What: Door knocking with Bukit Ho Swee Family Service Centre
When: 19th & 20th December 2012
Where: Jalan Bukit Merah
Participant(s): Celest, Jasmine, Jean, Jiamin, Joanne, Lionel, May Yen,
Pei Jun, Phyllis, Sandra, Xinyi and Zhiqing
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Celest, Participant:
This was my first time doing such kind of volunteering work. To me, it was definitely a new experience communicating with the people living in one-room flats. It was somewhat a challenge for me; not because I was talking to strangers but rather, I felt that it took a bit of an effort to engage in a conversation with them. Also, I had to overcome the language barriers by trying to converse in Chinese with those dialect-speaking elderly.
Among all the households I went to, most of them were very welcoming and were willing to talk to us. There was an affable aunty who even opened her door and let us into her home for a chat. At that instance I could sense that she was lonely and yearned for someone to hear her out. Regrettably, Jiamin and I couldn’t carry on the conversation further with her as both of us were not proficient in speaking Hokkien.
But on a brighter note, I too witnessed smiles on some of their faces when I was talking to them. Some of them had a big family while majority of them came from small families. For example, a young Malay lady who lives with her 3 kids and husband looked happy albeit living in a crowded environment and an uncle working as a cleaner who lives with his wife claimed that he was very satisfied with his quality of living.
Despite the fact that most of these residents belong to the lower-income groups and are less privileged, I was heartened to see that they are very contented with their simple lives. Although we did not help them directly in terms of their needs, personally I feel that we had shown our care and concern through the surveys and most importantly provided a listening ear for them. My encounters with these people serve to remind myself to be always happy as well as be gratified with what I have in life. I am really grateful to have this opportunity to volunteer with the Bukit Ho Swee Family Service Centre and RBKD.
Our volunteers in action.
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Pei Jun, Participant:
It was my first time stepping into the Jalan Bukit Merah estate. The moment I walked out of the lift to join the rest, it seemed like I have walked into a TV drama.
After getting prepared to face cold stares and door slamming rejections, it was surprising that some of the residents invited us into their apartment with warm welcomes when we requested to conduct an interview with them. They seem to be happy to have somebody to share their story with. Besides, I have also realized that the elderly are contented with what they have and rarely requested anything from us, even though we offered our help.
This door knocking experience made me realized how much more fortunate I think I already am and I developed a stronger sense of helping out the community in need.
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What: RBKD Private Newspaper Collection Drive 2
When: 15th December 2012
Where: All around Singapore
Participant(s): Candice, Jean, Jia Min, Xinyi, Yanping and Yan Ling
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Jiamin, Participant:
This is part 2 of this year’s newspaper collection drive and we concentrated mainly in the east area of Singapore this time.
On a hot afternoon, 2 cars travelled to different households collecting newspapers. We were done within 2 hours as there were lesser to collect this time. However, we are still grateful to our family and friends for their contribution. No matter how little it was, they all add up to a substantial amount ultimately.
Can you imagine this amount of newspaper actually weigh 600+kg?
On a side note, something unpleasant happened. We got cheated! The rate was supposed to be $0.20/kg however the collection centre only gave us $0.15/kg! Reason being we drove in cars instead of van/lorry so they assume we are richer.
Nonetheless, it was a well-spent and meaningful afternoon.
What: RBKD Private Newspaper Collection Drive
When: 20th October 2012
Where: All around Singapore
Participant(s): Jia Min, Ming, Xinyi, Yanping and Yan Ling
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Yanping, Participant:
Had a great time participating in this year’s newspaper collection with RBKD.
This is definitely not the first time that I had to do newspaper collection but this is definitely something really different from what I have done in the past. We went around the north and northeast area to collect the newspaper from different RBKD members. It was really fun. Had never knew that my car can squeeze in that amount of newspapers and it was amazing.
After going around doing the collection, we went down to the meeting point to unload the newspaper. After which, we followed the lorry (Drove by Yanling) to the center and it was certainly eye-opening for me as there were really a lot of the newspapers and white papers there!
Thank you RBKD for giving me the chance to join in this fun and meaningful activity!
Community | Comments Off on The RBKD Private Newspaper Collection Drive
What: RBKD Private Newspaper Collection Drive
When: 5 November 2011
Where: All around Singapore
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Bengyan, Participant:
Saturday morning, a bright and sunny morning, where most people are still under their comfy blanket, we are out in the neighbourhood doing something meaningful =)
2 cars, travelling around different neighbourhood, different household, all hoping to collect as much newspapers as possible. Seeing the flight of stairs, with huge stack of newspaper in your hands is no joke. Though tiring, but the thought that our small contributions would be able to help many others out there, make us persevere.
