Hundreds of Singapore Red Cross volunteers and members of the public gathered on 3rd August at Marina Bay Sands to celebrate our volunteers’ invaluable contributions at the SRC Volunteer Convention. This event serves as a platform to express gratitude, share exciting opportunities for future volunteering, and outline SRC's future direction.

Themed 'Hands Unite, Hearts Ignite: Action with Compassion,' this year's convention highlighted the pivotal role that volunteers play in supporting marginalised individuals. The event emphasised the importance of fostering a compassionate, resilient community through solidarity and collective action.

Ms Charis Chan, Assistant, Secretary-General, Operations at the SRC kickstarted the convention by spotlighting initiatives aimed at bolstering the volunteers' capacity. This includes the Responder for Resilience programme, which has trained over 1,000 volunteers in essential skills like Standard First Aid and Psychological First Aid, significantly enhancing their ability to respond effectively in crises. Additionally, the Volunteer Skills Training (VST) programme, has been instrumental in equipping volunteers with specialised skills in areas such as befriending, mentoring, photography, digital fundraising, further expanding our network of skilled volunteers.

Ms Chan also highlighted the 4th successful run of the Volunteer Leadership Programme (VLP), a comprehensive workshop designed to cultivate volunteers into leaders who co-lead different programmes and collaborate on various projects in SRC. This year, we celebrate the graduation of 90 volunteer leaders prepared to lead projects with expertise and capability.

Honouring the tireless contribution of the volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of the SRC, driving our mission forward with unwavering dedication. This year, we honoured more than 800 volunteers who contributed a minimum of 24 hours in 2023, and more than 30 volunteers for dedicating over 300, 400 or 500 hours to the humanitarian cause. Their remarkable contributions demonstrate how the SRC can create meaningful and lasting impacts on underserved communities through their selfless commitment.

Among the volunteers recognised were Ms Katelyn Joshi and Ms Smitha Rajeev who have exemplified the true spirit of volunteerism. Since completing our Responder for Resilience training programme, they have tirelessly contributed more than 300 hours in 2023  to serve our local services, including Befriending, Community Health on Wheels, and First Aid on Wheels. Their commitment to volunteerism inspires all of us to strive for a more resilient and compassionate society. 

Panel Discussion by Volunteers

A key highlight of the convention was a panel discussion featuring Megha Mitra, Community Health on Wheels Volunteer Leader, Ms Linda Lum, ElderAid Volunteer Leader, Anisa Famy, Global Engagement’s Last Mile Programme Volunteer and Ian Chia, Community First Aid Volunteer Leader ensued. Moderated by Ms Rebekah Lim, Global Engagement Associate Director, Singapore Red Cross, the panel discussion delved into volunteers' personal experiences and success stories and the indispensable role that they play in tackling social disparities and fostering community resilience.

Volunteering in Different Capacities: A Journey of Service and Commitment

Ms Megha Mitra spoke passionately about her various volunteering capacities. As a Medical Chaperone with the Medical Chaperone and Transportation service, Ms Mitra escorts seniors and persons with disabilities to and from their life-sustaining medical treatments at their medical institutions. By volunteering with the Red Cross Home for the Disabled, she brought joy to the residents of the Red Cross Home for the Disabled through her visits and interactions. Ms Mitra ensures the mental well-being of the migrant worker and migrant domestic worker communities by engaging them in various initiatives, activities and talks as part of the Community Health on Wheels (CHoW) programme. Recently, Ms Mitra has joined the Migrant Workers Workgroup advocating blood donation among migrant workers. Her ability to converse in Bengali enables her to forge a connection with the migrant workers and promote blood donation to these groups of workers effectively. She also facilitated several blood donation advocacy roadshows conducted at the various dormitories.

Ms Linda Lum, a semi-retiree has been volunteering with SRC’s ElderAid programme for over eight years. She provides companionship and support to seniors, helping to alleviate loneliness by engaging them in social interactions and monthly events such as exercising, health talks and outings. Her efforts highlight the profound impact of befriending on improving the quality of life for seniors.

"Seniors living alone often grapple with loneliness and depression. By visiting the isolated seniors, we shower them with love, care, and concern while offering a listening ear to them. This brings them joy and companionship. We keep their loneliness at bay and invigorate their lives with a newfound sense of purpose as they seize the opportunities to socialise," said Ms Lum, also a Community Responder with the Home Monitoring and Eldercare (HoME+) programme. A monitoring system leveraging motion sensors, the HoME+ programme assists seniors and persons with disabilities in emergencies. 

