Inspired by her parents' kindness toward underprivileged families, Ho Wan Loo decided to join the Singapore Red Cross as a volunteer at their fundraising events. Always on the lookout for interesting and novel ways to raise funds, Wan Loo has thought of some fresh fundraising ideas for the SRC. She finds fulfilment through volunteering, as it has strengthened her interpersonal skills and helped her forge new friendships.

Growing up, Ho Wan Loo often saw her parents donating money, food and other essential items to elderly, children, and families, from challenging backgrounds. Her parents' acts of kindness left a deep impression on her and inspired her to help the underprivileged in the community, when she started working. 

"I find personal satisfaction and happiness in lending a helping hand to people in need. I hope to inspire others to contribute to the community, in the same way that my parents influenced me to do so," said Wan Loo, an administrator in an insurance company in Singapore.

When she came to Singapore from Malaysia a few years ago, Wan Loo began volunteering for the Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) local community services over the weekends, when she would prepare, pack and distribute meals, toys, and gifts to SRC’s local beneficiaries.

As she did not know many people when she first arrived in Singapore, volunteering gave her the opportunity to meet like-minded people, thus broadening her social network and helping her to feel more connected with the community.

Passion for Fundraising 

Passionate about fundraising for the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), she is always on the lookout for interesting and novel ideas to raise funds and has made several recommendations to bolster fundraising efforts. She has proposed using robots to collect donations in crowded places, as well as setting up a booth at a fun fair prior to COVID-19 pandemic to fundraise for SRC's local humanitarian services. Wan Loo would also organise dinners with other volunteers to brainstorm and exchange ideas to improve fundraising events.

“I enjoy volunteering for fundraising events because I can commit to seeing the event through from start to finish. Volunteering has strengthened my interpersonal skills and helped me to forge new friendships. My life has become more interesting through volunteering!" she quipped.

Her desire to bring about a meaningful change in the lives of the beneficiaries' keeps her motivated to continue volunteering. 

“I believe in the adage, 'Do good, and it will come back to you.' Through volunteering, we can bring smiles to others while making a massive difference in their lives," Wan Loo said. 

On being a Volunteer Leader

Towards the end of 2022, she attended the Volunteer Leadership Programme, where she learnt about embracing professionalism, managing volunteers and the issues they face, to become a better leader. She hopes to leverage on her experience as a volunteer to enhance the volunteering experience for all volunteers. 

"My goal is to be a good Volunteer Leader and contribute to the growth of the Singapore Red Cross' community services," said Wan Loo. 

By Saurav Srivastava, Volunteer
Co-edited by Sondra Foo and Adele Tan, Marketing Communications and Partnerships