Life is about more than what we own; giving is a blessing too.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can. –John Wesley
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Jia Min, Participant:
After travelling around Singapore for one whole day, the sense of satisfaction I felt when I saw the weighing machine reading 1400kg was beyond words. With LOTS of help from our family and friends, we managed to collect 1.4 tonnes of old newspapers and magazines! That.is.unbelieveable.
We do not have to be very influential to be able to do something good for the society. Every small contribution can help in a way or another. All we need is the determination, perseverance and unity. Once again, we have created a miracle with our ONERBKD spirit :)
‘I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do. -Edward Everett Hale’
What: Chinese New Year Charity
When: 14 January 2012
Where: ComCare Network Senior Activity Centre (Ang Mo Kio)
Participant(s): Alberton, Beng Yan, Bi Hui, Celest, Celest’s mother, Charmaine, Eunice, Isabel, Jasmine, Jean, Jia Min, Joanne, Jun Yee, Kah Yin, Krystal, Lionel, Liz, Lydia, Ming, Phyllis, Phyllis’ mother, Rachael, Sandra, Ser Chee, Shirley, Shu Pei, Vanessa, Vincent, Xinyi, Yan Ling, Ying Mei, Yunxian and Zhiqing.
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Xinyi, Club President cum Organiser:
It could have been an unfeeling routine, thankfully it was not.
Shall we do Charity again for Rui En’s Birthday Gift this year?
What would we like if we were them?
Are the snacks soft enough for them to eat?
Are the cookies/tarts we bake too sweet or buttery?
Would they be happy if someone decorates their place for them?
Can we try to be less efficient, to slow down and spend some time to talk to them?
Can we, shall we, should we, might they? You get the drift.
Organising this is as always, an enjoyable challenge for me.
Many thanks to my members who donated in kind, in cash, and volunteered to bake and in the door-to-door distribution, you guys so made this a success. Remember what we always advocate in RBKD, that it’s not a matter of what you have, but rather, what you wish to give. It is to walk the talk, to have the heart to contribute to our community, and to act upon it.
Community involvement is a large part of us in RBKD and I hope this spirit continues.
Stay sincere and true, you guys have done great! 
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Ying Mei, Participant:
This was the first time I participated in such a charity event apart from school CIP work.
It was a really fun and enriching experience for me.
Being the station master was refreshing as I’ve never tried anything like that. It was fun helping out to ensure that the distribution of goodie bags went on smoothly, and everyone had their fair share of visiting the residents. As one of the visiting participants, I felt that it was very rewarding. It definitely brought us happiness to see the residents’ smiles and their constant “thank you” for the CNY goodies, to know that we helped them welcome CNY like us too.
Everyone had the chance to play a part in making this CNY enjoyable for the residents (even for the non-chinese residents) and I definitely enjoyed myself during the activity. The whole block was filled with our laughter and chatting :P It was also the first lo-hei session I had with RBKD and it was awesome! :D I look forward to the next volunteer/charity activity with RBKD! ^^
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Phyllis, Participant:
I have volunteered with RBKD for quite a number of times. However, to me, every volunteering opportunity is a new learning experience. This time, I have learnt that as long as you are willing to put your heart and soul into doing something, you can create a difference.
For instance, during the packaging of the goodie bags everyone knew what they were supposed to do and this ensured that the the packaging process could be carried out smoothly. When we were going around for the door to door distribution, even first timers at volunteering tried their best to interact with the residents so that it would not just be merely a door to door goodie bag distribution kind of thing.
It was also an unique experience for me because I got to volunteer with my mother. This gave her a chance to understand that RBKD is not an ordinary fan club but instead we go the extra mile to help those who might need our help.
I’m glad that we created a little difference this festive season.
May this spirit of giving be kept alive and burning :)
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Phyllis’ Mother, Participant:
In the past, I used to be actively involved in community work. After such a long break from it, I am glad to have the opportunity to be involved in such a meaningful activity again.It is definitely heart warming to see young people giving back to the society by helping the less fortunate.
Throughout the event, be it during the packaging of the goodie bags or during the door to door distribution, everyone was actively involved. I could see everyone trying their best to help each other so that the whole event could be carried out smoothly. The energy and enthusiasm of the members certainly wowed me!
“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Keep it up everyone!
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Let’s take a peak into the baking process of the cookies …
A wide smile on all our face as we sent the last tray into the oven =)
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Happy Birthday.
Click here for more photos & details of this Drive as reported by Xinmsn.
Click here for details of RBKD’s Charity Drive last year.
If your FC would like to organise your own project, we would be most glad to share our experience with you.
Do contact our Secretary, Jiamin at layjiamin@RBKD-online.com.
Xinyi, Club President:
Apologies for not posting this earlier, I didn’t know you guys wanted to read my take on the session too. I thought Rui En, Jean and Jiamin already did a pretty good job to describe the experience and I was more concerned with other issues, hence I did not post here.
