Man, 40, joins migrant workers for lunch at Woodlands void deck, they bond over family

A man in Singapore, who stopped to have lunch with three migrant workers at a void deck in Woodlands, has won praise online for taking the time to get to know them.

Joshua Woo shared the encounter in a Facebook post, describing how a trip home for lunch turned into a conversation about family and life away from home.

Workers welcomed Woo's impromptu lunch request

Speaking to Mothership, Woo, 40, said the encounter took place at the void deck of Block 830 Woodlands Street 83.

He said he had seen the workers resting there before, but this was his first time sitting down to speak with all three of them.

Woo was rushing home to have his lunch when he spotted them preparing to eat and decided to join them instead.

The workers were initially surprised and shy, but welcomed him warmly, he said.

Woo bought them 100PLUS from a nearby minimart, and they toasted with their drinks before chatting over their meals.

The man described himself as a grassroots leader and community volunteer in Woodlands and told Mothership that caring for the community extends beyond residents to the migrant workers who help improve the neighbourhood.

“I simply wanted to sit down, share a meal, thank them for their hard work and get to know the people behind the work we often take for granted,” he said.

Introduced to a worker’s children over video call

Woo, who is a father of six, told Mothership that their conversation turned to their families.

Suresh, who is from India, has three children aged three, five, and seven, while another worker, Zaw, has a two-year-old daughter.

Some of the workers had spent almost 10 years working in Singapore, missing precious family moments to provide for their loved ones, Woo said.

The moment that touched him most came when Suresh video-called his children and introduced Woo to them.

“At that moment, we weren’t Singaporeans or migrant workers. We were simply fathers who love our children,” he said.

Warm response online

The post drew appreciative comments, with some readers sharing their own experiences with migrant workers.

Woo told Mothership that he had not expected the response.

“I simply wanted to remind people that kindness doesn’t need to be grand or loud,” he said.

He found the appreciation and encouragement heartwarming, especially the comments from those who were reminded to appreciate workers’ contributions to society.

Woo has yet to share the online response with the three workers, but said he intends to do so and hopes to catch up with them over another lunch.

Reflecting on the encounter, he urged people to slow down and appreciate those around them.

“They may be far from their families, but that doesn’t mean they should feel far from our hearts,” he said.