– Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, author and motivational speaker
There are many issues that the community is facing. And only when we take the effort to find out more and keep ourselves up-to-date, can we be part of the solution and change can happen, to truly build a community that cares.
Delivering food to low-income families
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Emily Yap's grandmother, who usually does the grocery shopping, was afraid to go to the supermarket and jostle with others in long queues. Her grandmother's fears made Emily realise needy families might be even...
Ferrying healthcare staff to and from work
Mr Aloysius Lee used to only transport passengers for Grab, but with more people staying at home because of the coronavirus, he joined the firm's food and parcel delivery services in April. The 33-year-old is also a driver for GrabCare, a service dedicated to ferrying...
Upcycling to help the less privileged
Watching the National Day parade and hanging the Singapore flag from your window are ways to stoke national pride, but creative director Sharon Goh believes you do not have to wait until August to wear patriotism on your sleeve. Ms Goh, who works for creative agency...
Mental health advocates bridge support gaps online
Writing once saved Nicole's life. Now, she is using it to help others. In 2011, struggling with major depression and generalised anxiety disorder, it was penning a suicide note that brought her back from the brink. Her brush with death led her to seek out a new...
Housewife cooks for elderly residents
After befriending elderly residents living alone in her Yio Chu Kang neighbourhood, housewife Diljan Shaik Arif Ali found that many prefer to have home-cooked fare. She started cooking simple dishes such as rice, mixed vegetables and non-spicy curry chicken for about...
Orange Valley donates masks and assistive aids
Orange Valley Nursing Homes is donating $30,000 worth of assistive devices and face masks to the underprivileged, to commemorate the nation's 55th birthday. The move is part of its corporate social responsibility outreach initiative, Protecting You & Our...
Opening up their homes to strangers in dire straits
Two Singaporeans have started a movement to support families here in opening up their homes to provide refuge for those facing a crisis. Twenty families have signed up with the Open Home Network, a volunteer movement officially launched in June. These host families...
Theatre show celebrates disabilities
When Okorn-Kuo Jing Hong began directing a cast with disabilities in the theatre show What If, she wanted the work to respect the performers' disabilities without trying to cover them up. Actors who cannot see could orientate themselves by feeling markings on the...
Yellow Ribbon run message still going strong
While the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run will not be held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still folks across the island spreading its message of renewal and redemption. Take, for instance, private-hire car driver Isam Sulong, who spent almost eight years...
Activity kits bring joy to kids in need
For the past 19 years, Sherry has lived with what she calls an "invisible condition". The 39-year-old has vasculitis, an auto-immune condition that causes inflammation of her blood vessels and deep, pus-filled ulcers to erupt on her feet whenever it flares up. In...
Shining a light for youth in the dark
Through the course of Farah's educational journey, even without her asking, many have reached out to lend a hand. In secondary school, a Vietnamese ASEAN scholar classmate tutored her between and after classes whenever she had difficulties. A teacher gifted her with a...
Caring for the community through education
Teen raises funds with online tuition With her Cambridge IGCSE examinations cancelled due to the pandemic, 17-year-old international student Aarushi Menon decided to put her time to good use. During the circuit breaker, she started giving free one-to-one French and...
Cloud kitchen to offer jobs to vulnerable groups
Singapore's first social enterprise cloud kitchen will provide jobs for vulnerable groups while helping heritage brands survive during the pandemic. The Social Kitchen, co-founded by Mr Alvin Yapp and Mr Ang Kian Peng, was launched on 30 Jul. Its flagship central...
Needy kids get laptops on loan under UOB scheme
An initiative by United Overseas Bank (UOB) has brought welcome relief to parents who were worried about how their children would cope when schools closed in April and home-based learning kicked in. With eight school-going children at home and only one laptop to share...
Active volunteer driven by passion to help those in need
Growing up in a single-parent home can be tough on a child but fresh graduate Norullayaley Mohd Ikbal said she had extended family, friends and neighbours lend a hand growing up. Her mother always made time for her and her younger sister and she even found herself in...
Feeding vulnerable groups
Special needs teacher Yeo Koon Long picked up programming a few years ago because he wanted to help children with autism communicate more effectively through technology. At a previous school, he realised that although the students could not speak, they were "very...
Google launches jobs initiative with government agencies
Around 3,000 local job seekers will benefit from a new jobs and skills training initiative launched by technology giant Google in conjunction with government agencies Economic Development Board, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and SkillsFuture Singapore...
Migrant workers help community on their rest day
A group of more than 10 Bukit Timah residents spent their Sunday morning helping to trim some 1.5 hectures of overgrown grass around the Housing Board blocks in Toh Yi. Many were newcomers – migrant workers who are housed at the former Ngee Ann Polytechnic staff...
All eyes on climate aspect in post-pandemic recovery
Despite the mounting pressure for economic rescue packages to be used to tackle climate change, most of the money spent so far on overcoming the coronavirus pandemic has gone towards propping up businesses, according to three studies. But what comes next might be more...
New mental health fund for peer initiatives
A new $1 million fund, aimed at addressing mental health issues among young people here, will set aside a total of $100,000 for peer-run initiatives. The Musim Mas BlueStar* Fund was launched on 18 July from the $1 million donation by palm oil company Musim Mas...
