Dear friends, Sara was checking out her surroundings as she had just moved into the neighbourhood. She noticed many young people joyfully utilising the basketball and street soccer courts and several others playing catch or chatting in small groups around a playground. A few metres from her, a boy simply dropped his bag on the floor and ran toward the playground …
Another Week Beyond – 2346
Dear friends, “After so many years on the job, I continue to be amazed by how neighbours treat each other like siblings,” my colleague commented to the parents who had organised a barbeque to recognise their children’s efforts at a recent street soccer tournament. The team did not win but the parents wanted to applaud the teamwork and sportsmanship displayed. …
Another Week Beyond – 2345
Dear Friends, In the spirit of community-led change, our learning programmes have been moving toward self-organised and self-directed learning. Peer Learning Circles are study groups supported by a circle of volunteers who do not teach but provide academic resources and learning guidance. The initiative is also constantly on the lookout for neighbours who offer the hospitality of their homes for …
Another Week Beyond – 2341
Dear Friends, The Lengkok Bahru September Babies Celebration impressed on 13 children that they were loved by family and friends. A mother baked a 4kg vanilla cake adorned with chocolate sprinkles and youth living in the neighbourhood kept the party going with games, good cheer, and gentle banter. The celebration took place at the rooftop garden of the Leng Kee …
Another Week Beyond – 2331
Dear Friends, The Girls Brigade invited us to speak about poverty at their annual camp called Fast Food and Fuzz. The aim of the camp was to nurture a sense of gratitude among its participants for the various blessings they enjoy. In their invitation letter, they asked if we could explain the causes of poverty, the challenges faced by those affected and …
Another Week Beyond – 2327
Dear Friends, 2 Sundays ago, I was making my way to the office to prepare for our volunteer-run chiropractic clinic when the van in front of mine stopped. It was a one-way street and the driver got out and walked toward me. It was a courier van, and I was thinking that the guy was having difficulty locating an address and wanted …
Another Week Beyond – 2324
Dear Friends, An intern facilitated an exercise on creating a LinkedIn profile for 5 youths whose ages were not too different from hers. On a worksheet, the youth listed their work experiences, strengths/skills, and interests. As these youth were still in school, they were told that the category for work could include their volunteering and caregiving experiences. However, we soon …
Another Week Beyond – 2317
Dear friends, After presenting a report on the amount of food and household essentials they helped to distribute in their neighbourhood last year, we asked 10 residents for their feedback. They were pleased with their effort and told us that the volunteer work enabled them to make friends with their neighbours. A mother added that her children also accompanied her …
Another Week Beyond – 2315
Dear friends, After a performance at the Esplanade in 2019 to mark our 50th Anniversary, our community theatre took a short break that turned into a rather long one because of COVID-19. Hence, we were thrilled when a young person from the programme took the lead last August to revive it with new members and some volunteers skilled in theatre craft. The …
Another Week Beyond – 2314
Dear friends, “What was one thing that you were stressed about this week?” The young people present responded to the question thoughtfully. They were then instructed to pen down how they felt immediately after the stressful incident and how they felt a day later. This was a simple exercise in developing self-awareness because when we document an experience, we are …