A social enterprise with a mission to build a city that cares.

Contributed By Elizabeth Tan

The aim was to create an organization that would combat apathy and empower people to help others from the heart.

In 2007, this dream was realized when four individuals—Tan Ye Peng, Victor Lim Fei, Koh Chye Soon and Benjamin Cheng­—decided to set up a non-profit, non-religious organization to encourage young people to help the less fortunate in Singapore and overseas.

CityCare’s programs specialize in advocating volunteerism through educational programs in schools and creating platforms for professionals to give back to society through strategic philanthropy. CityCare runs projects that help alleviate the plight of those living in poverty, working closely with local and international partners, spanning education, crisis relief, healthcare and sanitation.

CHAMPIONING YOUTH VOLUNTEERISM

By providing facilitation support to local schools in their community service programs through innovative and meaningful training, CityCare has been able to enhance students’ learning experiences in their Community Involvement Projects, encouraging them to become social change-agents and life-long volunteers.

STRATEGIC CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

CityCare partners with businesses to engage their staff in active volunteerism towards the underprivileged in the community, thereby adding a new dimension to their corporate social responsibility programs.

Some of the companies and organizations that CityCare has worked with include Maybank (Singapore), Citispa, ComfortDelGro Corporation Ltd, Readers’ Digest, Quintiles East Asia Pte Ltd, Itochu Singapore and Huttons Residential Private Limited.

There are also overseas expeditions and humanitarian works that serve as an exceptional tool for teambuilding and fostering greater camaraderie, whereas long term partnerships guarantee a greater sustainability and lasting results for the community.

EMPOWERING THE INDIVIDUAL

In CityCare, the individuals who volunteer and serve the community are known as Caretalysts. Volunteers from the four public universities in Singapore, namely the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore Institute of Management can also join a volunteer club known as the Caretalyst Club. Volunteers can choose a community group of their choice and decide when and where to serve through the events page on Facebook or at their website.

To find out more about CityCare and volunteering opportunities, e-mail to info@citycare.org.sg or log on to www.citycare.org.sg.

Humanitarian Works At A Glance

CityCare volunteers in China

China
• 6 elementary schools, with a combined student enrolment of 2,103
• 5 editions of Spelling Bee competition, with a total of 6,290 participants
• 2 student dormitories for over 700 primary school children

India
• 1 Girls’ Dormitory
• 1 Sheltered Home for street children
• 1 Computer Center for the locals to acquire computer skills

Opening of the Widow Center in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka
• 1 Children’s Home for orphans in Badulla housing 40 children
• 1 Orphanage in Jaffna housing 40 children
• 1 Widow Center in Vavuniya housing 60 widows

Honduras
• SunLife Foundation to help treat children with Hydrocephalus
• Benefited 128 children

A child suffering from Hydrocephalus in Honduras.

International Disaster Relief Work

Sri Lanka
• 7 relief teams
• Total of 39 workers, including 27 volunteers
• Medical aid and rations provided to about 10,000 people in IDP camps
• Donated 500 relief tents
• Completed a new Widow Center in Apr 2010

Relief aid workers in Haiti

Haiti
• First and only relief team from Singapore
• 6 medical teams
• Total of 45 volunteers
• Provided close to S$80,000 worth of aid
• Relief tents, solar lamps, water pumps and water purification filters
• Treated 7,900 patients

Children in China delighted to receive school supplies. PHOTO COURTESY OF CITYCARE

Sichuan
• 6 relief teams
• Total of 14 workers
• Raised a total of S$340,000
• Helped to construct a primary school
• Study awards for 50 university students
• Donated 500 relief tents
• Financial assistance for 140 single parent families

“The BIG I.D.E.A. program conducted by CityCare has been engaging and educational. It has encouraged our students to look at [any given] situation from various angles and given them opportunities to give back to the community.”
~ Alice Chia, teacher in Crescent Girls’ School in charge of the Innovation & Enterprise Club

“Through the Affection in Assurance program, we were able to serve over 50 needy families by offering them free insurance coverage. The experience has given my staff a whole new perspective of life, with a desire to do more for the underprivileged.”
~ Stanley Quek, financial services district manager of SP-Stanley Quek

“I joined as a CityCare as a Caretalyst through the NEW SINGAPOREAN course in my secondary school. The community projects have allowed me to experience things I’ve never experienced before. My friends have also joined me in volunteering as well.”
~ Lee Shiyun, a student from Temasek Polytechnic and a Caretalyst leader

