Augustine Steve Lee, 63, an avid blood donation advocate, wears many volunteering hats with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC). Besides volunteering in the Blood Donor Programme, Augustine provides first aid coverage in the Southwest District, serves as a Community Responder in SRC's HoME (Home Monitoring & Eldercare), befriends the elderly via SRC's ElderAid, and transports the elderly and persons with disabilities as SRC's TransportAid volunteer. 

Passionate about Blood Donation Advocacy

Augustine Steve Lee, 63, has been contributing to the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) for the last 30 years since he attended his company’s blood donation drive back in the 1980s.

"I started donating blood because I could get one day off when I did so!" Augustine smiled as he confessed, recalling those days with a tinge of nostalgia.

His first blood donation marked the onset of a three-decade-long journey in giving the gift of life to those in need. Motivated by the cause that one packet of blood could save three lives, he incorporated regular blood donation as part of his lifestyle. He subsequently switched to donating platelets when the opportunity arose.

"Whole blood is used in cases of rapid blood loss while platelets can help people with cancer and leukaemia," he shares. 

His passion for blood donation extended to blood donation advocacy as he took on the role of a donor servicing volunteer with the Blood Donor Programme (BDP). As a BDP volunteer, he distributed flyers to educate, promote and garner support for blood donation at roadshows prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a donor servicing volunteer, he controls the crowd, responds to donor queries, assigns beds and provides bandaging to blood donors following their blood donation.

Yet, volunteering as a donor servicing volunteer is not for the faint-hearted. As with other advocacy roles, Augustine faced challenges; the lack of interest among the public and unruly behaviour. However, he takes the challenges in his stride.

"Patience is indispensable. I rely on my sales and marketing experience in dealing with different types of people," he says. 

As much as Augustine wished he could donate blood as long as he can, he was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2010, and that medical condition brought his blood donation journey to a halt. 

These days, he volunteers at Bloodbank@HSA. Besides promoting blood donation publicly, Augustine also spreads the word about blood donation to his family. Augustine's two daughters, both graduates of Nanyang Technological University, are regular blood donors themselves. 

Enhancing Resilience Through First Aid

Passionate about giving back to society, Augustine has been involved in many volunteering engagements and capacities with the SRC over the past three decades.

Besides advocating blood donation, Augustine, who is trained in Standard First Aid, Occupational First Aid and Psychological First Aid, is committed to enhancing community resilience through first aid. As a volunteer first aider, Augustine provides first aid coverage at the Southwest District monthly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He recounted providing first aid treatments to cyclists who sustained injuries following a crash involving a group of cyclists. He also puts his first aid skills to the test as a Community Responder supporting SRC's HoME (Home Monitoring & Eldercare) service that ensures the well-being of the elderly and persons with disabilities living alone. 

As a first aider, Augustine occasionally encounters casualties who shied away from seeking help. 

"Breaking the ice was the main challenge in such situations. I learnt to manage these situations from more experienced volunteers," he says.  

Volunteering in Other Capacities

Apart from providing first aid, Augustine finds joy in befriending and organising programmes for the elderly as SRC's ElderAid volunteer and he briefly volunteered with the TransportAid team for first aid coverage at community events. Besides volunteering locally, Augustine also plays a part in the Disaster Surveillance team where he monitors news on natural disasters overseas, and provides updates to the team, thereby facilitating SRC's response. Augustine also did his part during the COVID-19 pandemic by undergoing training and urging the silver generation living in Bukit Batok and Jurong to get vaccinated. 

Notwithstanding his volunteering efforts, Augustine is a proud grandparent to triplet boys whom he spends time with every Sunday. He tries to meet them for breakfast or lunch, “otherwise they will forget who I am”, he quipped. 

Forging Friendships

Through his volunteering activities, Augustine, whose wife passed away several years ago, interacts with people from different walks of life. Not only has he learnt more about life, but he has also honed his interpersonal skills and forged close friendships with fellow SRC volunteers over the years.

For his steadfast commitment to volunteering over the past three decades, Augustine received the Commendation Award in the SRC Awards 2020/2021.

To encourage people to join SRC, he says, "Volunteering means opening your hearts and minds. Always try your best to help those in need of assistance. There will be ups and downs in this experience. Every day is not the same. But a dedicated volunteer will never give up.”

By Apoorv Bhatnagar, Volunteer

Copyedited by Charlein Ho, Volunteer