Having spent 25 years in the fashion industry and a few career stints thereafter, Amelia Aman was to find the greatest fulfilment when she joined the Singapore Red Cross.

Amelia Aman has been part of the limelight for much of her career. She went from being a photographic and runway model to choreographing fashion shows and conducting grooming classes. But after spending 25 years in these roles and other short career stints, Amelia switched gears to become a fundraiser with the Singapore Red Cross. As it turned out, Amelia found that her role in the Direct Donor Partnerships (DDP) department was to be the most rewarding part of her career.

Amelia had initially stopped working after her brief stint as a service ambassador in the service sector. In fact, she found out about the SRC role unexpectedly through a chance encounter with an old friend, who was with the DDP. Amelia’s friend encouraged her to join SRC as a street fundraiser but there was no vacancy so she joined as a telemarketer in June 2019. Subsequently, Amelia joined the DDP in August 2019, and she has not looked back since.

Heartened by compassion

As a fundraiser, Amelia used to go door-to-door prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (she switched to cold calls amid the outbreak). Occasionally, doors would be slammed in her face. But this did not deter Amelia, who took such challenges in her stride and persevered. And there have been some success stories.

Amelia recounts knocking on the door of one family on Christmas Eve in 2019. The lady who opened the door told her she could not make a monetary donation as her husband was about to retire.

“I told her that most children in an orphanage can find jobs to support themselves when they grow up, but not the residents of the Red Cross Home for the Disabled (RCHD). They needed her love and support,” Amelia said.

This moved the lady, and she agreed to make a donation to the SRC.

“I felt happy with the effort I put in, and the ways I improved my pitch and overcame objections. The lady understood RCHD residents’ needs, and the cause went straight to her heart. She reinforced my belief that people are generally good at heart but they need the assurance that their donations would benefit people in less fortunate circumstances,” she explained.

Such sentiments go both ways, of course. Amelia recalls encountering a father and son pair who thanked her for the good work she had been doing. Through their gratitude, Amelia felt that her labour of love and perseverance in the face of rejections paid off.

SRC: A hero to those in need

One incident that left an indelible mark on Amelia’s memory was an encounter with an elderly lady whose daughter has severe disabilities. The lady made a donation and told Amelia they would consider placing their daughter at RCHD because they would not be able to take care of her forever.

“It was so touching. I felt SRC could be a hero for the elderly couple,” a teary-eyed Amelia said as she recounted the incident.

Belief in SRC

Amelia has gone beyond simply raising funds for the SRC. On numerous occasions, she stepped up to donate blood as well until a medical condition compelled her to stop. But that did little to diminish her belief in the work the SRC does in uplifting the lives of vulnerable members of the community.

“The work culture here is good and everyone is helpful and encouraging. Working with SRC has made me a better person. We all work hard together. At the end of the day, we know we are doing this for the beneficiaries whom we serve,” Amelia said.

By Sondra Foo, Corporate Communications
Copyedited by Keval Singh, Volunteer