Since its inception, CityCare has engaged 84 schools, 67 companies and recruited 1,478 volunteers, benefiting a total of 8,078 beneficiaries from 78 different organizations through their programs. By the year 2007, CityCare had designed a series of six experiential learning programs:
• The NEW SINGAPOREAN
• The BIG I.D.E.A.
• The Leader in You
• D.A.R.E.
• The 3G Man
• The New Singaporean II- Agents of Change

Alvin Loy gives City News his practical formula on how his seafood company has grown to be successful and reveals to us a few enlightening facts about seafood itself.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

“It is all about tithing and no-nonsense hard work,” says Alvin Loy Jin Hui, 33, director of F.I.S.H. International Sourcing House Pte Ltd, as he talks about his business philosophy and how the company overcame many of its challenges.

The company, F.I.S.H., is an international seafood company, headquartered in Singapore, specializing in manufacturing, distribution, import and export of high quality deep frozen seafood products.

Started in 2004 together with his wife, Zoe Zou, the couple has worked hard to expand the company’s market to places such as China, the European Union, Middle-East, Russia and South-East Asia.

In Singapore, the company supplies retail-packed seafood items to supermarkets such as Giant, Shop ‘N’ Save and Cold Storage and also to places such as the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa.

Loy recalls a particular event in 2008 during the financial crisis, whereby banks were holding back credit from the European and American customers and significantly reducing their purchasing power. “There was a sharp decline in revenue because F.I.S.H. was still mostly dependant on these markets for its turnover. The phenomenon of many seafood companies ceasing its operation was also very discouraging,” says Loy.

Yet, Loy and his wife never gave up; they continued to trust God in their finances and never stopped tithing. What was most commendable was that during the unfavorable point in their business, the couple took a bold step and began tithing at a company level, above and beyond their own personal tithes.

It was after they took this leap of faith that God began to open new doors and opportunities. Markets that Loy had never thought of entering, such as China, Middle-East, Russia began to approach F.I.S.H. and enquired about the products that they supplied.
In 2008, while other companies in the similar industry as F.I.S.H. were facing one of their darkest moments, F.I.S.H. actually saw their demand moving from the West to the booming markets of the East, and experiencing a doubling of their turnover within the next year.

Loy is also very thankful that all the managers and most of the employees at F.I.S.H. are Christians. Very often, company prayer meetings are conducted at the start of the year for dedication, at the end of the year for thanksgiving and whenever the company faces problems and obstacles.

Indeed, one of the successes of F.I.S.H. can be attributed to the power of prayer and being able to commit everything to God together as a company.

Although God has blessed F.I.S.H. tremendously, a lot of hard work was involved before the birth of the company could be actualized. Prior to his involvement in the seafood industry, Loy was actually working in the financial industry in England, facing many good prospects and working opportunities.

But in 2003, his father was diagnosed with glaucoma, a medical eye condition. Persuaded by his father, he returned to help out in his father’s company, which back then, was the largest seafood processing company in Singapore. The company has since been sold off.

The transition from England back to Singapore proved to be a challenge for Loy. Instead of giving him an office job, his father made him first work at the plants from eight in the morning to 12 midnight everyday for a year, frequently transferring him around the different sections of the production process. The work was physically very laborious and arduous, but it facilitated a hands-on learning that helped Loy to acquire valuable production knowledge and skills. Loy continued to work diligently and slowly moved on to sales, and finally opening F.I.S.H. in 2004. Loy’s father has also stayed with him to serve as the advisor of the company.

F.I.S.H. can now pride itself as a company with 35 years of experience because of the vast network and connections it has built with suppliers across the world since the days when Loy was working under his father.

Although the seafood business is highly unpredictable and dependent on the resources of the sea, F.I.S.H. can stand out from its competitors because their connections has allowed them to consistently supply superior quality seafood products, and also be able to supply a variety of products specially tailored to their customer’s wants or needs.

During the interview, Loy also reveals a few interesting details about the frozen seafood industry that the public may have little knowledge about.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF F.I.S.H INTERNATIONAL SOURCING HOUSE

He says, “There is a frequent misconception that fresh seafood is always better than frozen seafood. Although this may be true, it is also possible that frozen seafood can be as fresh, if not, fresher. If frozen as quickly as possible after it was caught, and at an optimum temperature of about  minus 60˚C, meat can actually be preserved and remain very fresh.”

