Dear Friends, Marlina, who has been living in a public rental neighbourhood for more than 12 years has recently joined us as a colleague responsible for coordinating programmes where she lives. She told me that securing a full-time job with employment benefits was not something she thought was possible after being a full-time caregiver for many years. Blessed with an …
Dear Friends, Last year, our Board set out to explore how technology may empower our efforts for better programme outcomes. As such, with the support of the Info-Tech Board Committee, we introduced technology to those who have not been able to reap the benefits of a digitalised lifestyle. 5 mothers who were not digitally savvy learnt to set up a store on …
Dear Friends, Sue, 56 years old moved into a new neighbourhood 7 months ago and about a month later, she sent a message to our Facebook page requesting educational support for her 13-year-old granddaughter for whom she has legal guardianship. She asked for a colleague who had spoken to her when she was living elsewhere, and we updated her that this …
Dear Friends, In 1991, we operated the Bukit Ho Swee Family Service Centre which was one of the first 4 pilot FSCs in Singapore. The FSC was conceptualised as a one-stop facility in response to the existing and emerging social needs of a locality. A few years later, the FSC focused on promoting the well-being of families as the basic …
Dear Friends, We run a fathers’ support group on Sunday mornings at the Yishun neighbourhood. Sundays because it is the only time the fathers can spare from their busy work schedule. This week, 3 fathers came by and as one was new, we recapped the goal of the group that had been collectively decided previously. The 3 goals were i. To …
Dear Friends, 11 caregivers listened intently to a briefing on what a personal accident insurance policy would mean for them. The briefing was conducted by a couple of volunteers in Mandarin and English and translated into Malay where needed. Their children who accompanied them were looked after by volunteers in another room and so they were able to give their …
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 …
Dear Friends, 2 Mondays ago, we had the privilege of introducing our community development practices to a roomful of educators. We prepared a day-long programme where they experienced how we would go about addressing a neighbourhood conflict guided by a framework for non-violent communication. The goal of such work is to deescalate the conflict and to restore cordiality if not …
Dear Friends, On Monday evening, we welcomed 13 cyclists and their volunteer safety crew with a home-cooked dinner, clean towels, and ice-cold drinks. Since 2014, the Epic Cyclist Group has been organising an annual endurance ride that covers at least 1000 kilometres to raise funds and awareness for charity. Over the years, they have raised some S$4.4 million dollars for the Kidney …
Dear Friends, 3 months ago, when we asked 3 mothers what would bring neighbours together, their spontaneous answer was “Food!” One of them is a volunteer who organises the distribution of food drop-offs by the Jamiyah Food Bank, elaborated that food is a way to do good. Every fortnight when the truckful of groceries arrives, 4 to 6 neighbours will help her …
