Another Week Beyond – 2006

February 7, 2020

Dear Friends,

We used to have a residential facility that operated as a small-group home and at times, a retreat centre for families to make decisions about the challenges they were facing. Upon welcoming these families, we would tell them that if they needed a piece of furniture or a home appliance that was at the premises, they should let us know and we will send it over to their home. You see, our facilities are mainly furnished with pre-loved items that are constantly coming to us through a goodwill pipeline from the larger Singapore community and giving away what have makes room for new gifts to flow in. So, in a way, we were reducing waste and promoting the value of thrift.

We no longer have this facility and so, the pipeline for bulky furniture that does not fit into the homes of our members is closed. We no longer behave like delivery workers in a furniture showroom and when we match household appliances to our members, we would request the giver and receiver to be responsible for transportation and movers where possible. We also cooperate with Willing Hearts and the Tzu Chi Foundation on recycling efforts as well as several formal and informal groups that promote the reuse of pre-loved furniture.

Volunteers play a big part in the redistribution of pre-loved items and the care we take in handling them demonstrate the values we hold. If we are throwing the items around like junk, we run the risk of positioning potential recipients as scavengers in a rubbish dump. Hence, we are always grateful for donors who ensure that whatever they are giving away is still something presentable to themselves if they had a need for them.

Last Saturday, Shidah, a mother of 4 collected the pre-loved items that came to us in the last couple of months and laid them out nicely at a common area in the vicinity where she lived with the help of her friends. She believed that she had publicized this “free market” well to her neighbours and friends from nearby neighbourhoods and was expecting a crowd of 200. However, she soon realised that people were concerned about the threat of the corona virus and immediately decided to direct those that showed up to the mask collection centre nearby.

Eventually, neighbours showed up and probably because word got around that they could pick up their masks as well. As for Shida, she collected the remaining items and sent out the message that those who had wanted to avoid a crowd that they could still pick up some things at her home. Shidah tells us she organised the event as a way of encouraging mutual care and concern among people and this also means appreciating what people are most concerned about. It is a worrying time now and she felt that putting aside the items for those who did not come was just small gesture to lift spirits.

Wishing one and all health and peace of mind,

Gerard

“Love and peace of mind do protect us. They allow us to overcome the problems that life hands us. They teach us to survive… to live now… to have the courage to confront each day.” —Bernie Siegel

P.S. Please note that this message is not a call for donations. Our efforts are driven by the requests from the families in our membership and we take into consideration their needs and preferences. When we receive an offer of a donation, we need 2 weeks lead time to pull together the volunteers and other logistical support to get the item to the recipient.

PAST AWB POSTS

2610 – Oranges, Dates, and Party Plates

March 6, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Dira, Neighbourhood Leader Some evenings come together in unexpected ways. Our monthly community birthday celebration in Ang Mo Kio happened to fall at a time when Chinese New Year was still in the air and Ramadan was already underway. So the evening became a mix of all three – oranges for the New Year, dates for those breaking fast, and party plates laid out for the children celebrating their birthdays that month. Close to a hundred residents – seniors, adults and children – came downstairs to join the gathering. A few of us residents helped organise the

2609 – How We Spend Our Time

March 6, 2026 No Comments

Story contributed by Anne Marie, Resource Mobilisation It has been some years since we last stood behind a volunteer recruitment booth in a school setting, and so earlier this month, when we were invited to take part in Nanyang Technological University’s Social Impact Week, it felt like a return of sorts. For two afternoons, we found ourselves in the middle of student activity, surrounded by clubs, social enterprises and fellow agencies. We were there with a simple invitation: to talk about volunteering, particularly in support of the older youths in our academic programmes. At our booth, we asked visitors to

2608 – Holding The Middle

February 20, 2026 No Comments

Written by The Beyond Editorial Team She has always cared for others. Long before we knew her, Mdm Sng* was already checking in on elderly neighbours, helping them navigate services, passing along information, gathering what they needed. When we began working in the area, she reached out quickly. Not for herself. For others. Over time, though, something shifted. There was no single incident. Just the quiet accumulation of strain. Our team had become leaner. Priorities evolved. Expectations were not always spoken clearly. Along the way, misunderstandings surfaced. Community tensions are rarely linear. They sit in the middle of relationships –

2607 – Refreshing Our Purpose

February 20, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Shariffah, Community Worker In January, we gathered again in a familiar circle. Since then, three Capability Building sessions have brought together 26 Neighbourhood Leaders and Community Volunteers from three neighbourhoods. It was not a workshop in the traditional sense. It was a space to pause, reflect and ask ourselves what kind of community we are shaping together. The most recent session, Refreshing Our Purpose, did exactly that. It slowed the momentum of activity and returned us to the questions underneath the work: What are we building? For whom? And how do we know it is truly shared?

2606 – Still Here

February 9, 2026 No Comments

As shared by Daybet, Former Beyond Youth Twenty years had passed since Daybet last walked through the doors of Beyond’s office. The space felt smaller than he remembered, but not unfamiliar. Before he could fully take it in, he saw a face that pulled him straight back into memory. “Uncle George!” George paused. It took a second. Then recognition landed – fittingly, on the very day he marked 23 years of working at Beyond. What followed was the easy rhythm of reunion: updates exchanged, laughter over half-forgotten details, stories filling in the years that had slipped by. “You remember Daybet?”

2605 – It Takes Time

January 29, 2026 No Comments

Written by Wilson, Community Worker I first met Jamie* early last year. She sat close to her mother and said very little. When I asked her questions, her mother often answered first, then turned to Jamie to check if she wanted to add anything. Jamie listened carefully, nodding, offering short replies when she felt able to. Her mother had approached us for support because Jamie was no longer in education or employment. Since leaving school, Jamie spent most of her time at home. Apart from attending school previously, she rarely went out, and once that routine ended, her days became

2604 – When Learning is Small Enough to Notice

January 29, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Jie Ying, Community Worker Last Saturday, we gathered to mark the end of a small Early Learning Programme class at Lengkok Bahru. The class began in June last year with seven children. Over time, some families moved on as needs shifted and priorities changed. By January, three children remained. We did not see this as a shortcoming. Community work often teaches us that participation ebbs and flows, and that small numbers are not a sign of failure but an invitation to pay closer attention. With fewer people in the room, there is more to notice. Parents sat

2603 – When Youths Take the Field

January 20, 2026 No Comments

Story Contributed by Yik, Resource Mobilisation In December last year, a small group of children gathered at Delta Sports Centre for a football session. There were six of them, between four and nine years old. One of the youngest arrived with his mother, staying close as the day unfolded. The session wasn’t run by adults or coaches brought in from outside. It was planned and led entirely by Learning Coaches – youths from the community who already spend their weeks supporting younger children with learning. Over time, these youths have become familiar faces to families, people children listen to and