Ms Anisa Famy shared her volunteering experiences from the local community at SRC’s Family LifeAid, Meals with Love programme, where she distributed supermarket vouchers to vulnerable families struggling economically, to international humanitarian missions where she was part of SRC's Last Mile programme, and was also part of the medical team deployed to Nepal. Ms Famy’s experiences illustrate the broad scope of volunteering opportunities available and the profound impact that anyone can make to uplift vulnerable communities. 

Mr Ian Chia discussed his extensive involvement volunteering as a Community First Aider, covering national events such as the National Day Parade and regular weekend duties in parks for the First Aider on Wheels (FAOW) programme. Apart from these, Ian also volunteers as a Community Responder with the HoME+ programme. Mr Chia highlighted a significant incident where his quick response and first aid knowledge prevented a potential crisis when he assisted a HoME+ client whose mental state was compromised due to low blood sugar. This showcases the critical role that volunteers play in emergencies.

Advice for Potential Volunteers

The panellists shared valuable insights for people considering volunteering. Both Ms Mitra and Mr Chia emphasised the importance of balancing personal, professional and volunteer commitments. Ms Mitra added that roping in loved ones can make the volunteering journey more enriching and fun. 

"Prioritising is important. With passion, you can make the commitment and time for volunteering. I rope in my friends and family," Ms Mitra shared, highlighting the importance of dedication and involving loved ones in service.

As volunteering required time and commitment, both Ms Mitra and Mr Chia advised potential volunteers to align their volunteering journey with personal interests and capabilities, ensuring a fulfilling and impactful engagement. 

Ms Lum strongly encourages potential volunteers to try befriending, volunteer with an open heart and volunteer with action, emphasising the emotional rewards of personal interactions with the beneficiaries.

"Volunteer with action and compassion. Don't shy away from befriending—just smile and give them hugs. You may even be invited to their homes for dinner." Said Ms Lum.

Finally, Ms Famy inspired attendees to just dive into volunteering, assuring them of the lasting friendships and personal growth that come from such commitments.

Volunteers' Impact and Commitment 

The panel underscored volunteers' integral role in addressing social disparities, uplifting the lives of the vulnerable in our community, and enhancing community resilience through various volunteering roles in the SRC. Collectively, the volunteers demonstrated through their personal stories how committed service can lead to significant social impact. 

Following the Panel Discussion, a Volunteer Leader, Mr Rajendran Rani Manikandan took the stage to share his inspiring volunteer journey with the Red Cross Junior (RCJ) programme. He empowers young children by teaching them essential skills like first aid through enjoyable activities and role plays. His dedication extends to volunteering at significant events such as World Red Cross Day, and festive celebrations. Mr Rajendran provides invaluable support in pre-event setups, ushering guests, facilitating game and activity booths, and guiding youth on humanitarian trails. Through these RCJ's activities, children have cultivated compassion and confidence, embodying the core values of the programme.

Canvassing for Support for Humanitarian Work 

Part of the convention was an array of booths that showcased the diverse services and programmes offered by the SRC. These booths not only highlighted our extensive humanitarian efforts, but also showcased volunteering opportunities for involvement. Complementing SRC’s presentation, strategic partners including the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Migrant Workers Centre, Centre for Domestic Employees, and Wateroam Pte Ltd were also present. These partnerships highlighted a collaborative effort to enhance the scope and impact of humanitarian services provided to the community.

Unleashing the Creativity of Beneficiaries

Apart from the booths, a gallery walk showcasing the curated artwork by residents and clients of the Red Cross Home and Day Activity Centre for the Disabled, and seniors of the ElderAid programme were also on display. This initiative stemmed from collaborating with Marina Bay Sands (MBS) during their Sands Charity Month, where SRC beneficiaries and clients participated in the MBS art jamming initiative. This initiative provided a platform for beneficiaries to express their creativity and artistic talents and highlighted the commitment of both organisations to promoting diversity and inclusiveness. 

SRC expresses appreciation to Marina Bay Sands for the venue sponsorship, beneficiary/client art jamming sessions, and sustained support over the years, all of which have greatly enriched our community outreach efforts.

Photos by James Tan and Lai Wei Song, volunteer photographers