Loy goes on to mention that some of the highest grade of sashimi might also be frozen. Fish such as the bluefin tuna, weighing up to about 500kg, are often caught very far out at sea in deep waters and have to be frozen first because the quality of its meat deteriorates each second it is out of the water.

Very often, fresh seafood from the wet markets and supermarkets, are actually frozen fish, defrosted before being sold. This is what Loy talks of as the “re-fresh” industry, whereby seafood is supplied frozen, but defrosted and sold as fresh seafood. In fact, famous fresh seafood markets in Japan also operate with the “re-fresh” business.

Nevertheless, one should always keep in mind the different qualities of frozen seafood available in the market and be discerning enough to know when frozen seafood is fresher and when it is not.

So the next time you try to look for the freshest seafood available, be it fresh, “re-fresh” or frozen, try the same old method. Look at the fish’s eye and poke its flesh.

F.I.S.H. International Sourcing House
Boon Lay Way
#10-155 Tradehub 21
+65 6316 8671

City News speaks to five students with outstanding O-Level scores for 2010 and finds out how they overcame the challenges faced.

The GCE O-Levels is an annual examination conducted in Singapore, taken by students at the end of their fourth or fifth year in secondary school, mostly at age 16.

It is also often the most stressful period of the year for the students as many face the pressure to perform up to expectations; for some, to exceed expectations. The scores attained will determine the students’ eligibility to enter the tertiary institution of their choice.

For the year 2010, there were five students, among several others, who in spite of their difficult circumstances, remained undeterred; and continued to work as hard as they could to finish this final lap of the race victoriously.

Tabitha Tan Pei Shan (6 Points)

A Girl Guide from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, with an O-Level score of 6, Tabitha Tan Pei Shan revealed that school life was not always a bed of roses. After the school’s preliminary examinations, Tabitha found studying for the O-Levels increasingly exhausting as she was “burning out.”

But each time she felt like giving up, Tabitha always encouraged herself with the Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Together with the prayers of her parents and her cell group leader and members from City Harvest Church, Tabitha attributes her perseverance to the power of prayer and the grace of God.

Jael Tan Jing Yi (6 points)

During the examination period, Jael Tan Jing Yi did not cut back on serving in her cell group as a connect group co-ordinator. Although her biggest challenge was the lack of time to thoroughly revise each and every subject, the student from Nan Hua High School remained faithful in prayer.

When her results came out, Jael found that she had managed to pull up her typically weaker subjects such as Math and Science from a failing grade of F9 to a top grade of A1, attaining an O-Level score of  6 points.
Jael is planning to enter Anglo-Chinese Junior College to pursue a humanities program.

Tan Yuan Rong (6 points)

As the head counselor of Victoria School, chairman of a peer support board, member of the choir and a 6-pointer for the O-Levels, Tan Yuan Rong is one with an all-rounded school life.

Despite his many duties in school, Yuan Rong still finds time to serve in the Usher Ministry in CHC. He quotes from Matthew 5:13-16, that one must be “the salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

Planning to carve his career in the finance industry, Yuan Rong’s next step is to first enter Raffles Junior College, join the student council and work toward a campus revival.

Hua Xin Yi (8 points)

The quartermaster of the wind orchestra at Yishun Town Secondary School, Hua Xin Yi revealed that her biggest challenge during the O-Levels was being consistent in her revision.

The 8-pointer for the O-Levels shared that her added motivation was the fact that her peers were also running in the race, studying hard together with her. Xin Yi is also thankful for her parents who never gave her added stress, but consistently encouraged her and told her to simply “try her best.”

She plans to enter Nanyang Junior College to pursue a science program.

Josiah Chow Yang (6 points)

“Aside from my parents and teachers’ expectations to do well, the biggest challenge I faced was being distracted by computer games!” confessed Josiah.

So big was the pull of his gaming habit that the Victoria School student, who is also a member of the drama club, decided that he would not let his distraction get the better of him; he ended up pulling the plug of his Internet cable.

Thanks to his determination, Josiah scored an impressive 6 points for his O-Levels, with an A grade for Chinese—a subject he used to fail.

Josiah plans to further his studies at Victoria Junior College.