But I did write, not for RBKD though; I sent my letter to Straits Times Forum instead.
Here’s to share before you guys niam at me for not sharing.
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Improve living conditions in interim housing
I WAS fortunate to have had the chance to join the social workers of Beyond Social Services during their door-to-door work at Block 29 Taman Ho Swee recently (‘Homing in on interim housing’; last Thursday).
The concept of interim housing being transitional and temporary is sound and reasonable. But when one talks face-to-face with the residents and hear their despair and feelings of being abandoned by society, one wonders if the scheme can factor in empathy, apart from being efficient.
It is true, sometimes, facilities can never be good enough for some. But I am sure more can be done to improve the present living conditions.
Bedbugs, mosquitoes, cockroaches, urine-stained corridors and, sometimes, common walkways sullied by faeces – one cannot help but feel for the residents when they describe such basic hygiene problems so matter-of-factly and wonder why they cannot be helped.
Peh Xin Yi (Miss)
Published on Oct 31, 2011
Source: Straits Times Forum Online
Dear Team
As we knocked on a door, we were told by a resident that she could not talk to us. We thanked her nonetheless and moved on. A few minutes later, our volunteer Rui En knocked on the same door as she did not realise that we had done so. This time the door opened and the interview proceeded smoothly. Rui En being a familiar face on local television was immediately trusted by this resident who was also very pleased to have a celebrity calling on her. Rui En is now on a filming break and together with members of her fan club, she has been joining our colleagues and volunteers from the Tanglin Police Division to invite residents to help us look out for the children in their neighbourhood.
Whenever we collaborate with others or pool our resources the work always seems easier. Collaborations often create a different energy that keeps our work fresh. However, the most important reason for collaborations is that those in need are better supported and better connected to the community. Many disadvantaged people tend to keep their problems to themselves even though they may already be served in some way by a social service agency. Some feel that they have already troubled the agency in one way and it is embarrassing to approach them again. Hence, the agency who does not hear from the service-user in between scheduled visits would assume that no news is good news. The stability in a disadvantaged person’s life often changes overnight as they are usually coping with several problems at one time. It is really difficult for one agency to be with the service-user on a daily basis. As familiarity breeds contempt it may not be wise either. As such, when different agencies are working together for service-users collaboratively the chances of them falling through the cracks are reduced.
When a school counsellor visited her 12 year old student’s home, she met a police officer who was there because her student’s younger siblings were found loitering in the neighbourhood. Immediately, she realised that her student’s problems were more than what she could manage alone. She called for a meeting which we attended and there we met Life Community Services, another youth serving agency as well as the father of the children. We learned that Life Community Services have been ‘friends’ of the children for the past 2 years and they have been supporting the family with food and other necessities. It was comforting to know that we had partners right from the start and we proceeded to link the family to child care and other services within their community. Should ever these children get into any difficulties in the future, many members of their community will be concerned.
However, we hope that when many members of their community are concerned for them, these children will run into less difficulties.
Enjoy your weekend.
Gerard
Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. – Ryunosuke Satoro
Gerard Ee
Executive Director
BEYOND SOCIAL SERVICES
14th October 2011.
See also: Beyond Door Knocking, by Rui En.
Community | Comments Off on Another Week Beyond
What: Door knocking with Beyond Social Services
When: 10th-14th October 2011
Where: Taman Ho Swee (Blk 29 & 31)
Participant(s): Jolie, Jean, Jia Min, Rui En and Xinyi
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Rui En, Volunteer:
Sometimes it takes only a sneak peek into someone else’s world to make you realize a lot about your own.
That was my experience over the few days doing door-knocking with Beyond Social Services from 10th Oct 2011.
I’d previously volunteered at their now-defunct home in Woodlands, when they asked me to do this door-knocking I was happy to be able to help them.
The purpose of this door-knocking was literally to go from door to door in a low-income neighbourhood of temporary housing along Havelock Road to have the most visceral experience of talking directly to the occupants and finding out how many youths under the age of 19 years old were there in Block 29. I’d always felt helpless and not involved enough somehow doing charity appearances and performances, and this was my first chance to get down to the grassroots level, something I’d always wanted.
First of all, it was my first experience with temporary housing and rental flats. To find out that there are two families squeezed into 2 standard HDB rooms per flat, sharing a living room and kitchen, was quite jolting for someone who complains that her room is never big enough for all her things and whose possessions tend to spill inadvertently out into the living room. (Me). In one of the flats, there were 10 people squeezed into a flat.
