First Volunteer Festival makes the rounds in the heartland in July
Published on
07 Jul 2024
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE - Ms Aziah Salim, 54, started out as a volunteer probation officer (VPO) – supporting young offenders serving probation – out of curiosity.
When she met hostile young people who refused to speak to her, she pressed on. Fifteen years later, she is still at it, driven by the satisfaction of helping wayward youth complete their probation and get back on track in life.
“I’m very happy when they’re free, and can get back on their feet and start normal life again,” said Ms Aziah, who works full time as a marketing associate.
She was among the volunteers sharing their experiences at the first Volunteer Festival, or VFest, launched by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as part of its Year of Celebrating Volunteers.
To be held over four weekends in July in the heartland, VFest will have booths by social service agencies sharing about their volunteering opportunities, as well as fireside chats and volunteers with different organisations sharing their experiences.
Each weekend focuses on a key theme specific to the resident demographics and volunteering needs in different regions in Singapore. The themes are: enabling persons with disabilities at Our Tampines Hub on July 6 and 7; strengthening families at Toa Payoh Hub on July 13 and 14; helping low-income families at Kampung Admiralty on July 20 and 21; and supporting youth-at-risk at Lot One Shoppers’ Mall on July 27 and 28.
Speaking at the festival launch on July 7, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said close to eight in 10 social service agencies have put in place volunteer management processes, and about seven in 10 have dedicated volunteer managers.
He added that 24 SG Cares Volunteer Centres have been set up to coordinate volunteer efforts, in addition to the MSFCare Network, which was started to coordinate family-centric programmes and connect volunteers with one another.
Such efforts to sustain volunteer engagement have resulted in a 20 per cent increase in total volunteering hours in the last two years, Mr Masagos said.
On top of her duties as a VPO, Ms Aziah took up another volunteering commitment in 2021 as a Child Protective Service volunteer.
She said building trust with the children’s families is challenging, but she has learnt not to bring her problems home.
“I don’t feel alone doing this,” she said, adding that she has a group of friends of different ages and backgrounds, who volunteer as VPOs under the MSFCare Network, and whom she meets at volunteer events.
Another volunteer who shared her experiences with The Straits Times at the festival was Ms Helen Lu, 56, who has volunteered with the Enabling Services Hub at Tampines West Community Club near her home since it was set up in August 2023.
She helps to facilitate activities such as cooking, sports and outings at the hub, which offers community support for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
In 2022, Ms Lu quit her job as manager of a senior activity centre to care for her mother who has dementia. The stress drove her to look for volunteering opportunities to get out of her home and meet other people.
“When I became a full-time caregiver, I worried about myself getting depression or dementia,” she said.
Ms Lu has hired a helper to look after her mother, who lives with Ms Lu’s brother in Bukit Timah.
She continues to visit her mother weekly and take her to medical appointments.
Ms Lu now volunteers at the hub at least once a week, on top of caring for her husband, who has cerebral palsy and uses a personal mobility device to get around.
Ms Lu, who encourages her husband to volunteer as well, added: “Instead of staying home and doing nothing, I can spend time doing something meaningful in my life and also brighten other people’s lives.
“It’s time well spent.”
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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