The O-Level examination is not just academic in nature, it is one that allows the individual to undergo psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual testing.

Although many of their challenges faced were daunting and dispiriting at times, these five students never threw in the towel. They worked tirelessly and never stopped relying on God’s strength, making each of them more than conquerors.

World Vision Singapore organizes High Tea With A Cause in honor of Child Sponsors Celebration 2010.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WORLD VISION SINGAPORE

On Dec. 4, World Vision Singapore held a celebration to commemorate all the magnanimous child sponsors of the organization. Goodwill Ambassadors and beneficiaries of World Vision were also present to share their personal experiences of how World Vision has inspired them; and how they, in turn, have played a part in helping many underprivileged children through World Vision.

The event affirmed current child sponsors of how their sponsorship support has truly made a difference, and at the same time, to help answer queries from current and potential sponsors.

With its motto, “Defying History, Defining Destiny,” World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Their works extend to over 100 million people in nearly 100 countries.

Till today, the organization continues to successfully empower the public to act on their generosity by offering many ways to help. The child sponsorship program is one of many methods available.

Inspirational figures such as Oh Young Suk, a Korean professor, who was a former World Vision sponsored child himself, was there to share his life story of the persecutions he faced during the Korean War and how his father squandered away the family fortune. When World Vision found out about his desperation for an opportunity to study, the organization actually saw him through medical college and a theological university in Korea. Today, Oh comes back to speak for World Vision as a successful professor and president of the Korea Theological University.

Another former sponsored child, raised and nurtured through the help of World Vision, Bishop Leo Alconga, stated, “I can never be the person I am now, if not for all the support World Vision has provided.” At the event, he talked about his life journey of faith and empowerment growing up in  a World Vision-supported orphanage in the Philippines and becoming the executive area director of International Bible Society-Send The Light, East Asia.

The event also saw Elim Chew, founder of 77th Street, who together with her sister Sulin, sponsors 22 needy children in six different countries.

There were also celebrity speakers such as host and presenter, Melody Chen, who shared her experience of meeting her sponsored child in Bangladesh face-to-face, and the reason why she started on this rewarding journey of sponsoring a child living miles away from her.

Other celebrities at the event included local musicians Jack & Rai, World Vision’s Goodwill Ambassadors, who performed some of their original songs of hope and also spoke about their recent Child Sponsors trip to Vietnam to visit World Vision sponsored children in their communities.

Participants of the event also heard from an unassuming addition to the list of speakers—Leong Poh Yin.

Leong is an ordinary Singaporean single mother who has not only been caring for her paralyzed son for the past 11 years, but is also a child sponsor herself.

Although she may not be a celebrity, World Vision Goodwill former beneficiary or ambassador, her story speaks of tremendous perseverance and allows fellow child sponsors to relate to her.

The high-tea celebration was indeed an inspirational showcase of those who have overcome the seemingly hopeless challenges faced in their childhood. It was also a hearty celebration of people who have generously sacrificed their time and money to help the underprivileged redefine their own destinies, and become writers of their own history through World Vision.

To find out more about World Vision’s child sponsorship program and what other ways you can contribute, visit www.worldvision.org.sg.

Three accomplished musicians show that you do not need to leave your day job in order to pursue the mastery of classical music.

Arguably China’s most famous piano concerto, the Yellow River Cantata was composed by the late Xian Xing Hai in 1939. Depicting the struggles of people during World War II, the eight-movement cantata is known to be one of “the first compositions to blend Chinese river songs with a western orchestral and choral format.”

Singaporean classical Chinese music fans, therefore, were treated to a grand show on Sep. 18 at the Esplanade Theatre where the Yellow River Cantata concert was performed. Organized by the Echo Philharmonic Society, it was conducted by China’s top national conductor, Cao Ding, and backed by the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, with a 300-strong choir ensemble in tow.

Obviously, one’s involvement in a show of such scale and scope is telling of his mastery of classical music. City News catches up with three members from City Harvest Church who performed in it—Samuel Kwan, Leo Chee Keong and Lee Tat Haur, and chats with them about their inspirations, motivations and what keeps their passion going despite their busy schedules.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LEO YUN FEN

THE INDUSTRY VETERAN

Samuel Kwan, 34, wears many hats. Besides being a full-time violin instructor at Yamaha, he is also the stage manager and violinist for the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra. Having been in the industry for more than 10 years, Kwan is also a pioneer of the recently founded Millennial Orchestra where he doubles up as its librarian.

