

She added that residents who register, using the sign-up sheet on the Ferjan Dubai social media account, will be given a sticker to put on their cars and a volunteer jacket to clearly identify them as being part of the initiative. Volunteers can choose between two shifts of 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm on several dates in July and August.

The initiative, which received an overwhelmingly positive response in its first edition last year, returned with the support of several entities. This year, it is aiming to offer respite to workers from several different location across the emirate.

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