The Heart of Volunteering: Giving Back to the Community

Our Singapore guide, Sophie, enumerates ways we can perform acts of kindness
and give back to the community

This year, we can find numerous ways to get involved in local causes by spending time as volunteers – performing acts of kindness towards people in need, connecting to our local community and developing a socially responsible mindset in the process. 

What makes volunteerism so meaningful?

Friends who have spent the time to volunteer shared a few thoughts:
One small act not only rebuilds vulnerable people’s homes, but their lives too,” Liyan, volunteer at Big Love family and children protection centre.

“It’s worth waking up at 4:30am and spend hours packing meal boxes knowing that you’re helping to feed hungry people. Frequently, that meal you’ve packed is the only meal someone gets to eat that day,” Diane, Willing Hearts soup kitchen volunteer.

“Volunteering with the disabled has taught me how we often let the simplest things in life pass us by – happiness,” Li, volunteer at disability support services organization SG Enable.

 “What most of us take for granted (e.g. food on our tables) can mean so much to someone else, and volunteering for such a cause not only helps others but helps me stay humbled and grateful for all that I have,” Zara, Food Bank Singapore volunteer.

“Volunteering made me realise how fortunate I am and that I should be grateful for the simplest things in life and be kind to all,’ Mae, The Soup Kitchen Project volunteer.

The ‘Heart of Volunteering’

Depending on the cause dearest to you, here are a handful of ways where you can immerse in the ‘heart of volunteering’ in Singapore.

Habitat for Humanity Singapore
‘A world where everyone has a decent place to live,’ is Habitat for Humanity’s vision. In Singapore, there are a couple of ways to get involved: Project Homeworks (intensive home rehabilitation for vulnerable elderly people) and ‘UnLitter Red Dot (community clean-ups). https://www.habitat.org.sg/volunteer

National Library Board
You can deliver books to those who are unable to visit libraries or be a kidsREAD volunteer and lead reading sessions for underprivileged children.

Riding for the Disabled (RDA)
This amazing initiative brings joy to children and adults with special needs, via gentle animal therapy from beautiful retired polo ponies and race horses. There’s no need for previous experience handling horses: full training will be given, and the RDA welcomes potential volunteers who can donate whatever time they have to spare.

Willing Hearts
The soup kitchens at Willing Hearts are open seven days a week, 365 days a year, for those willing to cook, pack and distribute meal boxes for the elderly and most vulnerable members of the community. Volunteers who can spare a few hours are welcome daily.
https://www.willinghearts.org.sg/get-involved/

The Food Bank Singapore
The mission of The Food Bank Singapore is to ‘end food insecurity in all forms in Singapore’. As part of their #FraserCares commitment, employees of Fraser Suites Singapore, Fraser Residence Orchard, Singapore and Fraser Place Robertson Walk, Singapore recently teamed up with this organisation in conducting ‘Fraser Food Drive’, a week-long food donation drive. As a result, a total 412 kg of food was donated by the properties’ guests and staff. In addition, these properties will continue to work with The Food Bank to explore alternatives to maximise the usage of excess food and continue to help the underprivileged in the local community. Food delivery beneficiaries for The Food Bank  include Senior Activity Centres (SACs), children’s homes, halfway houses and registered charities. Both time-based and skill-based volunteers are needed for food collecting, packing and distribution.  https://foodbank.sg/about/

Remembering Kindness

In conclusion, we can see that volunteering – performing these acts of kindness towards others – not only has the potential to help another individual but also the power to impact an entire community. That’s why it is so important to remember acts of kindness and say thank you in a meaningful way.

Do you know someone who deserves a special ‘Thank You’ for a gesture of kindness towards another? Have you witnessed an act of kindness recently by an everyday hero in your community?

No matter where we are in the world, quiet acts of heroism are happening all around us. Join us in recognising and celebrating these everyday silent heroes in the community. Share their stories with us and let these stories be heard. We invite you to nominate an everyday hero to be our ‘Kindness Hero’ as we share #OurThousandThanks and Frasers Hospitality’s properties worldwide give away more than One Thousand room nights in appreciation. Selected Kindness Heroes will win a two-nights’ experience in a Frasers Hospitality property in their country of residence, so that they may rest, recharge, or simply, enjoy some quality time with their loved ones. This is part of our #FraserCares commitment, our own little way of giving back to the deserving everyday heroes in our midst.

Who is ‘Sophie’ in Singapore?
Sophie likes to share her heartfelt experiences in exploring quirky, ‘hidden gems’, off the beaten path itineraries
and discovering delicious, authentic food and artisanal crafted finds. While Sophie’s curious soul yearns to wander the world, her heart will always belong to her home, Singapore.