What inspired your passion for the violin?

When I turned 12, my aunt, Esther Quah, an elder from a Presbyterian church, bought me a violin. I can vividly remember that it was a Larks branded violin, costing approximately S$40. As I begun to explore the sounds of a bow rubbing on strings, the instrument intrigued me even more.

Since then, I began learning music from a Chinese violin teacher, Sui Jin Jin. Barely a year later, I was introduced to another violin instructor, Yan Yin Wing, who is currently the music director and maestro of Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra. It was he who introduced me to chamber music and led me to play with orchestral ensembles.

What keeps you so passionate about music?

During my secondary school days, I took up vocal classes at the Singapore Bible College under Samuel Cheong and he discovered that I possessed perfect pitch. With this, I gained more confidence in learning the violin and eventually accelerated to my first violin exam.

Due to financial constraints, I had to forgo a Grade 6 violin examination. However, I feel that everyone who desires to play an instrument deserves to learn, despite any disability or constraints they may face. I know many students who are academically challenged but very musically talented. Thus, I hope that one day I can be a music educator and provide talented violin players with international exposure without them having to migrate to the west or leave their homeland.

What are your other interests?

Apart from teaching music and performing, I have a keen interest in stage management. I used to work as a production manager at local children’s theatre company Act3 Theatrics and stage-managed performances, ranging from simple orchestra performances to the Singapore Arts Festival and the Chingay Parade.

THE WHITE COLLAR MUSICIAN

A senior business consultant who specializes in anti-fraud and anti-money laundering, Leo Chee Keong, 36, has been playing the trumpet for 15 years. As a practicing musician for the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, the multi-talented Leo also plays the French horn, cornet, flute, guitar and the piano.

What inspired your passion for the trumpet?

My love for music began when I started playing the trumpet as a form of co-curricular activity at Bedok Boys’ School (the school has since ceased to exist), but it wasn’t until I joined CHC and served on the music team that a true passion for music was ignited within me.

How so?

Through praise and worship, I began to discover music’s ability to touch lives, to inspire hope and bring encouragement, among many others. This turning point came when I learned a new worship song titled, “Lord You Are Always Here With Me.”

Through the years, I gradually realized that music can be used to express so much more than mere words. It creates something inexplicably tangible, and is able to stir up so much more heart-felt emotions.

What are some of the difficulties in juggling your work, family and music?

The most important thing was to first win the understanding of my family, before I prioritized my commitments to performances.

My wife, Meow Ling, is the reason that I can continue to pursue my passion for music. She has a way of telling my two daughters why “daddy is always unavailable” on Sunday afternoons, due to the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra practices. She tells them, “Daddy is going ‘Honk, honk!” Like any 3 or 5-year-old, they just giggle in understanding.

What are your other interests?

In my free time, I like to play sports like badminton, table-tennis, basketball and swimming. Sometimes, I even join non-professional, competitive events.

MAESTRO OF TWO ARTS

A practicing architect who co-runs an architecture firm, Lee Tat Haur, 39, has been playing the violin for 32 years. Despite his family and work commitments, Lee manages to find time for the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra rehearsals. His passion for music is such that if he is unable to make it for rehearsals, he compensates by practicing hard at home.

What inspired your passion for the violin?

My passion for the violin started when I joined the Chinese High School orchestra, where I was a student, at age 13. As I started attending the Singapore Symphony Orchestra concerts, my interest for this genre of music grew.

How do you juggle your rehearsals with your family commitments?

By the grace of God, I have a very supportive wife, who encourages me to pursue my passion in music making. If I cannot attend rehearsals or practice as much as I want to, I try to keep myself abreast of the latest happenings in the classical music scene.

What keeps you so committed and motivated to continue practicing music?

It is my privilege to be able to serve God in this area, because it is He who gave me this passion for music, particularly for classical music. When I was much younger, I wanted to be a professional musician. But since I am not playing professionally now, I want to be a good amateur musician.

What are your other interests outside of classical music?

I have a passion for cooking, especially simple dishes with a Japanese twist!

For more information about the Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra, visit www.bhso.org.

Boys’ Town receives bursary donation from InQueenz.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GENECIA LUO

Success is hard to come by, but when it does, it’s heartening to see how some choose to “pay it forward” by giving back to society.

