Another Week Beyond – 2313

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear friends, We have 4 mutual support groups we call Family Circles comprising 28 caregivers who attend regularly.  Meetings are held at least once a month in the language that members are most comfortable with and so there are Chinese and Malay speaking circles. During meetings, members submit to us a self-report of their household income, expenses, savings, and debt. After a year, the collective data across all 4 circles revealed a 34% increase in the median income and 25% in the mean income. There was also a 100% increase in median savings and 82% in mean savings. Where debt …

Another Week Beyond – 2312

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Children and youth, youth

Dear friends, A youth who was new to the programme picked up a guitar hesitantly and started strumming at the back of the room. She knew the song the “band” was playing, and she mouthed the lyrics which spoke to her. “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?” Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?” explained her so eloquently. She knew every word from “Firework” by Katy Perry and they moved her from playing rhythm guitar in the background to centre stage …

Another Week Beyond – 2311

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear friends, For the past 10 years, we have been enabling women who are unable to take on full-time employment for various reasons to acquire a livelihood. Sew Can We and Bakers Beyond have been 2 such programmes where participants got to “learn and earn.”  The sewing and baking jobs were not enough for the women to sustain their households, but the earnings enabled them to meet increased household expenses during festive periods. This was important as the means to celebrate festivals provided their families with a sense of normalcy. Besides generating income, our goal is for the women to learn …

Another Week Beyond – 2310

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear friends, 6 months ago, a father who was well-regarded in his neighbourhood as a friendly and caring person contacted us. He was distraught that his children aged 15, 13 and 10 would be placed in care if he could not convince the authorities that he was able to manage his household. His home was in a mess and deemed unhygienic. As a single parent and a wheelchair user, cleaning up the home was a challenge even with the help of his children. When we learnt of his situation, we set out to organise a clean-up, but the children were …

Another Week Beyond – 2309

Comms Team Another Week Beyond, Community

Dear friends, Lunch, bingo, a sing-along, and a lucky draw would be a common Sunday afternoon at a social and recreational club. Thanks to The Lodge of St George No 1152 E.C and the Beach Road Residents’ Committee, the experience was recreated at a common area in their neighbourhood for 60 older persons who live there. This neighbourhood has a significant population of older residents and there is a senior activity centre ensuring that those in need of medical help or care receive the appropriate services. This centre also arranges for meals and social activities for those in reasonable health …