The state of cleanliness of the lift lobbies and stairwells also took some getting used to. One of the residents likened it to a “forgotten†world where the cleaners and maintainence crews seemed somewhat less regular than we are normally used to. The smell of urine became a familiar one. A common complaint was that the void decks and corridors were noisy well into the night and mornings. A resident mentioned how it was hard to get used to the noise level after being used to other HDB estates.
Most surprising though, was how warmly and openly some of the residents received us. Most of us urban dwellers are more used to guarded stares, awkward lift rides and minimal human contact with our neighbours. Yet some of the residents welcomed us perfect strangers straight into their homes without asking for permits or licenses, seemingly eager to share their stories with other human beings. And share they did. Every household had a different story and every single person had a story to tell. It was like a different TV drama from door to door. Their stories were completely heartbreaking yet uplifting all at the same time. Some had no choice but to move here due to the unexpected deaths of their loved ones and breadwinners. Some were content with simply having a roof over their heads, and had adapted, others were still experiencing a “culture shock†of some kind. Some were morose, others were intent on keeping positive and happy.
I met the bravest woman I’d ever seen, due to losing her husband to a sudden heart, she fed a family of 5 while paying $500 rental on a $1000 monthly income, all done with a serene smile on her face and what I saw as a staunch refusal to turn bitter at life. We lesser beings would have succumbed to anger and bitterness a long time ago. She probably has the most heart I will ever see in a human being.
As we all move onwards endlessly and as everything always seems to be never enough, I urge you guys not to forget the ones who can’t catch up and are left behind. More and more will be unable to catch up, and that will be the time for you to step up to the plate.
Rui En
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RBKD: Rui En would have preferred to keep a low profile with regards to her volunteering. But at times when we walk pass her, we just can’t miss the sincerity in her voice. It is this sincerity in her that prompted us to invite her to write for our blog, to share her experience and hopefully, inspires us all.
What: Volunteering at Tse Tho Aum Temple
When: 26th June 2011
Where: Tse Tho Aum Temple
Participant(s): Celest, Charmaine, Jean, Jiamin, Joanne Chong, Joyce, Kah Yin, Rachael, Sandra, Shirley, Shu Pei and Xinyi
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Shu Pei, Participant
This is the first time volunteering with RBKD. Our first task was to serve them drinks (Chinese tea). After a while, 4-5 buses ferrying elderly from the old folks’ home from all over Singapore arrived. A few of the elderly are wheelchair-bound and some of us volunteered to wheel them from the loading bay to the dining hall. This was not an easy job as we have to push the wheelchair up a steep slope; lift up a step before reaching the entrance of the hall. From there, the elderly have to be shifted from the wheelchair to the dining chair and lunch was served.
As the elderly were preparing to go home, it started pouring heavily. While the elderly were being sheltered from the dining hall to their buses I was busy keeping the chairs and cleaning the table. After cleaning up, we had a light refreshment and souvenir before heading home.
As some of the elderly had difficulty moving around, they rarely get to go outside. Seeing them enjoying their lunch prepared and interacting with them was a joy thing.
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Kah Yin, Participant
It was another meaningful memory we had created at Tse Tho Aum Temple, for both the elderly and ourselves. You can really feel the volunteers were all together as one on the day to take care of the elderly and their safety, especially when it started raining. Though they, and we, were all so drenched, it’s touching to see how everyone was doing their best and making sure that the elderly get on the bus safe and dry.
Elderly smiling, patting our hand and saying/gesturing thank you to us (and we even got a kiss!) after the lunch were more than enough to make up for all the things we have done. *wide grin*
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Community, IPC | Comments Off on Volunteering at Tse Tho Aum Temple
What: House Cleaning the Henderson Uncle’s House
When: 30 April 2011
Where: Henderson Road (Blk 93)
Participant(s): Jean, Shirley and Xinyi
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Xinyi, Participant:
30 April was not the best day to volunteer; personal commitments and an evening gathering with Rui En meant that we could hardly spare time. But gut feeling tells me that they did not have sufficient volunteers so we decided we should go. Just as well since we have been contemplating with volunteering our time to express our gratitude for Rui En’s Best Actress win on 24 April. So this was a chance.
Goodness. We had visited many one-room flats across various estates but never one as packed as this. The uncle had kept so many “treasures†that we could not even see the flooring! The stuff we cleared from the living room alone could easily fill the whole corridor (or maybe two), no joke. And the fridge was so dirty I think that would be the last place we will want to keep any food in.
Due to other commitments, we had to leave in the afternoon, we only managed to clear the living room and scrub the dirty fridge; luckily, other volunteers started to stream in after 2pm. However, we left our hearts there.
Thankfully, Apex took photos and shared with us, so here’s some to share with you too. Look at the thick layer of dust on our fingers O.O
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Touch on his “treasures” and dust is what you get on your fingers!
Before.
During.
After.
Community | Comments Off on House Cleaning the Henderson Uncle’s House