Take InQueenz, a personality development and training academy that has been producing pageant winners since its inception in 2007. Most recently, 10 of its students came out tops in the South East Asia Beauty & Tourism Expo 2010 and Mrs Singapore & Classic Mrs Singapore 2010 pageants.

At the first taste of victory, founder Genecia Luo is quick to plow her success not back into her company, but into the community.

On April 11, InQueenz held an event known as Dinner Under The Stars, a collaboration with TKS & Sons, an events organizer. Held at the House of Seafood, the dinner was thrown in honor of five children from Boys’ Town, a home for at-risk boys. Others who graced the event were pageant participants, their family and friends.

Aside from treating the boys to a sumptuous seafood dinner, InQueenz also presented each of them with a financial scholarship of S$500, to aid them academically. This is the dual-pronged approach of InQueenz’s community outreach to the Boys’ Town: To provide bursaries as such, as well as to empower them with necessary life skills through talks.

InQueenz is a company that is big on corporate social responsibility, having previously been involved in social projects with SPARKS, CARE Singapore, MINDS Singapore, Children’s Cancer Foundation, and Focus on the Family.

Luo, who has long been an active volunteer in various social causes, feels that giving back to society has kept her grounded and developed in her sound values and core beliefs that have guided her in training pageant hopefuls.

A former occupational therapist for children with learning difficulties, Luo has gone from “kampong girl, to athlete, to beauty queen, and now, entrepreneur.” It was her inner passion to help women and youth that has led her to establish InQueenz’s CSR mission, supporting charitable causes for the benefit of society.

Luo herself comes from an underprivileged family background and had to support herself through school at a young age. Thus, she feels drawn to working with youth at risk. She hopes that simple acts of helping the underprivileged youths will, in turn, mold them toward being responsible and community-minded citizens of Singapore.

CHCSA’s MS Care extends the hand of friendship to multiple sclerosis patients to  help them to achieve better quality of life.

CN PHOTO: Lee Boon Bee

On Saturday, Mar. 6, MS Care organized one of its quarterly gatherings at the Naked Fish Shoppe at The Grassroots’ Club. The event was attended by 46 multiple sclerosis patients and family members, as well as 21 volunteers.

The lunch gathering was an MS Care patient support service, held for the purpose of enabling everyone to catch up with one another, and also to welcome those who were new to MS Care.

MS Care is a service established by City Harvest Community Services Association to offer support to people living with multiple sclerosis. The population of sufferers in Singapore is small, but MS is a rare disease that goes unnoticed. Few people are aware of the condition, and so patients do not get the attention and help they often need.

A chronic and often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, anyone can get MS, even a young person who is seemingly in the pink of health. There is no known cure for MS. Treatments merely attempt to return bodily functions to the sufferer after an attack, prevent new attacks, and prevent disability.

MS patients have a normal life expectancy, and most don’t “look ill.” For many suffering from MS, it is a constant struggle to maintain a normal, active life. It can be very financially, psychologically and emotionally draining for both the patients and their family members.

“They need opportunities to build meaningful relationships and achieve a sense of acceptance and self-worth, to help them integrate into society,” says Nathalie Chen, a primary school teacher who has been serving regularly in MS Care as a volunteer. She is among a small group of individuals who contribute their time and efforts towards the MS community in Singapore.

MS Care began with just a handful of members, but having consistently extended a helping hand in this area, it now serves hundreds of patients and their family members. As they help, the volunteers are rewarded when they witness extraordinary life stories of faith and hope.

Like Alvin Phua, for example, who contracted MS when he was just 23. But today, he has overcome his impairment and fought toward maximizing his potential in life. Phua is now an education consultant and an entrepreneur.

He shares with City News that although the disease has disabled him to the point of being unable to hold a pen to write, he chooses to focus on what he can do, instead of what he can no longer do. He constantly uses his life to encourage those with MS, by being a friend in need and counseling those who are depressed.

MS Care offers a dedicated 24-hour hotline for its members, as well as weekly visits to patients’ homes. Other services include the MS Assistance Fund, which consists of a partnership program between CHCSA’s MS Care Group and the National University Hospital’s NUH Patientcare Charity Fund.

For more information on MS Care, please e-mail info@chcsa.org.sg.

Apart from decking the halls with lights and Christmas trees, receiving presents and having good food, Christmas is also a time of giving, sharing and celebrating the kindness of the human spirit.

On 5 December, a group of volunteers visited Bright Hill Evergreen Home at 21 Senja Road. In prepping for the Christmas spirit, the team played games, caroled and brought gifts for the elderly at the nursing home. With the tunes of traditional Christmas carols and mandarin oldies by artistes such as Deng Li Jun, the atmosphere began to lighten up. The normal quiet Saturday transformed into a joyful afternoon of singing and celebration.

With the many charity organizations in Singapore, it is easy to forget the volunteer work that people do. Not in this case. The event, spearheaded by Dorothy Ng, started off as an independent effort of a group of people passionate to help make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. With this determination, the team sent out request letters to different homes, without any representations from any corporate organizations and called for the help of many volunteers through their basic social network. To date, the team has already frequented many homes and aims to extend their outreach. However, they are not without purpose.

PHOTOS: Dorothy Ng

In contributing to the society, Ng and her team hope to help volunteers establish a sense of self-worth and motivation for themselves, living out the idea of feeling encouraged by being an encouragement. In the phenomenon of rising rates of people affected by depression, our community needs to learn to share the vision that by adding joy to someone’s lives, we may be able to find our own purpose. What is more meaningful is that the spirit of giving is expressed during the season of Christmas.

The meeting of different dialects, the echoing laughters of a single generation and the spirit of youthfulness in the elderly, all bundled up in the flyer capsule, overlooking the view of Singapore. What an uplifting sight to behold on the night of 30 August 2009.

It was the Community Outreach Program for the Elderly (COPE) having an outing to the Singapore flyer for 300 elderly and several volunteers. This outing is one of the many monthly organized activities by COPE.  Through this program, professionals and volunteers aim to establish strong rapport with the elderly, and help them strengthen their relationship with their family members.

The outing, supported by the Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) and South East Community Development Council (SECDC), materialized after requests from the elderly themselves. Many were highly enthusiastic about the outing because they felt that it was an opportunity to walk and explore memories from their yesteryears.

Irene Ho, the organizer for COPE, felt that this night activity stood out from the other programs as many of the elderly do not get the chance to go out at night.  This was an opportunity to help educate the elderly on Singapore as well as set new boundaries in their outing experiences.

PHOTOS: Cristopher Teh

After enjoying a Japanese meal together, everyone headed to view Singapore’s picturesque night scenery in separate groups on the flyer.  When asked about a phobia of heights, an overwhelming majority brushed away the issue and exclaimed that there was nothing to fear as it felt like the capsule was stationary. Some elderly even started dancing around the capsule.

Although many spoke different dialects, everybody connected through the similar experience of getting to know Singapore’s night landscape.  The elderly are certainly looking forward to their next outing together.

It seemed like another relaxing Friday night out at Far East Square; but for the unsuspecting, dazzling lights, booming music, flashing cameras and applauding crowds tucked away in a corner of the Square proved that the night was anything but ordinary. “K.O Night is going to be spectacular and electrifying!” exclaimed Brenda Ang, a member of the audience. And it was phenomenal.

The event kicked off with the judge’s showcase. After which, the contestants were ready for battle. With the team Lock Out Loud (LOL) against the defending champion team, Funkay Styles, disco and funky beats boomed loudly through the speakers. Following was the hip hop category, where teams Ryu And Lesner and the defending champion, Red Line, free styled to the beat of hip hop. Lastly, robotic-like beats accompanied the popping category teams of Kahmar and Freqance, two new teams sparring for the coveted title. Also, intermittent showcases were held throughout the competition, where semi-finalists and guests dancers from all over the world spiced up the event.

With the announcements of LOL, Red Line and Kahmar as winners of the locking, hip hop and popping category respectively, and Red Line as the best overall crew, there were no indulgent celebration of victories, but instead, a very heart-warming scene of teams congratulating each other amicably. In an interview, Michael Lee, a crew of K.O. Night, indicated that he hopes to see next year’s event held at “a more centralized shopping mall, to allow more passers-by the chance of witnessing the art of dance, and through that, expanding the awareness of Singapore’s dance scene.”

PHOTOS: Jason Lee

Well, good news might be in store for those wanting to see developments! As Kenny Low, director of O-School, explained, that the “difficulties of finding a perfect venue can first be overcome by re-scheduling the date of next year’s dance competition away from the Great Singapore Sales Period.”